New common consumption area takes effect in Manhattan

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - Manhattan locals and businesses are taking advantage of a new alcohol rule this summer.

Little Apple residents can now sip on their favorite alcoholic beverages and stroll through the downtown area thanks to a newly established common consumption area (CCA). The CCA took effect on July 17 during the Third Thursday celebration.

People who are 21-years-old and over can buy alcoholic drinks from participating bars and restaurants and carry them outside within the designated zone. The CCA is part of an effort to increase foot traffic in the downtown area and make local events more engaging.

People in the CCA can enjoy drinks from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week in certain areas between Poyntz Avenue and Houston Street, from Third Street to Fifth Street. A map of teh CCA can be found below:

"You are creating a center for people to come to," said Gina Snyder, executive director of Downtown Manhattan. "And this center happens to be the center of the city. And we happen to have a lot of restaurants and bars and retail shops and businesses down here. And when you create that energy and people are just around all the time, people tend to spend their money in these kind of places on these kind of days."

Only three businesses are participating in the CCA so far but Downtown Manhattan expects more to join in the coming months. You can learn more about Manhattan's new CCA and the rules that come with it by clicking here.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf