Parts of Reade and Duane will close to traffic

Reade Street between Hudson/Greenwich and Duane between Hudson/West Broadway will be closed to traffic as part of the city’s Open Streets program that extends till Oct. 31 to benefit restaurants.

Restaurant Marc Forgione is listed as the “partner” in the Reade Street closing. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 4p to 11p. Khe-Yo is the partner in the Duane Street closing and the street there will be closed seven days a week between noon and 11p.

The department’s criteria require that a neighborhood group OR a group of three restaurants apply for the program — in the case of Reade Street, I would guess Forgione’s application was in conjunction with Reade Street Pub and maybe Jack’s? On Duane, Khe-Yo has Weatherup on one side and Sushi of Gari on the other. The partner restaurants as a group are responsible for collecting trash during those hours, notifying neighbors about the closure and setting up and removing the barriers.

Now, if Duane is closed as an east/west thoroughfare, it is a major mystery why the city would not also close Duane between Greenwich and Hudson, especially when there are five restaurants in that stretch that would benefit. The Friends of Duane Park applied for the program back in May, and the city is just taking this action now — four months later. Tokyo Bay is already gone, and The Hideaway is on the edge — all for what? To wait until it is almost too cool to eat outside and for when the traffic starts to pick up?

Too little, too late is the conclusion here.

 

10 Comments

  1. One piece of good news – DaClaudio got the ok to close Ann St seven days a week now as opposed to Friday through Sunday. So they can at least maximize their covers through the end of September when they can partially open inside, and then maintain both through the end of October. This weekend will be a test of people’s appetite for outdoor dining in cooler weather as it’s going to be very cool (upper 40’s) for the first time.

  2. It makes sense to open the Duane Park streets for pedestrians only (w/ local traffic) permanently given how few cars drive through that pretty, quiet, open area frequented by tons of people. Covid made the case stronger, as anyone who was here back in April/May can attest to when that area transformed into a much-needed socially distanced gathering place for people just to get some air after being quarantined. It’s inexplicable why this hasn’t been done.

    All that said, opening Duane and Reade in those locations is certainly welcome news.

    With respect to the Duane Park area, any word on Scalini Fedeli?

    And further down Duane, what’s happening with Savida? They had a nice outdoor setup for a while, but it’s been gone for a couple of weeks.

    • Sadly it looks like Savida has emptied out. He couldn’t use the street curbside because of the adjacent construction which limited his number of tables to only a few on the sidewalk. And last time we dined there (mid August) he told us the landlord wasn’t budging on rent. Really sad. They were great

  3. I feel terrible for the Hideaway. They couldn’t fight the city bikes. Now the street closer will not happen. I hope they make it.

  4. We have to do all we can to advocate for restaurants and bars, here in Tribeca and city wide. Empty storefronts and low activity bring us back to the bad old days. Its not just about policing or trash pick ups, but keeping streets active. I also asked the Partnership for NYC to ask their members to bring people back to work. I see that they asked the City to do so first, which makes sense. That foot traffic is needed.

  5. For what it’s worth, I am visiting at least 2 restaurants or food establishments twice a week to support our local business and restaurants. Would love if every Tribecian can do as such or more. Not just the local hot spots but other establishments that are struggling. I pass by every so often and take account of the places that have a lot of clientele while others may have just 1-2 patrons. Let’s support, ALL if possible. It’s so depressing to see empty store fronts, and so many homeless people, and not just down and out on your luck, but now it’s drug addicts (the heroin users) standing in their comatose state on Duane street. Also the homeless people sleeping right next to 1803. Can 1803 do something about them sleeping so close to patrons. What is the city doing to help those homeless people?

  6. Anyone know if/when Takahashi will reopen?

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