Drinking In The Alley Is Cool If We Call It A Social District

It's all about perspective.

And a good public relations team.

Like the following conversation:

"What'd you do this past weekend?"

"Went downtown, hung out in the alley, got drunk, met this girl..."

What visual do you have in your head?

Let's try this.

"What'd you do this past weekend?"

"Went downtown to that new social district they set up, had a few drinks, met this girl..."

Now what visual do you have?

Alley = Social District here folks.

Semantics.

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And the Lansing City Council is back at it again with a proposed plan to use alleys for these new social districts. It was proposed but delayed last summer and probably because of that pesky coronavirus.

The idea of social districts are to zone off certain areas of downtown with picnic tables and other seating. The social district would be open for customers to grab their food and drinks from a local restaurants and sit down in this "social district" and eat and drink while still being in a social environment but socially distance. More on social districts in Lansing here. 

Read More: Lansing Trying to Create "Social Districts" | https://975now.com/lansing-trying-to-create-social-districts/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Of course we're having fun with the "alley" semantics, but the plan is to clean up an area between Allegan and Washtenaw streets. 

Cocktails and dining between several restaurants and bars. If all goes well with the vaccine and covid numbers going down, this thing could get fast tracked and approved quickly.

It's even got the Governor's blessing.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently amended the state’s alcohol laws to allow cities and towns to create the zones for drinking and dining to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. (LSJ)

This would definitely be a good look for local businesses. Couple that with folks wanting to get back to normal life, get outside, and go be social; I can hear the cash registers ringing already.

Plans to open at least three "social districts" that provide added space for outdoor drinking and dining between local bars is the subject of a public City Council hearing set for 7 p.m. Feb. 22.. (Lansing City Pulse)