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East Village Restaurant Helpfully Air Conditions The Sidewalks
By
Nell Casey
Published Jul 10, 2015
Modified Jul 10, 2015
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottlynchnyc/">Scott Lynch/Gothamist
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By
Nell Casey
Published Jul 10, 2015
Modified Jul 10, 2015
Share
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The glaciers are melting and polar bears are about to become legend due to warming temperatures but maybe if they camp out on East 2nd Street they'll have a chance for survival. Last night at East Village hotspot Rosie's, the cooling breeze of the air conditioning could be felt from the street, as the restaurant's retractable walls let the climate control spill out into the world with wild, fuck you world abandon.
From photographer Scott Lynch:
I was actually going to eat there, but as I crossed Second Avenue and approached the corner on my Citi Bike I could feel the cool breeze coming from Rosie's all the way out on the street! I parked, went inside to confirm that they had the AC on with literally the walls open, expressed my dismay to the friendly hostess who seemed happy about the situation ("you get a nice balance this way, of cool and warm air"... not that I blame her at all), and took the shots. Of course, Rosie's was far from the only restaurant doing this yesterday evening (and probably all the time), but because their open frontage is so large, it seemed particularly sad and appalling.
A spokesperson for the restaurant told us, "the unit at Rosie's is often on, but actually in fan mode." We asked for clarification regarding last night's climate control situation and the publicist said the hostess was "misinformed... We chatted with the owner who was also at the restaurant last night." Maybe the missing glaciers are popping up in front of Rosie's fans?
Though restaurants are part of the problem, it's retail chains that are the most egregious offenders of the AC leaks onto sidewalks. In 2008, the City Council and now Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer passed Local Law 38, mandating that certain stores keep their doors closed while running air-conditioning. Unfortunately, the law only applies to stores larger than 4,000 square feet and chains with five or more stores in the city. Restaurants with outdoor seating are exempt from the law.
But should it be that way? Establishments with the means to let money fly out of their open windows in the form of air conditioned air should be held to the same standards as other outlets with cold blasting powers. We reached out to both the Department of Consumer Affairs, as well as BP Brewer for their thoughts and we'll update when we hear back.
In the meantime, if you can't afford AC in your own place but need a respite from living inside Ron Swanson's mustache, bring a concert blanket over to 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street, position it on the sidewalk and let the last dying gasps of innumerable species cool the sweat off your neck.
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AC
air conditioning
climate change
global warming
local law 38
rosie's
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Nell Casey
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