Buffa's, an Esplanade Avenue bar/restaurant/live music spot on the French Quarter–Marigny border, has found itself at the center of a lawsuit concerning NIMBY's favorite topic: the "noise ordinance." The Gambit reports that the lawsuit stems from Buffa's next door neighbor, 1011 Esplanade Avenue, Inc., an on-the-market property owned by local trash tycoon-turned-real estate developer Sidney Torres IV. According to a July 3 post on Buffa's Facebook page:
"Specifically, the lawsuit claims we have violated the city's noise ordinance, yet offers no evidence to that effect. Every reading we have made on multiple devices during live performances says we have not. Although we have made several requests to take readings directly on the property at 1011 Esplanade, we have yet to be allowed to do so." Team Buffa also says the lawsuit, which heads to Civil Court tomorrow (July 8) July 22 (it has been postponed), is trying to yank their live music permit "stating that the city erred when it issued the permit because we did not provide any substantial proof that Buffa's has had a history of live music gong back prior to 2000." In 2012, 53 letters were turned in defending Buffa's "long history" of live music and a 1996 Times-Pic article states that Walter "Wolfman" Washington played Buffa's twice a week.
Torres bought 1011 Esplanade Ave. in 1999 and apparently hasn't had any beef with the bar before this case. A Buffa's bartender told Gambit that Torres was a customer in the past, even bringing in his music-loving bestie Kid Rock.
In other Marigny music crackdown news, Mimi's in the Marigny, no stranger to the NIMBY music saga with its on-going lawsuit, has nixed live music for the summer and has new, earlier closing times of 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends.
· Mimi's in the Marigny cancels live music; Buffa's faces 'noise' lawsuit [Gambit]
· Buffa's Bar and Restaurant [Facebook]
· Sidney Torres IV's Marigny manor for sale with a secret price [Curbed NOLA]
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