Best PR announcement ever. (DCers especially)

[northzax]

go to www.kiliskafe.com

note the page that reads "Due to recent media inaccuracies, Kilis Management would like to let all of our loyal patrons know that Kili's Kafe will remain open for business; We will continue to bring you the international vibes that our patrons have come to love. Kili's Kafe thanks you for your continued support as we work to overcome these minor adversities."

the 'minor adversities' they mention is the fact that a patron opened fire on a group of other patrons on the street outside last night and fired 30+ shots from an automatic weapon, injuring four. Two months ago, two other people, including a soldier just returned from Iraq, were shot to death in their car after leaving the club. Last weekend, a man was shot and killed a block away from the club after leaving it. a month ago, two patrons had a running gun battle two blocks away after leaving the club (one bled on my front stoop)

There have been five homicides this year within a three block radius of my apartment. Three of them have been patrons of this club, perpetrated by other patrons of this club.

So, since the club is already on probation, the City is going to revoke its liquor license, as is DC's wont. What do people think, this is a club frequented by black people, in a transitional neighborhood. is this racism? there are several other late night hot spots in the three block area that people come from miles around for (9:30, DC9, among others) none have been linked to violence in the past year.

EDITED for link change

[anarch]

1. I think their site has gone down...

or been d.o.s.'ed by people linking from the news.

I wondered what the hell went on over there last night....

[northzax]

2. sorry, bad link, fixed now

I heard the shots, it sounded ugly. I also heard the shots last weekend. this is why my rent is cheap.

[seemunkee]

3. Why do you even mention racism

There are a lot of clubs black and white that don't have those problems. Why should this one keep their license?

BTW How the hell do you deal with parking down there. I went to the Black Cat Sat night and had a hell of a time finding a place to park.

[northzax]

6. because they're playing the race card

so I thought I'd solicit opinions.

parking isn't so bad up here, 14th Street is abysmal, getting as bad as Dupont and Adams Morgan on weekends.

[seemunkee]

10. Playing the race card in a majority black city

with a black mayor, black police chief, and several black members of the city council? Right.
I tried to find a picture of the head of the liquor board but none are available. Still this seems pretty far fetched to me.

[northzax]

11. it's a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood

that's where the racial aspect comes into play, the people buying townhouses for a million bucks are white, for the most part, and the people who have lived here for 50 years who are losing their houses and apartments are black. And the black community thinks, as a general rule, that Tony Williams is too friendly to white corporate interests, and doesn't pay enough attention to them.

[Love Bug]

4. It's only racism if the city's response would be different

towards a mostly-whites frequently club experiencing the same kinds of problems. I don't live there and am unfamiliar with this club, but it sounds like a scary place to go. "Minor adversities" indeed.

[LynneSin]

5. Sounds like my neighborhood (ok, not as much gun fire)

But I live in an ethnically diverse neighborhood but honestly, I've had better luck with neighbors here than when I did when I lived in the suburbs.

Plus I have a giant size apartment with washer/dryer - can never ever go wrong with that!

[northzax]

7. hey, I love it here

the problems have all been caused by people who are visiting, not living within a five block radius.

and I can't complain about my below market two bedroom.

[LynneSin]

9. I know the feeling

I have a friend who lives over in one of the more hipper, trendy neighborhoods and he kept bugging me to find an apartment outside of my neighborhood.

I told him I couldn't justify paying $500 more a month for less space and less extra features (I have Wash/Dryer, Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal and Heat included - he has none of these). I need to save money to buy a house and you can't do that if you're paying for overpriced rental properties.

I'm probably not going to be buying anything in this neighborhood wheer I live but mainly because my company relocated me 30 minutes south of where I use to work. So I'll probably look down and that's all suburbs.

But I'm so glad I picked the neighborhood where I live!

[MadHound]

8. Racist, I don't know.

If they shut down a predominately white club after such incidents then I would pretty much have to say no. Gunfire is gunfire, whether it is going on at a white club or black club.

And from the sounds of it, perhaps shutting it down for awhile is a good thing. If gunplay has become a weekly event, then it would only get increasingly dangerous both for club patrons and you. Shutting things down gives everybody a chance to decompress, and time for the club to get its act together.

[northzax]

12. aw, what a shame

the license is suspended. and the owner? blaming the neighborhood. "we have been misteated, Kili's Kafe has been targeted by the very people who were supposed to protect us"