Posted on July 8, 2021 at 4:28 pm by Carol Tannenhauser
By Carol Tannenhauser
New York City bars and restaurants will be able to offer al fresco dining on municipal spaces — sidewalks, parking spaces, and open streets — for at least another year, as a result of a new state law signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, June 7th.
Today I signed legislation that will allow bars & restaurants to continue using municipal spaces for outdoor dining for another year.
Outdoor dining was not only popular—it was a lifeline to small businesses. I’m glad to enact this extension.https://t.co/DNUiVBlfT3
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 7, 2021
Outdoor dining came into existence on June 4, 2020, through an executive order issued by the governor. “In New York City, the Department of Transportation managed the scheme, converting 8,550 parking spaces into street seating, and Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed the effort saved some 100,000 jobs,” amNY reported.
But the Executive Order was set to run out in one year, requiring legislation to extend outdoor dining. “In this case, the legislation was necessary to allow the state Liquor Authority the discretion to continue the use of this space without prior approval,” a press release explained.
Phil Alotta, owner of Lilly’s Cocktail and Wine, on West 72nd Street, between Columbus and Central Park West, summarized his reaction to the news of the extension in one word. “Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Without outdoor dining I would be out of business. It’s going to keep so many small businesses in business. It’s a savior. It saved me as an owner-operator, and it saved a dozen people’s jobs. And the city is more than making up in sales tax what it loses at parking meters. Financially, it’s a no-brainer.”
Lilly’s is thriving, Phil said. “It’s a European feeling, dining outside. It has a romance to it. Everybody loves that feeling.”
It’s a far cry from the way things were a year ago. “It was really rough,” he recalled. “It was touch and go; it was questionable. It could have very well gone the other way. Fortunately, the federal government came through with some assistance, too, and that was also a determining factor.”
Not everybody loves outdoor dining. One man, who asked that his name not be used, said, “Especially on the avenues, where there are bike lanes, restaurants and double-parked delivery trucks, it reduces traffic flow to one or two lanes. And the bike lanes running through the restaurants are hazardous to customers and staff.”
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, lauded the extension of outdoor dining, but added, “There’s still a long journey toward the industry’s full recovery, and the next step must be for the federal government to replenish the…
Read More: West Side Rag » Outdoor Dining Extended for at Least One More Year; ‘It