Page 16 - The Indian EYE 061623

COMMUNITY OP-ED JUNE 16, 2023 | The Indian Eye 16

Making Outdoor Dining

a Permanent Feature in

New York City

The new program will make life easier for all the small restaurant owners who are pillars of our communities.

There will be one process for all outdoor dining, housed under one city agency. From the Upper West Side to
Far Rockaway, we want to partner with restaurants, not penalize them

ERIC ADAMS
ummer weather is here, and
there is no better time to be on
Sthe streets of New York—espe-
cially at our city’s bustling outdoor
restaurants.
At the height of the pandemic,
our temporary outdoor dining pro-
gram served millions of New Yorkers
and saved 100,000 jobs. It allowed
cooks, waiters, busboys, and all those
who depend on the restaurant indus- Now, all New Yorkers will be able to enjoy the many benefits of outdoor dining. This equitable and inclusive approach will continue to bring
try to get back to work – and New vibrancy to our diverse neighborhoods and help our city’s economic recovery (File photo)
Yorkers to get back to socializing safe-
ly after being cooped up indoors. outdoor dining program will build on diverse neighborhoods and help our under one city agency. From the Up-
Outdoor dining transformed our what we learned during the pandem- city’s economic recovery. per West Side to Far Rockaway, we
cityscape for the better, making our ic and in subsequent years, and make The new program will also make want to partner with restaurants, not
sidewalks and neighborhoods livelier outdoor dining more streamlined, san- street dining possible for eight months penalize them.
and more welcoming and helping our itary and sustainable. It will provide out of the year. This will allow the I’d like to thank Councilmember
small businesses thrive. While it may clear design guidelines that will help city to clean and repair streets in the Marjorie Velasquez and the many
have been an improvised solution at keep our streets clean and rat-free off-season, and ensure that unused others who have worked tirelessly to
first, outdoor dining helped us re- while giving restaurant owners the op- structures are not left up indefinitely. bring New York City a permanent

imagine how we use our public spaces, portunity to exercise their creativity. This new vision for outdoor dining ad- outdoor dining program that helps
and quickly became a beloved feature It will significantly expand side- dresses many different needs: it will communities thrive and creates quali-
of New York City life. walk dining from an option that was deliver outdoor space for restaurants, ty jobs for hardworking New Yorkers.
But outdoor dining brought chal- available almost exclusively in Man- clean streets, and a high quality of life Our new permanent outdoor
lenges too. Abandoned and poorly hattan to become a year-round fea- in our communities. dining program allows us to expand
maintained sheds became a haven for ture in all five boroughs. Now, all Finally, our new program will the opportunities that were created
rats and an eyesore for residents. We’ve New Yorkers will be able to enjoy make life easier for all the small during the pandemic and continues to

removed more than 300 of these prob- the many benefits of outdoor dining. restaurant owners who are pillars of build the New York City of tomorrow.
lem sheds from our neighborhoods. This equitable and inclusive approach our communities. There will be one Eric Adams is
And now, our new permanent will continue to bring vibrancy to our process for all outdoor dining, housed the Mayor of New York City, NY

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