US Lacks Good Local Pubs

A trip to London has Ryan Avent lamenting the lack of good neighborhood pubs in the US. "That’s largely because it’s very difficult to open new bars," the Economist editor writes at his blog. "And the result is a pernicious feedback loop." Two few bars means the good ones are packed and noisy, which draws people who like that kind of atmosphere, which in turn ticks off the neighbors, "leading to tighter restrictions still and exacerbating the problem."

What's worse, "this is the kind of dynamic that’s very difficult to change," he writes. "No city council will pass the let-one-thousand-bars-bloom act, and neighbors can legitimately complain of any individual liquor license approval that it may lead to some crowded, noisy nights." A little "institutional innovation" is needed for cities, or perhaps more bars that fall into the "private club" category and can thus restrict membership "to preserve the quiet along with the quality." (More pubs stories.)