Outdoor Dining

August 3, 2020

NYC’s latest set of outdoor dining open streets includes 13 blocks on the Upper West Side

Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty On Friday, Mayor de Blasio announced that an additional 15 locations would be closing to traffic and opening their streets for outdoor dining through a combination of the city's Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs. This brings the total to 62 participating streets. Some of the latest include 13 blocks along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, another stretch in Chinatown, Koreatown, a few in Noho/Soho, and five blocks along Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Since restaurants were first able to open for outdoor dining when phase two began on June 22, more than 9,500 have signed on to participate.
The full list of open streets
August 3, 2020

Outdoor dining comes to two NYC food halls

With nearly 10,000 New York City restaurants open for outdoor dining, now even food halls are getting in on the Open Restaurants program. The Market Line at Essex Crossing on Friday opened a spacious outdoor patio and a menu made up of a mix of vendors from the Lower East Side food hall. And Time Out Market will reopen its fifth-floor rooftop and seating along the waterfront in Dumbo this week.
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July 30, 2020

Chinatown’s historic Mott Street is transformed into an outdoor dining oasis

Chinatown's Mott Street got a colorful upgrade on Wednesday with a block-long outdoor installation designed by architect David Rockwell. His firm, Rockwell Group, launched DineOut NYC earlier this summer to help New York City restaurants safely open outside by providing design templates for creative ways to use sidewalk and street space. Mott Street, now closed to cars between Mosco and Worth Streets, serves as the program's first community-wide dining area, with multiple restaurants on the strip using the facilities.
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July 20, 2020

Cuomo threatens roll back of outdoor dining in NYC amidst growing crowds

After yet another weekend of social gatherings in New York City, Governor Cuomo said in his press conference this morning that the state may have to roll back the opening of bars and restaurants in the city if the local government and police department does not enact stricter enforcement. The governor emphasized the fact that the NYPD's task is not to inform young people about mask compliance but to enforce the law. "That is the only line between anarchy and civilization," he said." This weekend, Steinway Street in Astoria was flooded with people partying, and the Lower East Side once again saw large crowds.
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July 17, 2020

Outdoor dining in NYC will be extended through October

Since NYC entered phase 2 of reopening on June 22, more than 8,600 restaurants have begun participating in the Open Restaurants program, which allows restaurants to set up seating on sidewalks, curb cuts, in adjacent parking spots, and on certain designated open streets. Indoor dining in the city, however, has been postponed indefinitely. So to keep outdoor dining expanding and thriving, Mayor de Blasio announced today that he's extending the program through October 31.
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July 9, 2020

Bronx Little Italy sets up ‘Piazza di Belmont’ for outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue

With indoor dining on hold, the city has committed to expanding the already very successful outdoor dining program it launched in late June when phase two began. With more than 7,000 restaurants participating, the program grew this month to include several open streets across the five boroughs, and in the Bronx, the selected street is Arthur Avenue, the heart of Bronx Little Italy. Starting tonight, from Thursdays to Sundays, Arthur Avenue between East 188th Street and Crescent Avenue is transforming into a European-style al fresco dining setup called Piazza di Belmont, with more than 25 restaurants participating.
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June 18, 2020

NYC reveals outdoor dining plan ahead of Monday’s phase two reopening

New York City is officially entering phase two of reopening on Monday. The news has led to questioning of the de Blasio administration as to their plan for outdoor dining, with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and others rallying for immediate action yesterday. In his press conference on Thursday, the mayor laid out details of the city's Open Restaurants program that will allow restaurants to set up sidewalk seating and curb lane seating, convert adjacent parking spots into seating, utilize plaza seating through Business Improvement Districts, and, come July, add seating areas on streets currently closed to cars.
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June 3, 2020

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

With seven of 10 regions across the state now in phase two of the reopening plan, Governor Cuomo announced today that he was adding outdoor dining at restaurants to the list of businesses and operations allowed during this second stage. Restaurants in these regions can begin this tomorrow June 4th, as long as outdoor tables are spaced six feet apart, all staff wear face coverings, and customers also wear face coverings when not seated.
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