WHAT TO DO AFTER DARK : SEAL BEACH : Curfew Debaters Stay Up the Latest

You want night life? Try a Seal Beach City Council meeting.

For the past year, residents and merchants have engaged in a passionate debate over how late Main Street should be open for business.

Sometimes these meetings have dragged on past 11 p.m., when most Main Street eateries are closed for the evening.

At issue is what kind of business district the tree-lined row of shops, restaurants and bars should be.

Some merchants see Main Street as a prime, ocean-side nightspot whose shopping district and pier attract people from around Southern California.

But residents who live around the street balk at that idea. Instead of “another Belmont Shore,” a nearby area of Long Beach, they see Main Street as a family-oriented business area with shops that cater to Seal Beach residents as well as tourists.

These competing visions have produced bitter clashes at the City Council.

The Seaside Grill has tried in vain several times this year to change its closing time from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays.

The establishment serves food as well as beer and wine.

Some residents opposed the proposal, saying that Main Street already has a concentration of alcohol-selling establishments.

The council repeatedly rejected Seaside Grill’s requests.

Papillon’s restaurant had more luck in its effort to get an entertainment license.

Despite objections from some residents, the council granted the license--but with some conditions.

Only one entertainer is allowed, and the music must not encourage patrons to dance or sing.