Diaz has been the most vocal opponent of Cooley’s project, arguing in a opinion column published by WEHOville.com that the “conditional use permit” granted by the city for the project might enable a future owner or operator of the venue to use it in a way not proposed by Cooley’s. The plan for Cooley’s calls for outside patios both on Santa Monica Boulevard and at the rear, facing West Hollywood Park. David Cooley has said Cooley’s will be primarily a restaurant and not a nightclub. Diaz contends that Cooley’s eventually will seek city permission to offer live entertainment and dancing there. Diaz said he also believes noise from Cooley’s will bother users of the adjacent city park.. He argued that, by competing with other gay bars in the area known by some as “Boystown,” Cooley’s may force bar owners to try to lure heterosexual customers, diluting the gay nature of the neighborhood.
Cooley’s would occupy almost 9,000 square feet that formerly housed Raffi’s Jewelers, Balliamos dance studio and Unicorn Alley, an “adult” store, on the south side of Santa Monica Boulevard. CIty planners generally praised the project. “Overall the project represents high quality architectural design that provides a strong urban design response to both the street and the alley or park sides of the project,” a staff report said.
Diaz’ appeal of the decision by Assistant Community Development Director John Keho will be considered by the full West Hollywood Planning Commission at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the City Council chambers in the West Hollywood Library building at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. south of Santa Monica.
Maybe “equality” wasn’t such a good marketing point indeed.
He never has a problem getting what he wants a long time ago he used to provide coffee for city hall meetings makes me wonder what he provides and to whom at city hall looks to me you can have anyone for a free lunch
2) The Abbey, unlike OTHER gay businesses in WeHo seems to not have had to worry about parkng space allocation OR food to booze requirements, etc.Did someone really have the nerve to bring “Parking” up in this thread as a reason to deny Cooley’s?
Are you really going to bring up Parking? What bar has parking? Revolver? I don’t think so!!
All arguments against Cooleys are absurd, narrow minded, old-fashioned views from people better off living in Triangle Square (look it up).
2) The Abbey, unlike OTHER gay businesses in WeHo seems to not have had to worry about parkng space allocation OR food to booze requirements, etc.
In short, David Cooley was able to break all the rules, do whatever he wanted, and was rewarded not by being fined but by selling his business BUILT at the expense of other businesses that did have to comply with the city’s arbitrary rules, for a small fortune.
WeHo USED to be a decent little city. Honestly it is a sad cheap version of what is wrong the corrupt society we live in today.
I don’t really go to bars but having lived in and around the “gayborhood” for years let me point some things out:
1) The Abbey ORIGINALLY got it’s license to open as a “coffee shop” as an “alternative” to the alcohol serving gay bars in the area. It WAS in what we were told at the time was a “historic” building. Can anyone even remember the assurances at the time that the Abbey would NEVER serve alcohol or become a “dance bar”?
2) The Abbey, unlike OTHER
This just keeps getting better and better….what a joke Diaz has turned himself into. Revolver is filled with straight people all the time. It’s virtually a smaller less fun version of the Abbey. How are all those straight female employees working out Diaz? It’s sort of why I don’t go there by the way. Diaz has things completely turned around….The heterosexual-izing of Weho has nothing to do with new venues, it’s all about changing tastes, and changing demographics of who lives in the neighborhood. It’s not “if you build it, they will come”, it’s “If they come, you should build… Read more »
Cooley’s will be a gay gastropub. Cooley is landed in hot water a few years ago when he forbid bachelorette parties from the Abbey. He understands the needs of his most loyal customers. The PUMP bar will be gay as well if it wants to survive. Look at how long “hetero” places last in Boystown, not long. Anyone remember “Apple”? Anyone remember when Here used to host urban hetero nights? These all did happen for a hot minute but couldn’t last because on a typical evening the streets are jammed with gay men. Cooley’s will only add to the “attraction”… Read more »
How would Diaz have liked it if Mickey’s complained about reopening The Revolver? Cooley’s will be spectacular & fun. Diaz’ remarks are truly sad. I will still enjoy The Revolver, but only because I like the music videos. Shame on Diaz. Hopefully Cooley’s will have lots of monitors with all kinds of music videos, while Diaz thinks about all the customers he lost because of his ridiculous comments.
“Boystown” is the victim of its own success….It’s last call boys, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.
bars that cater to gay and straight are boring. just go to the abbey and have some drunk girl tell you how cute you are, meaning you are not a sexual threat to her, like a stuffed animal or a pet. and gay men slobbering over some girl telling her how pretty she is, is a snooze fest. ugh. lester, you don’t hang out at revolver, anyway. come on. what is happening is that this area of west hollywood is watering down the gay, in favor of cash. broadening the scope of clientele and while that is a business decision,… Read more »
This is just greedy and makes me not want to patronize Revolver.
“He argued that, by competing with other gay bars in the area known by some as “Boystown,” Cooley’s may force bar owners to try to lure heterosexual customers, diluting the gay nature of the neighborhood.”
Heaven forbid, gay and straight people mix. What a disgusting argument. Alfredo/BEB, keep your focus. Even though your credibility is suspect, learn how not to through every freakin’ argument at something. Choose your strongest and go with those.