San Diego

Gaslamp Quarter Hotel Files Complaint That Bar is Too Noisy

The "Nest on Fifth" hotel has filed a complaint against the Prohibition Lounge on Fifth Avenue

A noise complaint has been filed with the city of San Diego by a hotel called “Nest on Fifth” against a restaurant and speakeasy bar but an attorney for the speakeasy calls the complaint unsubstantiated. 

Prohibition Lounge is a speakeasy bar on 5th Avenue in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter with a staircase down to a basement where musicians will sometimes play live music. There’s also a mezzanine, balcony-like setting above the basement inside the restaurant where guests can be.

In a complaint filed through the city of San Diego Code Enforcement on June 27, the hotel alleges that Prohibition Lounge is “playing live music multiple nights throughout the week on the Mezzanine floor of the property whereas their permit only allows them to have a live band in the basement portion of the property.”

It goes on to say the hotel occupies the second, third and fourth floors of the building and has been “plagued with guest complaints that the music is literally shaking their bed, up to two floors above the Mezzanine.”

The complaint also says that efforts to reach out to the restaurant were unsuccessful.

Amy Hall is a musician who said Monday she sometimes plays live shows at Prohibition Lounge. She said she has never seen live music performed on the Mezzanine.

“I’ve always performed in the basement with my fellow musicians at Prohibition,” said Hall. “But then again, it does get loud. Musicians kind of like to get loud.”

But she added she has lived in the Gaslamp for four years and in the past has lost sleep from the loud music that can come from bars in the area.

“For the most part, the restaurants try to keep their music down, especially when they get into the later hours because they realize that people are sleeping,” said Hall.

Other local bar patrons said Monday noise is to be expected in the Gaslamp Quarter.

“It’s the Gaslamp, it’s pretty loud,” said Freddy Gomez. “We’re all here to have fun so we’re going to make a lot of noise.”

NBC 7 reached out to Prohibition Lounge for comment. Attorney Leonard Lerner said no one has contacted his client about any unwanted noise. He said the business has a permit to provide entertainment between 5 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. from the interior of the building. 

If noise complaints are found to be substantiated by the city of San Diego Code Enforcement, the business could face fines. 

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