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NYC Opens 21 More Locations For Outdoor Dining, Including Parts Of Chinatown

By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 14, 2020

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Mott Street set up with outdoor dining spaces

Scott Lynch / Gothamist

By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 14, 2020

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Mayor Bill de Blasio did not hold his usual morning press conference today, but his office did share news about the city's ongoing Open Streets initiative. The city announced this afternoon that 21 more locations around the five boroughs will become Open Streets for outdoor dining. That brings the citywide total to 76 participating streets and nine pedestrian plazas.

"Rebuilding a fairer and better city means using our urban landscape creatively, and I'm proud to build on the success of our Open Streets program," de Blasio said in a statement. "New Yorkers have sacrificed so much during this crisis and they deserve the opportunity to safely enjoy their neighborhoods and communities."

Most of the new streets (you can see the full list below) will be open starting this evening. The hours of operation 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.

Among the new locations is Bayard Street in Chinatown, which happens to be the location which Mayor de Blasio visited earlier this week, only to turn his back on bakery manager Patrick Mock, who said he was disappointed that the mayor wasn't giving the neighborhood more than the occasional publicity visit. The 26-year-old manager of 46 Mott Bakery had been trying to talk to the mayor about the struggles for local businesses when de Blasio was captured on camera turning away from him mid-conversation. One of the things Mock wanted to propose to the mayor was turning that section of Bayard Street into an Open Street to allow for a night market on the weekends.

Newly Added Open Restaurant Streets

The Bronx

Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Staten Island

In addition, five Open Streets locations are either being shortened or removed entirely. In Brooklyn, 2nd Place (from Smith Street to Henry Street), Butler Street (from Gregory Place to 4th Avenue), and Gregory Place (from Baltic Street to Butler Street) are all being removed. The Open Streets at Willow Street will be shortened (it was previously Middagh to Pierrepont, now it's from Middagh to Clarke); same thing at Livonia Avenue (previously it was from Mother Gaston Powell, now it is between Powell and Junius). And over in Manhattan, Margaret Corbin Drive (between Ft Washington and Cabrini Blvd) has been removed as well.

New plaza locations with exclusive seating, collective dining, and open public seating also include Westchester Square in the Bronx and Hillel Plaza in Brooklyn, along with Corona Plaza, Diversity Plaza, and the 71st Avenue Plaza in Queens.

The city also announced new Play Streets—in which kids can participate in crafting and art projects, play sports and take dance and yoga classes— at new locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Play Streets will operate most weekdays through September 4th. Hours vary by location, but will generally be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get more information on those here.

So far, NYC has opened up over 67 miles of open streets in the last two months, the most in the country. More than 9.500 restaurants have applied for permits to use sidewalk and curbside space for dining during the pandemic since the city announced that they could use outdoor space to reopen.

Tagged

COVID-19

coronavirus

mayor bill de blasio

Chinatown

open streets

restaurants

outdoor dining

Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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