NYC Releases Outdoor Dining Designs

New York City has released proposed designs for on-street dining setups, known locally as ‘streeteries,’ reports Christopher Bonanos in Curbed, in anticipation of a new program that will make the al fresco patios permanent—with some caveats.

As Bonanos explains, “As before, there are two types of setups. Those on the sidewalk will face minimal change. They’re going to be allowed year-round, much as they have for decades, under umbrellas and awnings. The city is lowering the price of the permit, which suggests a stance of benign encouragement.”

The design for ‘roadway sheds,’ on the other hand, will look vastly different from the Covid-era bubble enclosures. “The new open-air-dining experience will put the emphasis on the open-air part. Apart from the big heavy barrier meant to defend against moving vehicles, the mostly waist-high structures will be rather lightly constructed and roofless but for fabric canopies (an umbrella is always an option too).”

The on-street structures will have to be dismantled between November 31 and March 31. “That will allow the streets to be plowed, should it ever snow again, and perhaps diminish the number of winter-storm blow-downs.”