Merida, Yucatan — The city’s crackdown on noise has snared a popular expat cantina, El Dzalbay.
The hispteresque corner bar, on Calle 53 and 64 in the Centro, on Sunday sported bright red “suspendida” stickers accented with bright red tape.
Live music is a mainstay at El Dzalbay, whether it’s open-mic night, jazz or rock.
City inspectors arrived Saturday to verify a neighbor’s complaint, and confirmed that noise levels exceeded 83 decibels. Maximum decibel of 55 in residential areas are allowed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 50 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; in the industrial and commercial zone it is 68 and 65 decibels respectively.
Dzalbay’s neighborhood is filled with families and retirees.
Fines range between 2,500 and 2 million pesos. A Por Esto article did not disclose if the cantina was forced to pay a levy.
Across town, the shuttered Casa Dominga, whose owners created a loud bar and food court out of an old mansion on Calle 47 in Santa Ana, has ditched its “for rent” sign and a new sign reading “Macarena Camarena” has been erected.
