Tamarind, which had what were essentially small rooms built on both side of the sidewalk and which were rarely occupied in recent months, has finally removed almost of all of its covid dining sheds. (Thanks to C. for alerting me.) Not only is it a huge relief for pedestrians, but it reveals the beautiful building and huge windows that were hidden back there four years ago.

I hope some of the equally imposing buildouts left over from 2020 follow suit, since it was just great to have the sidewalks returned to the public when I walked by this morning.

Tamarind has left one shed in the curbside on Franklin; I don’t know if they plan to open a traditional sidewalk cafe, but they certainly have the width there to do it.

A couple other restaurants have really encroached on the sidewalks, including Zona Tribeca, Serafina and Tiny’s. (Though at least Tiny’s is … tiny.) Bluestone Lane, IMO, should not be permitted any outdoor seating since they already have a HUGE permanent sidewalk cafe that should never have been grandfathered. All of these locations have left far less than the required eight feet of sidewalk space and it makes the neighborhood much less pedestrian friendly.