The evening started off with a bit of a setback - keys had been broken off inside the locks of the doors to the soon-to-be-demolished Venice Island Recreation Center - but eventually everyone settled in.

Fresh off a summer break, members of the Manayunk Neighborhood Council gathered for their first session since June in what they thought would be their former home. The rec center was supposed to be torn down this fall, but the date apparently changed to the spring.

Not much has changed, as was evident by the lengthiest topic of conversation: quality-of-life issues. MNC members have long complained of the after-effects of those late-night, mostly college-aged party revelers, and this night was no different.

Talking about bars seems to be the raison d'etre of the Northwest Philly civic group.

"The situations on Main Street are as bad, or worse, as they ever were," said MNC President Kevin Smith.

Smith said quality-of-life problems have gradually increased since his arrival in the neighborhood 10 years ago, and while civic leaders have complained time and time again to city officials, they still seem to be met with resistance, or at least indifference.

"They have cops down here, they won't tell us how many, but there's never been effective foot patrols," Smith said. "You don't even have to have a court down here. Just show up and write tickets."

Smith said while the 5th Police District, which covers Manayunk and Roxborough, is viewed as extremely low on the violent crime scale when compared to other pockets of Philadelphia, it has its own problems. But he says the authorities don't seem to pay much attention to complaints unless they involve violence.

"The 5th District is a very quiet district . . . the less there is to do, the less people want to do," Smith said, referring to local law enforcement. "This is almost like retirement for the police."

And for those cops who come here from higher crime areas, Smith maintains they see the new detail as sort of a break.

"They don't want to write up college kids for pissing in an alleyway," he said.

Capt. John Cerrone, commander of the 5th District, strongly denies that little, or nothing, is being done to adequately address concerns on the part of residents.

"We're very responsive to the quality-of-life issues that occur down there" on Main Street, Cerrone said. "Most of the quality-of-life issues require that we witness those quality-of-life issues, (and when we do), we make arrests."

Cerrone took issue with Smith's allegation that local police view this beat as akin to "retirement."

"I'm sorry that they have that perception; that's certainly not so," Cerrone said. "We're out there. We're doing what we're supposed to be doing."

On the contrary, the 36-year police veteran said, because the crime is low in this district, his officers are afforded more time to investigate quality-of-life complaints. In fact, he often sends community relations officer Charlie Kline to MNC meetings to learn about any new complaints, so they can be logged and addressed accordingly.

"Fortunately, for the folks here, the officers really have time to really follow this stuff up," Cerrone said. "From the most minute parking issues, to the quality-of-life issues that primarily surround Main Street . . . we're always looking for information, and we're always following up on every lead that we have."

In addition to the police department, complaints have also been made to the city's Department of Licenses and Inspection, but again, response has been less than acceptable, Smith and others say.

The MNC president said he recognizes the city agency is grossly understaffed, and noted that most of the quality of life complaints originate during the nighttime hours when getting an L&I inspector to answer calls is unlikely.