海角大神

It鈥檚 not so often someone throws a bucket of water at you from a fifth-story walk-up, but that鈥檚 exactly what happened to me in Paris two years ago.

I was out with a group of Irish friends at 2 a.m., and we lingered in the street for a half hour 鈥� they singing Irish folk songs at the top of their lungs and I, the bemused American, looking on with glee. It wasn鈥檛 until the second bucket of water threatened to douse us that we knew the angry neighbor meant business: Shut up and go home.

In Paris, like in many big cities, there is a strict distinction between nightlife and sleeping hours. For the sanity of the neighborhood, bars and restaurants must close at 2 a.m. But Paris鈥檚 nightlife mayor, Cl茅ment L茅on, says having a strict closing time for establishments is actually creating much of the discontent between residents and local businesses 鈥� chucking night owls into the streets all at once, where they tend to linger and get loud.

Removing uniform closing hours for late-night establishments is just one of Mr. L茅on鈥檚 top initiatives for turning Paris into one of the world鈥檚 nightlife capitals. While the oddity a 鈥渘ightlife mayor鈥� may make some giggle, L茅on says he is a vital link between residents, local businesses, and the government.

鈥淗aving a nightlife mayor is so important for Paris鈥檚 influence around the world,鈥� says L茅on, who took the position in November 2013. 鈥淣ightlife is not just about partying. It鈥檚 the businesses that go with it.鈥�

L茅on is one of just a handful of nightlife mayors around Europe, including Amsterdam and Toulouse in the south of France. His role largely consists of acting as a go-between for local residents and neighborhood businesses 鈥� gathering complaints or suggestions and voicing them to the government. He also works towards promoting nightlife, like cultural activities, as well as tackling transportation and other logistical after-hours issues. A critical aspect of the job, he says, is getting out into the community and making personal contact with locals.

L茅on's position isn鈥檛 official 鈥� he was elected by a citizen vote initiated on Facebook last year. But in his first year "in office," L茅on鈥檚 position created so much buzz that the nightlife issue was added to the docket during the recent local elections in France, and ended with newly elected Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo promising to designate someone to an official position in charge of nightlife.

There are a number of issues that L茅on wants Paris鈥檚 government to seriously address, besides getting rid of a curfew for bars. One of them is improving the city鈥檚 nocturnal transportation by keeping two or three metro lines open all night. As of now, Paris鈥檚 metro 鈥� which shuts down at 2 a.m. on the weekends 鈥� pales in comparison to the all-night transportation offered every Saturday in Berlin and Barcelona. New York City has the only metro in the world that runs all night.

L茅on also wants to see the opening of more nighttime cultural activities, apart from bars and clubs, like the artist squats, street art, and organizations that exist in Berlin or London.

But Eric Boulo, the project manager for Discom 鈥� a fair held last month in Paris that unites nightlife professionals 鈥� says it鈥檚 important not to relegate bars and clubs to the "dirty" side of nightlife and says they are an important part of Paris鈥檚 vie nocturne. However, this sector has struggled in the last decade.

鈥淭he number of clubs in France has gone down from 6,000 to 2,000 in the past 10 years, due to a lack of clientele,鈥� says Mr. Boulo, adding that the indoor smoking ban in 2008 has made for fewer clubgoers.

With around 600,000 people holding jobs in the French capital during the nighttime hours 鈥� from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. 鈥� nightlife is hardly something to brush aside as insignificant. L茅on says that during his next mandate 鈥� whose length is, for now, unlimited 鈥� he will continue to bring vibrancy and competitiveness to Paris鈥檚 nightlife sector.

鈥淣ightlife has huge importance,鈥� says L茅on. 鈥淚t creates jobs and offers genuine culture. It counts just as much as what happens in the daytime.鈥�