Restaurants and bars across Greenpoint and Williamsburg, like the rest of New York City, opened outdoor seating to stir-crazy North Brooklynites during the borough’s first official weekend of summer.
Neighborhood institutions, like Krolewskie Jadlo, and neighborhood newcomers, like Ponyboy, improvised patios on crowded sidewalks and street curbs during the Phase 2 reopening of New York City.
Businesses are allowed to claim the sidewalks and parking spaces directly in front of their storefronts, after registering their intent with the city. Establishments on any of the city’s “open streets” also have the luxury of using that space for more seating.
Next week, the city is on track to enter Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, according to Mayor de Blasio. Phase 3 allows restaurant and bars to let patrons dine inside, with restrictions. All tables need to be at least six feet apart and seating capacity must be reduced to 50% of the business’s maximum occupancy.
Still, the future of indoor dining at NYC restaurants this year remains up for debate as Governor Cuomo told NY1 on Monday morning that he’s considering slowing down phase 3 in fear of a new spike of infections caused by out-of-state visitors to NYC.
In the meantime, diners can enjoy the bevy of outdoor seating ad-libbed by the neighborhood’s eateries.
Check out the photos below to see how neighborhood restaurants and bars invited customers back after more than three months of quarantine:
I feel for these restaurants. They have really taking it on the chin both owners and workers with covid 19. They are really struggling.
The only issue I see with this is safety. They are supposed to put planters type barriers to protect the diners in the gutter but I don’t see any in Greenpoint, only flimsy type protectors that will never stop a truck or even a car.