University Heights coffeehouse Twiggs no longer offers music in its Green Room. Last month, Twiggs posted signs on its doors proclaiming Feb. 28 would be the last night that live music would be performed in its Green Room. The note said that the establishment has always had a “no live music” clause in its lease – which the landlord had been kind enough to overlook – but that noise levels had become unmanageable, and the owners had no choice but to close the Green Room to musical performances.

Twiggs co-owner Dan Stringfield described the change as unfortunate but unavoidable considering the noise and growing neighborhood. “There are 16 studio apartments above our space, and there were complaints from them to our landlord,” Stringfield said. “It’s a very old building and there’s no insulation or noise proofing. So someone just talking down there can be heard by the people upstairs.”

Twiggs’ attempts to control the noise were futile. “The guy booking the room has been booking more people, and the shows have been going later.” Stringfield said. “We tried talking to the guy ad nauseam, and nothing ever seemed to click and it really didn’t tone down, so we were backed into a corner.”

Mueller College, a local massage school located across from Twiggs, is picking up most of the slack by hosting the Thursday, Friday and Saturday night events previously held at the Green Room.

“When the guy who owns Mueller saw the sign on the door, he said that they had an empty classroom that could be used at night,” Stringfield said. “I think it’s working out pretty well for them.”

The relocation of most of the entertainment at Mueller is a win-win situation for Twiggs, as music fans continue to drop in at Twiggs for their drinks. “In some ways it’s the best of both worlds because we don’t get the complaints, but we still get the business from the shows,” Stringfield said.

The Green Room’s Wednesday night open mic is also moving to The Brass Rail, where the evening will continue to be hosted by Tim Mudd.

Stringfield said the Green Room will now be used mostly as a meeting space for twelve-step programs and other groups. “There are already about 20 twelve-step groups that meet there mostly during the days. Hopefully we can get some groups on Friday and Saturday night as well,” he added.

The closing of the Green Room highlights a problem for local musicians and the many fans of live music. Outside of bars and clubs, there aren’t many places where musicians can perform and people can hear their favorite local bands.

Hillcrest’s The Living Room, another popular coffeehouse with live music, which often hosted acoustic jazz or folk musicians on Saturday evenings, recently closed its doors.

The closures mean that coffeehouse music fans will have to search farther afield for their caffeine and music fix. Venues such as Lestat’s Coffee House, Claire de Lune and local bookstores are possible alternatives.

Lestat’s on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights is a popular venue among locals, with live entertainment scheduled almost every night of the week. Open 24 hours, Lestat’s attracts an eclectic crowd of customers and entertainment. Its entertainment calendar features a mix of music, comedy and open-mic nights.

Claire de Lune on University Avenue in North Park is a popular hangout with a mixed crowd. Its entertainment calendar is sparse on weekdays, but music is scheduled most Friday and Saturday nights.

Aside from local coffeehouses, bookstores are some of the few remaining venues available to all ages. Large chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders are popular because they are open late and also have in-store coffee shops. Borders bookstore in Mission Valley is among the busiest of the local bookstores and draws a large crowd with its live music on Fridays at 8 p.m.