Zona has removed it’s sidewalk shed, which was probably the most blatant abuse of what was a pretty cool covid program to help neighborhood restaurants. When done correctly, we had some really lovely curbside seating; when abused, we had cramped and darkened sidewalks for pedestrians, ugly additions to the streetscape and what looked like some questionable practices, like running extension cords across the sidewalk to power air conditioners outside.

ALL curbside dining structures — the ones set up in the road — have to be removed by Nov. 29.

Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round.

In both cases, the restaurants have to apply through the Department of Transportation via the community boards. I’ve seen a few come through Community Board 1’s licensing committee (Maman, Laughing Man, Benvenuto) but not a ton…

Della’s shed, the cute set up that Frankly Wines had on West Broadway, just came down this week. Houseman discovered a sort-of covid time capsule when they dissembled their shed: their original outdoor setup from four years ago included a painted roadbed.