Ambassador for nightlife

THE CITY WILL soon have an official rep to fight for your right to party.

The City Council voted Thursday to create a new city office of nightlife, as well as an advisory board to recommend changes to the laws governing the city’s nightspots.

“We’re known as the city that never sleeps, one of the few places in the world that has a 24-hour economy,” said Councilman Rafael Espinal (D-Brooklyn). “But for a long time, nightlife has been waning due to overregulation and rising rents.”

The new nightlife director will be a liason between bars and clubs, city officials, and neighboring residents. The office will have a $300,000 budget.

Espinal is also pushing a bill to repeal the city’s cabaret law — which bans dancing at most establishments.

That hasn’t come up for a vote, but he predicted the new advisory board could push a repeal along.

One prominent nightlife operator, Gerard McNamee, is already campaigning to become the first nightlife ambassador, he told the Daily News’ Confidential column (see page 25).