NYC aims to keep outdoor lifestyle post-virus

The ongoing debate over New York City's Open Streets program reigniting this weekend, as many restaurants reopen outdoor seating for the first time this season.As COVID-19 ravaged New York City, virus-wary denizens locked out of indoor public places poured into the streets, sidewalks and parks. They dined with friends in outdoor sheds hastily erected by restaurants, and went to health classes, concerts and even therapy sessions on streets closed to traffic.

The expansion of the program — originally conceived as a way to give New Yorkers more space to exercise — is partly intended to increase foot traffic along struggling business corridors and give lower-income neighborhoods similar opportunities as higher-profile and wealthier enclaves.Christal Young checked out three new restaurants in Forest Hills, Queens: Mighty Quinn's Barbecue, Tacombi, and Roam.

"The message to all New Yorkers is that our space is their space — that our streets don’t belong to car owners only," said the commissioner, who oversees both the Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs. Among the legacies of the pandemic could be the remaking of the city’s food culture by permanently expanding it from the confines of indoor dining to eating en plein air, giving curbsides a bit of Parisian flair.

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NYC Aims to Keep Outdoor Lifestyle Post-VirusAs New York City forges ahead with its recovery, the pandemic is leaving lasting imprints, especially on city roadways: less room for cars and more space for people. As the COVID-19 outbreak ravaged New York City two years ago, one of the world’s most congested and bustling metropolises found itself transformed into grids of mostly deserted streets and sidewalks as businesses shuttered and virus-wary denizens shut themselves in. Now the city is drafting new rules that would allow eateries to make outdoor dining permanent, although the policy is being challenged in court. The city is also announcing plans to close off even more streets to vehicles on Sundays so pedestrians have more room to roam in warmer months. GOOD! Nice.... until the Next Pandemic fun 🥴
Source: NBCNewYork - 🏆 270. / 63 Read more »