A growing number of residents along College Street in Toronto are worried about the rising number of bars and nightclubs in their neighbourhood and rowdy behaviour after closing time.

On Wednesday night about 50 people packed a meeting room at College Street United Church to discuss what can be done.

Residents complain that on weekends the street transforms when the clubs and bars empty in the early-morning hours.

For Karen Gingras, who lives above her College Street shop, weekends are tense. Chairs have been thrown through her shop window twice.

"I've had so much graffiti that practically every two weeks I was repainting the facade of my store. You know it was cleaning garbage, cigarette butts, vomit," she said.  

Gingras and others packed into the church hoping to fight back.

A panel of police, politicians, activists and enforcement officials told residents they need to organize in order to press for change.

"As an individual you can put in your complaints, but you really won't get too far with any organization," said Richard Kulis of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

"Whether it's the City of Toronto, whether it's the Alcohol and Gaming Commission or whatever organization you want to help you, you have to get organized," he said.

The next step, residents say, is to form a committee to specifically deal with rowdy behaviour on weekends.