Neighbors want earlier closing time at Schenectady bar after recent violence

SCHENECTADY – The Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association in Schenectady wants Tropics Restaurant & Bar to close early every Friday night. It comes after recent violent incidents near there, including one where a man was killed outside the bar over Labor Day weekend.

The neighborhood association says Friday nights is when neighbors hear loud music and fighting taking place at the bar.

However, the owner of Tropics tells NewsChannel 13 they are not the ones to blame.

The Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association put together a petition where more than 30 people have signed it. In writing, it is calling for the bar to close.

Marva Isaacs, the president of the neighborhood association, says they don’t want the business to shut down entirely. However, Isaacs says on Fridays, neighbors are having a hard time going to sleep because they hear loud music and fighting.

Mavis Diaram owns Tropics. Diaram says they don’t have a problem with their customers. She says the loud music is coming from Speedway, which is the business next door.

"They are waking up only on Friday nights to tell me that all this noise and the fighting and the music is going on," said Issacs.

"The things that are going on with the loud music and the cars and the crate challenges are coming from our neighbors, which you can see the outside of the building, if you live there, you will hear it, assume it’s here, but it’s not here," said Diaram.

NewsChannel 13 reached out to Speedway. A manager couldn’t talk on camera, saying we had to go corporate. She did say they have signs that tell people not to loiter.

A Schenectady City Council member confirmed that they received the petition, and will potentially talk about it at their next committee meeting.