Mayor de Blasio today extended the City’s overwhelmingly popular Open Restaurants program until the end of October, giving nearly 9,000 participating restaurants two extra months to serve diners in safe, socially distant outdoor spaces. The Mayor also unveiled 26 more locations for the weekend expansion of outdoor dining options under an initiative that combines two popular programs, Open Streets and Open Restaurants.
The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. 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 and emergency vehicles. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 5-11 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 P.M. The 26 new locations bring the citywide total to 47 participating streets.
The City will continue to work with the restaurant industry to ensure there is clarity on the guidelines for roadway seating setups.
“Open Restaurants has given New Yorkers more than just a meal away from home – it has given our city a sign that better times are ahead,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m proud to give small businesses another two months to get back on their feet, and I’m looking forward to enjoying a meal on our expanded Open Street program soon.”
"Our Open Restaurants initiative has been a tremendous team effort and we are excited to give more restaurants -- in places like Forest Hills, Queens and University Heights in the Bronx -- additional room to serve their customers and put people back to work,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We thank Mayor de Blasio, the teams from DOT and our sister agencies, and all the BIDs and other neighborhood organizations which have been working with us to make outdoor dining part of an expanded Open Streets program.”
The first round of Open Restaurant locations, announced July 2nd, focused on streets that are already participating in the Open Streets program, and on corridors represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. This second tranche of locations includes additional applicants from partners and restaurant groups new to DOT.
New streets will be in the following locations:
Organization
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On Street
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From Street
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To Street
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Borough
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Salsa Con Fuego
*This location will open on Saturday, July 24th.
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Cedar Ave
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W Fordham Rd
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Landing Rod
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Bronx
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Concord Hill
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Graham Ave
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Skillman Ave
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Conselyea St
|
Brooklyn
|
Sunset Park BID
|
5th Ave
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40th St
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41st St
|
Brooklyn
|
Park Slope 5th Ave BID
|
5th Ave
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President St
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3rd St
|
Brooklyn
|
Park Slope 5th Ave BID
|
5th Ave
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10th St
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13th St
|
Brooklyn
|
Blind Tiger
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Jones St
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Bleecker St
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W 4th St
|
Manhattan
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Von Design Ltd
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Bleecker St
|
Mott St
|
Bowery
|
Manhattan
|
MacDougal Merchants Association
|
MacDougal St
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W 8th St
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W 3rd St
|
Manhattan
|
Sushi Vida
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Dyckman St
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Broadway
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Seaman Ave
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Manhattan
|
St Tropez Soho, LLC
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Spring St
|
6th Ave
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Thompson St
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Manhattan
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Village Alliance
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W 8th St
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5th Ave
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6th Ave
|
Manhattan
|
Hangawi Restaurant
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E 32nd St
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5th Ave
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Madison Ave
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Manhattan
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Alliance for Downtown NY
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Pearl St
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Broad St
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Hanover Sq
|
Manhattan
|
Alliance for Downtown NY
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Pine St
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William St
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Pearl St
|
Manhattan
|
Rezdora
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E 20th St
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Park Ave
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Broadway
|
Manhattan
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Rivington East Merchants Association
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Rivington St
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Essex St
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Norfolk St
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Manhattan
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Osteria Morini
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Lafayette St
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Spring St
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Kenmare St
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Manhattan
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Derossi Global
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E 7th St
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Ave A
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1st Ave
|
Manhattan
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Village Alliance
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St Marks Place
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3rd Ave
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2nd Ave
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Manhattan
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The Hairy Lemon
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Ave B
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E 2nd St
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E 3rd St
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Manhattan
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Flatiron 23rd St Partnership
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W 22nd St
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5th Ave
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6th Ave
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Manhattan
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Cervo's
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Canal St
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Orchard St
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Essex St
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Manhattan
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Kettle of Fish
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Christopher St
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Waverly Pl
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7 Ave South
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Manhattan
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Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce
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70th Rd
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Austin St
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Queens Blvd
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Queens
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Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce
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Austin St
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72nd Ave
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72nd Rd
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Queens
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Thai Community USA
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Woodside Ave
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76th St
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78th St
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Queens
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"Outdoor seating for restaurants and bars remains the only bright light in an otherwise bleak outlook for our neighborhood hospitality businesses and its thousands of workers. We thank the Mayor for expanding this well received program that is transforming streets and parking spaces into welcoming dining oasis. We also appreciate his willingness to work with us to clarify guidelines and improve efforts to ensure compliance among program participants,” said Andrew Rigie and Robert Bookman, Executive Director and Counsel to the NYC Hospitality Alliance.
“We’re excited to see that the city is extending and expanding the Open Restaurants program. It’s clear that it’s been popular with patrons and purveyors, and it’s impossible to overstate the importance to New York City’s economy of getting our restaurants back on track. We’re grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg and their teams, and all the partner organizations, for their efforts in making Open Restaurants a success," said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC.
"Mayor de Blasio's Open Streets Program has brought new life to New York City's streets," said Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "Not only is the program a critical lifeline for struggling businesses, it's also a historic demonstration of how the city can safely reopen and thrive as we rebound and retrench in the wake of COVID-19. Repurposing space for outdoor dining is making some neighborhoods feel as vibrant as they were over half a century ago, before our streets were surrendered to cars. We commend the Mayor for expanding this program and we hope that it remains a tool for long-term reimagining of New York City's streets."
“The restaurants on 70th Road and on Austin Street near 72nd Ave are so excited to expand their seating with the open street closures,” said Leslie Brown, President of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce. “The street closure can really benefit the restaurants and at the same time bring the community together on these summer evenings! I encourage everyone to come out, invite friends and don't forget the other small businesses that you know and love by supporting them!”
“The first section of Open Streets: Restaurants on Fifth Avenue (between Dean Street and Park Place) has been so successful that we've received a number of requests from restaurant owners along Fifth Avenue to expand the program. With these additional sections closed Fifth Avenue is now a top outdoor dining destination in NYC,” said Mark Caserta, Executive Director of Park Slope Fifth Ave BID.
“Open Streets: Restaurants truly brings Greenwich Village together. The program provides a much-needed lifeline to our businesses while allowing for socially responsible dining,” said William Kelley, Executive Director of Village Alliance BID.
