Friday, July 17, 2020

MAYOR DE BLASIO EXTENDS POPULAR OPEN RESTAURANTS PROGRAM TO OCTOBER; ANNOUNCES MORE LOCATIONS FOR EXPANDED DINING ON OPEN STREETS


  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 
On Street 
From Street 
To Street 
Borough 
Salsa Con Fuego 
*This location will open on Saturday, July 24th. 
Cedar Ave 
W Fordham Rd 
Landing Rod 
Bronx 
Concord Hill 
Graham Ave 
Skillman Ave 
Conselyea St 
Brooklyn 
Sunset Park BID 
5th Ave 
40th St 
41st St 
Brooklyn 
Park Slope 5th Ave BID 
5th Ave 
President St 
3rd St 
Brooklyn 
Park Slope 5th Ave BID 
5th Ave 
10th St 
13th St 
Brooklyn 
Blind Tiger 
Jones St 
Bleecker St 
W 4th St 
Manhattan 
Von Design Ltd 
Bleecker St 
Mott St 
Bowery 
Manhattan 
MacDougal Merchants Association 
MacDougal St 
W 8th St 
W 3rd St 
Manhattan 
Sushi Vida 
Dyckman St 
Broadway 
Seaman Ave 
Manhattan 
St Tropez Soho, LLC 
Spring St 
6th Ave 
Thompson St 
Manhattan 
Village Alliance 
W 8th St 
5th Ave 
6th Ave 
Manhattan 
Hangawi Restaurant 
E 32nd St 
5th Ave 
Madison Ave 
Manhattan 
Alliance for Downtown NY 
Pearl St 
Broad St 
Hanover Sq 
Manhattan 
Alliance for Downtown NY 
Pine St 
William St 
Pearl St 
Manhattan 
Rezdora 
E 20th St 
Park Ave 
Broadway 
Manhattan 
Rivington East Merchants Association 
Rivington St 
Essex St 
Norfolk St 
Manhattan 
Osteria Morini 
Lafayette St 
Spring St 
Kenmare St 
Manhattan 
Derossi Global 
E 7th St 
Ave A 
1st Ave 
Manhattan 
Village Alliance 
St Marks Place 
3rd Ave 
2nd Ave 
Manhattan 
The Hairy Lemon 
Ave B 
E 2nd St 
E 3rd St 
Manhattan 
Flatiron 23rd St Partnership 
W 22nd St 
5th Ave 
6th Ave 
Manhattan 
Cervo's 
Canal St 
Orchard St 
Essex St 
Manhattan 
Kettle of Fish 
Christopher St 
Waverly Pl 
7 Ave South 
Manhattan 
Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce 
70th Rd 
Austin St 
Queens Blvd 
Queens 
Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce 
Austin St 
72nd Ave 
72nd Rd 
Queens 
Thai Community USA 
Woodside Ave 
76th St 
78th St 
Queens 

"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.