NYC outdoor dining sheds were a celebrated pandemic-era innovation. Now, there's a new set of rules
Outdoor dining was a rare part of the pandemic that many people actually liked
NEW YORK — Outdoor dining was a part of the pandemic that many people actually liked — made possible by streetside dining sheds that popped up around New York City and allowed many restaurants to stay in business when they couldn't have diners inside.
Some sheds were simple — wooden structures with basic cutouts for light, a few tables, the occasional plastic sheeting to keep out rain and snow. Other restaurants got more into it — choosing decor to match the restaurant's interiors and adding heaters, plants and plush seating.
As New York City has moved out from under its pandemic-era regulations, how to handle the new landscape of outdoor dining structures has been a growing question. While many still like the sheds and restaurants want to keep them, others say there is no longer a need for them. Some have raised concerns like increased noise and congestion, loss of street space, and argued that some are dilapidated, abandoned structures that are eyesores.
City officials have now taken steps toward making outdoor dining a permanent part of the New York City streetscape, but with conditions. Earlier this month the New York City Council passed legislation that would create a system allowing businesses to set up dining sheds on city streets for April through November and to remove them in the winter months.
Sidewalk dining would still be allowed year-round, as it was pre-pandemic. Now, it's allowed in more parts of the city.
Just like the mix of feelings about the sheds themselves, there has been a wide range of reactions to the new system, though details are still being hammered out. The processes — for permitting, fees and licensing — as well
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