Operator's Guide · M05
Manhattan Community Board 5
Midtown, Herald Square, Murray Hill, Times Square, Flatiron, Garment District
Highest SLA volume in NYC — 1,614 records (xlsx Jan 2022–Jan 2024 + YouTube transcripts Mar 2025–Apr 2026)
24-Month Activity
CB5's monthly disposition Google Drive spreadsheets stopped in January 2024. We bridged the Feb 2024–Apr 2026 gap by transcribing the SLAP Committee's auto-captioned YouTube recordings (11 meetings recovered via the State Licenses & Permits playlist). YouTube extraction is partial — auto-captions miss many items vs the xlsx — but it captures recent high-signal activity (denials, deny-unless-stipulations, new full-liquor applications).
CB5 is Manhattan's central business district — historically the highest SLA volume of any NYC community board (1,614 records total). Two data sources stitched together: (1) 1,835 raw → ~1,600 deduped from the public Google Drive disposition spreadsheets (Jan 2022 – Jan 2024), with structured columns Address | Application Type | License Type | DBA | Applicant | Disposition; (2) 13 new records from YouTube auto-transcripts of the SLAP Committee meetings (Mar 2025 – Apr 2026). The vast majority of dispositions historically were 'No Comment' approvals (~91%) — the commercial-district norm. The board maintains a Restricted Licensing Area on 19th-21st Streets in Flatiron to curb problem corridors, and has codified a Rooftop & Rear Yard Policy.
✓ What they like
Patterns that win approval at this board
Hotel-attached F&B and restaurant chains
Mastro's Steakhouse, Embassy Suites Midtown, Penn 1 venues — commercial-zoned full-liquor applications routinely pass without comment.
Renewals and corporate changes
1,030 of 1,835 dispositions were renewals, virtually all approved 'No Comment'. Corporate changes and method-of-operation modifications also breeze through.
Wine/beer applications across the district
321 wine/beer (WB) and 34 wine/beer/cider (WBC) — nearly all approved without comment. WB is the easiest path on CB5.
✗ What they don't like
Patterns that get denied or stipulated
Applications in the Flatiron Restricted Licensing Area (19th-21st Streets)
The committee maintains specific guidelines for this corridor due to historical noise and crowding issues. New full-liquor apps here face additional scrutiny.
Rooftop venues without acoustic mitigation
CB5's Rooftop & Rear Yard Policy requires specific acoustic and operational measures. Venues that don't address rooftop concerns proactively face stipulations.
Stipulation pattern
The working contract operators sign
CB5 uses a lighter stipulation framework than CB3/CB7. Standard codes: NC = No Comment (approve), NCWA = No Comment With Affidavit (approve with stipulations), Den = Denied. The 'with affidavit' track is the conditional approval pattern — applicant signs a notarized stipulations document covering hours, façade, music, security. Outside the Restricted Licensing Area, most applications are NC.
Tactical advice for operators
If you're applying here, do these things
- #1
Pre-file the SLAP Questionnaire (available at cb5.org). It's the same form the committee uses to evaluate.
- #2
Submit the 30-Day Notice promptly — CB5 publishes monthly disposition sheets and your application will appear in the next sheet.
- #3
If your venue is in the Flatiron RLA (19th-21st Streets), engage the SLAP committee chair before filing.
- #4
Rooftop applications: provide acoustic survey + operational hours plan up front.
Who to know
Reach office@cb5.org or 212-465-0907 for the current SLAP Committee chair. Disposition sheets are public at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iajZm8R7x30-EfZ3vEUBRI0K4SgfD3eC
Recent activity
Last 24 applications by meeting date
| Date | Venue | Address | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04 | Bernie and Herbs | 28-34 East 16th Street | op | Modified |
| 2026-04 | Out of the Ordinary (formerly Taj) | 48 West 21st Street | op (modify) | Stipulations |
| 2026-03 | Baza | 251 West 30th Street | op | Modified |
| 2026-03 | Boxers | 37 West 20th Street | renewal | Deny |
| 2026-01 | Taj | 48 West 21st Street | op (modify) | Deny |
| 2025-12 | DO Supper Club | 59 West 21st Street | other | Approve |
| 2025-10 | Mission Ceviche | 7 East 17th Street | op (modify) | Stipulations |
| 2025-09 | BB Group dinner-theater venue (former Burger & Lobster) | 39 West 19th Street | op | Stipulations |
| 2025-07 | Fifth & Mad | East 36th Street between Fifth and Madison | other | No action |
| 2025-07 | Nomad Jazz Festival venues (Barlu/Barlume/Scarpetta/The Seville/MMO/Brass/Arlo/Aqua/Poster House/Black Barn) | Various - Flat Iron / NoMad / Madison Square Park | op (modify) | No action |
| 2025-04 | DOM Lounge | 287 Park Avenue South / 105 East 22nd Street | other | No action |
| 2025-04 | Dazed | 33 Union Square West | renewal | Stipulations |
| 2025-03 | State of Play / Flight Club | 31 Union Square West | op | Stipulations |
| 2024-01 | 10 East 52nd Street | renewal | Approve | |
| 2024-01 | 200 Central Park South STE 110 | op | No action | |
| 2024-01 | Applebees's Neighborhood Grill & Bar | 234 west 42nd Street | renewal | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Hakata Tonton | 35 West 35th Street | op | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Hong Chun Cheon | 2 West 32nd Street | other | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Jewel Thief | 1214-1216 Broadway | renewal | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Joa Kitchen | 46 West 36th Street | other | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Lets Meat | 307 5th Avenue | renewal | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Mastro's Steakhouse | 1285 Avenue of the Americas | renewal | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Office Hours | 1 Penn Plaza Ground Floor | renewal | Approve |
| 2024-01 | Pending | 55 West 21st Street | op | unknown |