Airbnb outlaw’s new lounge draws heat from residents

Notorious Airbnb ‘slumlord’ David Jaffee is taking heat from Gramercy residents, with his new lounge on Third Avenue allegedly keeping neighbors up at night by allowing partygoers to clog the sidewalk.

Jaffee opened Visana, at 321 Third Avenue Near East 24th Street, this fall, and neighbors complained about the noise and crowds outside the bar during an October meeting of the 13th Precinct Community Council.

Residents then returned to the council on Nov. 17 after the situation failed to improve, according to DNAinfo, with one neighbor claiming the lounge “is changing the whole picture of the neighborhood.”

Jaffee, however, says he’s taken steps to appease neighbors – putting up fliers in the neighborhood encouraging residents to come to him with any issues and spending $5,000 on soundproofing equipment since he opened.

Jaffee is no stranger to controversy in his business ventures; he was once labeled one of the “Top 10 most hated people in New York nightlife,” according to DNAinfo, while Gawker’s tech blog Valleywag recently caught him cramming 23 beds into an illegal Airbnb hostel at 215 East 27th Street in Kips Bay.

The Airbnb controversy led to the popular lodging site banning Jaffee from using its services, as well as lawsuits from landlords from whom he rented the apartments. [DNAinfo] – Rey Mashayekhi