CityLab Daily: So You Want to Be a Night Mayor

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Night moves: If you’ve heard of “night mayors,” you might imagine a dream job that finally puts your “work hard, play hard” mantra to good use. But it’s not the party you think it is. For one thing, you’re nothing like an actual mayor—hence the preference for toned-down titles like “director of the office of nightlife.” The gig is decidedly bureaucratic, dealing with noise complaints, business licensing, congested corridors, parking challenges, rats… the list goes on. But as more U.S. cities are seeing value in that kind of job, we wanted to know: What, exactly, does it take to be a successful liaison between nightlife and city hall?