Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed the first 22 locations for the expansion of outdoor dining options under both the Open Streets and Open Restaurants initiatives. Select corridors throughout the five boroughs will be operational for outdoor dining on weekends starting this evening, Friday, July 3. So far, spots ordinarily taken for parking have been converted into lively dining destinations, as indoor dining has been postponed even though the city is scheduled to enter phase 3 on Monday. As of Wednesday, 6,100 restaurants have already applied and gotten certification for outdoor dining in under two weeks. According to the Mayor’s office, “Restaurants on these corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic.”
The first group of locations are focused on streets already participating in the Open Streets program. The corridors have been represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. Ad hoc groups of restaurants that coordinate through a single entity acting as a partner organization can participate in the second cohort. The hours of operation for this new expanded seating option for restaurants will be from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday nights, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Expanded seating will last until Labor Day.
By borough, here are the 22 locations city streets closed this weekend for outdoor dining:
Bronx
Arthur Ave, from E 188th St to Crescent Ave
Brooklyn
Dock St, from Front St to Water St
Main St, from Plymouth St to Water St
Washington St, from Water St to Front St
Anchorage Place, from Water St to Front St
5th Ave, from Dean St to Park Pl
Reed St, from Conover St to Van Brunt St
Manhattan
Doyers St, from Bowery to Pell St
E 101st St, from Lexington Ave to Park Ave
Gansevoort St, from Washington St to W 13th St
9th Ave, from 14th St to 15th St
13th St, from Hudson St to Washington St
Little W 12th St, from 9th Ave to Washington St
Broadway, from 25th St to 28th St
Orchard St, from Delancey St to Grand St
Broome St, from Ludlow St to Allen St
W 46th St, from 8th Ave to 9th Ave
Mulberry St, from Hester St to Broome St
Hester St, from Mulberry St to Mott St
Queens
Bell Blvd, from 39th Ave to 41st Ave
41st Ave, from Bell Blvd to 214th Pl
Staten Island
New Dorp Ln, from S. Railroad Ave to Hylan Blvd
BIDs and community-based organizations can apply to Open Streets and Open Restaurants on the DOT’s website, and applications will be quickly reviewed. The city will consult with elected officials and Community Boards to ensure optimal safety measures at these establishments.
“While Little Italy in the Bronx has been operating during COVID-19 due to our essential businesses including butchers, pharmacies, fish markets, delis, bakeries, pizzerias, and many other specialty stores and services, we have looked forward to reopening our restaurants which make up the other half of our historic, multi-generational neighborhood,” Peter Madonia, Chairman of the Belmont BID, said in a statement. “Streets will remain open during normal business hours every day while the weekend evenings will be a new opportunity for visitors to experience our own Little Italy in the Bronx piazza-style al fresco dining.”
San Gennaro on Arthur Avenue. Photo courtesy Belmont BID.
Although new coronavirus cases, deaths, and hospitalizations continue to decline across New York City, Mayor de Blasio and other New York officials expressed concerns about following through with indoor dining this upcoming Monday. In Monday’s press conference, de Blasio acknowledged that there exist many problems with indoor dining, especially since many states across the nation are making dine-in rules more strict. For example, in East Lansing, Michigan recently 85 patrons tested positive for the coronavirus, all linked back to a single restaurant.
The rest of phase 3 is moving on pace for Monday, July 6, which means that the city can reopen outdoor recreational spaces like basketball courts, tennis courts and dog runs. The city is continuing to open up more streets to pedestrians and cyclists to maintain social distancing, with over 40 miles so far.
