[East 14th Street]
The city officially enters Phase 2 today, which allows for the reopening of outdoor dining at bars and restaurants, in-person retail, hair salons and barber shops (though excluding personal care services like nail salons and spas) ... and more office jobs, with less capacity and mandatory COVID-19 safeguards in place like social distancing and facial coverings.
Of particular interest is how, exactly, the outdoor dining portion will work. Mayor de Blasio unveiled the plans back on Thursday. Here are excerpts from the city's press release:
The City’s Open Restaurants program ... allows qualifying restaurants and bars to expand outdoor seating on sidewalks, curb lanes, backyards, patios, plazas, and Open Streets as New York City begins Phase 2 of reopening. The City has established an expedited approval processes by allowing restaurants and bars to self-certify their eligibility for curb lane and sidewalk seating using a new, streamlined application process at NYC.Gov...
Open Restaurants gives dining establishments five new options. Beginning in Phase 2, restaurants can implement seating in curb lanes and sidewalks. Phase 2 allows reopening and use of as of right outdoor space in backyard and patios. Restaurants can also work with their local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to establish seating in plazas. Beginning in July, restaurants can offer seating on Open Streets on nights and weekends.
Sidewalk seating will be in effect until the end of October. Curb lane seating will last through Labor Day. DOT will work with community groups and partner agencies to identify additional seating within full streets closures in July. Restaurants can work with their local BID and DOT to request additional seating in plazas by emailing Plazas@dot.nyc.gov.
Customers are not permitted to gather outside of establishments. Businesses that repeatedly fail to comply will have their Open Restaurant authorization revoked by DOT, and will be referred to the SLA.
This NYC.gov link has more details on how the Open Restaurants scenario will work.
I haven't heard yet of any plans to close East Village streets for outdoor dining. (If you have, then please let me know!) Closing off Avenue B as part of Open Streets hasn't exactly been a success.