Businesses and City Council Members alike railed against the rollout of the new dining shed program under the city’s DOT, arguing that it is far too onerous for applicants and has atrophied outdoor dining. ( Photo: NYC DOT ) City Council Holds Hearing on ‘Disastrous’ Dining Shed Rollout The City Council convened an impassioned hearing on the state of NYC’s revamped dining shed program on April 22, which attracted... News 26 Apr 2025 | 07:13
Restaurants and bars in NYC are struggling to stay afloat while they wait for their liquor licenses to be approved. Photo: Pexels. Restaurateurs Exasperated With Long Liquor License Delays Restaurateurs and bar owners are furious with the New York State Liquor Authority for its long delays in processing liquor... News 27 Mar 2023 | 04:02
By October 2020, six months after the outbreak of COVID, restaurants took creative steps to insure safe and healthy dining for their patrons. Here, in the Flatiron District one uses a Manhattan take on an igloo, transparent but enclosed. Photo: Ralph Spielman Debate Surrounds the Future of Outdoor Dining as City Council Ponders Fate of New Regs There’s a new word in our Manhattanese argot” “Streeteries.” Loosely defined as on-street outdoor dining establishments, usually... News 12 Feb 2023 | 11:52
Dozens of protesters turned out at 250 Broadway, where City Council offices are located. Photo: Abigail Gruskin ‘The Yuck Mobile’ A mock dining shed on wheels stalled briefly in front of City Council members’ offices downtown, at 250 Broadway, in the... News 18 Nov 2022 | 10:52
CB7’s Transportation Committee met to discuss protected crosstown bikes lanes, but the Zoom got off to a rocky start. Photo: Abigail Gruskin A CB7 Meeting, Gone Awry Not all Zoom meetings start with a bang. But Community Board 7’s did on Monday night — in a way that was less than desirable.... News 11 Nov 2022 | 04:51
Surprise statement: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (left) said at a Citizens Union breakfast (with moderator John Avlon) that outdoor dining should be confined to sidewalks. Photo via Adrienne Adams on Twitter Booze and Bike Lanes Nothing is ever simple in the Great City. Take the revolution in outdoor dining wrought by the pandemic. Ok, we still aren’t... News 02 Oct 2022 | 11:43
Council Member Julie Menin chaired a Small Business Committee oversight hearing on March 7. Photo: Abigail Gruskin Will Small Businesses Bounce Back? All of a sudden, the city has welcomed its latest tide of change in the pandemic, perhaps ushering in the beginning of the... News 09 Mar 2022 | 02:36
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo holds a coronavirus briefing in New York City Monday, August 3, 2020. Photo: Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo) Restaurant Owners Propose Reopening Plan COVID-19 has hurt many industries, but none more than restaurants. While they are allowed to have outdoor seating, many are... News 12 Aug 2020 | 11:16
Karen’s Quirky New York Screams for Ice Cream