Mayor De Blasio Adds New Weekend Outdoor Dining Locations to Nation-Leading Open Streets Program
NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio today announced six more locations for weekend outdoor dining options as part of a City initiative that combines the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs. The initiative, “Open Streets: Restaurants,” expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the weekends. Restaurants on these corridors are allowed to go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, while the rest of the street remains open for pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles only.
Today’s announcement brings the citywide total to 81 participating streets. Most of the new locations will begin weekend closures the evening Friday, August 28th. More than 9,900 restaurants are now participating in the City’s Open Restaurants program.
“We’re continuing to reimagine our urban landscape and give small businesses more chance than ever to recoup their losses from COVID-19,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Restaurants and diners alike have loved this program from the beginning, and we’re proud to expand it even further.”
“With weekend diners enjoying eating outdoors along some of their favorite commercial corridors, ‘Open Streets: Restaurants’ has already effectively redefined New York City street space – and along with Open Restaurants, has put thousands of New Yorkers back to work,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Today we are excited to announce even more outdoor dining locations coming around the City — from Harlem to Boerum Hill, and Astoria. We thank Mayor de Blasio, our sister agencies as well as the local BIDs and organizations for working with us to make outdoor dining safe and enjoyable for thousands of New Yorkers.”
New Open Streets: Restaurants Locations:
| Organization | On Street | From Street | To Street | Borough |
| Atlantic Avenue BID | Hoyt St | Pacific St | State St | BK |
| Garment District Alliance | W 36th St | 5th Ave | 6th Ave | MN |
| Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership | E 28th St | Madison Ave | Park Ave | MN |
| Scarpetta Restaurant | E 29th St | Madison Ave | 5th Ave | MN |
| Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance | Frederick Douglass Boulevard | W 112th St | W 120th St | MN |
| Nino’s AQ Restaurant | Ditmars Blvd | 33rd St | 36th St | QN |
The hours of operation for this new expanded seating option for most restaurants will be from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday nights, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Some hours will vary by location.
“I’m happy to see more and more streets being placed in the Open Streets: Restaurants program. This is not just about expanding small businesses’ capacity, it’s about prioritizing safety and transportation innovation. I look forward to monitoring each block’s success alongside operators, neighbors, and community board partners,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera.
“The eateries on Hoyt St. are thrilled to participate in Open Streets: Restaurants. We’ve created highly visible signage that will attract passersby and add some color to streets. Come Chow Down on Atlantic Avenue,” said Kate Chura, Executive Director, Atlantic Ave BID.
“We never imagined we’d be able to build an outdoor dining space on 29th street. The last month of being able to serve our guests in our 70 seat outdoor garden has been incredible. Now with Open Streets, we’re beyond excited to have the opportunity to expand our seating to accommodate more of our guests through the fall,” said John Meadow, President, LDV Hospitality.
“We are excited to collaborate with DOT and restaurants on East 28th and 29th Streets in this latest expansion of the city’s Open Streets: Restaurants program. Restaurants are facing dire circumstances and they need all the help that government – on all levels – can provide. Outdoor dining has already been a lifeline to many restaurants in Flatiron and NoMad, and we’re pleased that more restaurants in our district will now be able to expand their footprint into the street and safely serve more guests,” said James Mettham, Flatiron 23rd St Partnership.