New Midtown-Hell's Kitchen Restaurant: Wine Bar Seeks Quiet Home

MIDTOWN, NY — A new wine bar in Hell's Kitchen is looking to open up a cozy place for neighbors to sip and chat.

But neighbors want more assurances that the spot won't kill their "pristine" vibe.

The bar was presented to Community Board 4's Street Life Committee on Tuesday as owners sought approval for beer, wine and liquor licenses.

Here's what we learned about the new restaurant:

Pocket Bar (469 West 57th St., at 10th Avenue)

Owners of popular wine and beer spot Pocket Bar are looking to open a third, 35-person location on West 57th Street, taking over the former home of Don Café.

The owners, who opened the first Pocket Bar in 2014 and has locations at West 48th and 49th streets, seek to operate a "cozy" spot where "people can hear each others conversations," according to a representative.

But Community Board 4 members and neighbors — especially those in the same building — expressed concerns about noise, saying that the block is a quiet, residential "pristine" area with business that are all closed by 8 p.m. and fear that it could set a president for a currently absent nightlife scene.

Some cited social media posts from the bar, some which feature loud sing-a-longs, and asked for extensive details about soundproofing strategies and materials being used to mitigate revelrous sounds. Many, including board members, found the presented sound study to be insufficient.

Others said they were happy to welcome a place like Pocket Bar to the block, citing that having a warm, inclusive business open at night could actually help make the block safer at night by making the street more vibrant and less empty, and could help in deterring loiterers.

While owners said that in their 10 years in Hell's Kitchen, they have never received a single 311 noise complaint, they agreed to slightly reduce their hours until a more through sound report could be reduced.