Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
In the past 10 days, we've seen a handful of East Village establishments set up curbside structures in this new Outdoor Dining era.
Per 2023 City Council legislation, roadway dining operates seasonally, from April 1 to Nov. 29. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle.
At Book Club Bar, owners Erin Neary and Nat Esten chose a more cost-effective route by renting a modified shipping container with four tables and eight seats. (Westville East on Avenue A also selected a container model — see photo below.)
Neary (below) provided some insights about the application process and why they chose this way to add seats outside the bookstore at 197 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
What made you select this rental company — kef?
This company was ready to go. They are based in Ohio but store the containers in New Jersey.
They were primed and ready to work with the City's specs. They bring it, set it up, and take it away. They repair it over the winter.
Also, the shipping container floor panels pop up for cleaning, and there is space for drainage.
What is the cost, and what are you responsible for? Last week, Streetsblog reported that bars and restaurants could spend up to $35,000 for a setup in the roadway.
We pay the rental lease fee. The cost of our lease is $750 per month. We also pay the City's permit and license fees. [Book Club bought the tables and chairs.]
The setup is smaller than the curbside structure you had in recent years.
In years past, we shared our space with Kolkata next door, during COVID, when there were fewer restrictions. We would not have been allowed to share, nor would they have wanted to share the expense.
This time, the structure has a floor. We didn't have one last time, and there is a manhole that can't be covered.
Aside from coffee, tea and espresso drinks, Book Club serves alcohol. Will guests be able to bring beer or wine outside?
A fun surprise to us after they had accepted our application, the SLA said we had to file an alteration. We filed the permit, but needed one to file for the alteration. And we're ready to pay. As of April 1, we have conditional approval.
It's daunting, and it takes a lot of steps. I was impressed by the application site, which has a tracker that updates you on where you are in the process. I was willing to do it, but I understand why people wouldn't.
"We open our doors in the summer, and it flows into the outdoor space," she said, "It's inviting!"
-----------
The larger shipping container dining structure at Westville East on Avenue A and 11th Street...
9 comments:
Here come the people saying they would rather this space be used for parking than a nice outdoor space for members of the community
Looks great! More more more.
IDK why they felt they needed that. They don't own the sidewalk between the business and the ugly dumpster looking thing they put outside as much as places think they do. Luckily that spot is generally fairly calm. They already have a backyard, so why woudn't they just do a few tables against the business instead of that? Seems weird. The whole thing with bars now feeling so entitled to the public space now seems so weird to me and grates me. LIke oh poor you you have to pay barely anything as a private business for something you never had.
Well, that's one argument, correct. But public parking is shared. This is a private business. Someone like me doesn't like the noise and the entitlement about it, and they are ugly.
It's not "for the community". It's for people going to "Book Club Bar". Nobody else can use it.
Awesome! i love being able to walk around our neighborhood and feel the vibrancy of our streets and neighborhoods with outdoor dining. We need more of these!
Public parking is shared... amongst car owners, which according to census data is < 25% of Manhattan households. Maybe consider the many free bike racks instead?
Since the sheds were removed last fall and the mandatory trash bins are in use there has been a remarkable reductions in rats on our streets, and burrowing in our community gardens and other green spaces. That is about to change as this land grant to restaurants makes a come back. Those removable floors will never be removed for cleaning until the end of the season around Dec 1. I'm not a car owner, never had a driver's license but I understand that we all depend on cars now and then and many of us have family and friends which visit us with cars. Keep outdoor dining on the sidewalks and get rid of these seasonal rat banquet halls once and for all.
Great idea. I always felt SCs were underutilized. Cheap, sturdy, weather resistant, multifunctional. The City would never allow it and a lot of EV heads would explode but it would cool to do a double or triple decker stack. On the other hand seeing that these units aren't secure it won't stop people from doing drugs, having sex, or pooping in them after hours.
Post a Comment