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Nosy Neighbor: Why is Duane between Hudson and West B’way closed to traffic?
J. wrote: “Interesting that Duane between Hudson and West B’way is closed to traffic all day and into the evening and restaurants have tables out in the street — is his something particular to this weekend or the new normal? How does a street get to be closed to traffic?
The answer: businesses can apply to the city to be part of the Open Streets program that was first established during covid. (There must have been another program, since schools do this all the time for recess.)
The folks at Casa, the Brazilian restaurant, applied — and were granted — an Open Streets permit for the small section of Duane that runs between Hudson and West Broadway. (Khe-Yo did it before them.)
This is a “full closure,” meaning that it will function that way seven days with these hours through November 6:
- Mondays to Thursdays 11a to 9:30p
- Fridays 11a to 9:30p
- Saturdays 10a to 9:30p
- Sundays 10a to 4:30p
Other streets Downtown: Pell Street in Chinatown, Mulberry between Canal and Broome, Spring between Thompson and West Broadway.
I will note that the restaurants — in this case Casa and Weatherup — do not have exclusive use of the street. Because they serve alcohol, their area has to be fenced in. The rest of the street can be used by the public — I’m thinking hopscotch, four square, or just lounging…
Other Nosy Neighbor posts:
- What’s happening at 50 Hudson?
- When will Meadow Lane open?
- Is Hobby Lobby taking the entire second floor?
- What happened to our trees?
- What’s going on at Duane Park?
- Why are they moving the bike path?
- Does the tower planned for IPN have an address?
- When will Meadow Lane open?
- What’s going on at 132 West Broadway?
- What is the Grandma Stand?
- Where are the eggs?
- The end of an era (almost) in the subway
- What happened to the gas lamps at City Hall Park?
- Can’t we restore the sidewalk in front of 45 Park Place?
- Is this stop sign for real?
- What’s happening at the New York Mercantile Exchange?
- Why are we allowed to use plastic bags in our compost bins?
- Can we get the graffiti cleaned up on the post office?
- What are pineapples doing on the Westside Highway?
- Why are so many vendors allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge?
- Is Mr. Exotix allowed to flash all night?
- Just how many lanes are on Greenwich?
- Update: 101 Franklin / 250 Church has sold
- When will the Citi Bike stations be re-installed?
- What’s doing on the Westside Highway?
- Why was the Warren Street path through City Hall Park closed?
- Why are there horses at Duane Park?
- When will the Rockefeller playground open?
- Just how many lanes are on Greenwich?
- What happened to the street lamps on Reade?
- What will replace the footings of the Rector Street Bridge?
- Could this be a piece of the Old Stone Bridge?
- Are dogs allowed in Liberty Park?
- Will the sun come out on the Sun Building clocks?
- What’s this on the side of Pier 40?
15 Comments
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Having Duane Street closed at Hudson is a real inconvenience. Whoever is closing the street now with the barricades is blocking the entire access for cars going eastbound, where last year cars that lived on the street could still get through. Doesn’t seem fair for all of the residents to be impacted while a restaurant wants to expand their space with wobbly tables that nobody is even sitting at. Wouldn’t every restaurant want the street closed in front of their door for extra seating? What are the parameters and who gets to make this decision on our behalf?
Looked pretty packed on Sunday. And you know, you could go a block north on Worth Street, or south to Chambers. In a neighborhood where it’s hard for restaurants to make ends meet and places are closing left and right, good for them for playing by the rules and creating extra revenue for themselves. Open Streets is citywide, stop crying so entitledly.
I know we are coming from different POVs, but I am a big fan of these setups. It increases the vibrancy of the street and slows surrounding traffic down while promoting (often) local businesses. The tables may be empty sometimes, just like parking spots tend to be, but if a private citizen has the right to park a 2-ton private vehicle on city property for what’s really an economically discounted amount, a business should have the option to take advantage of the same perk (and contribute more tax revenue to the city than the car). I know some people find this weird, but there is a desire to eat outside and always has been. Walking by and through streets like this makes me happy. Parking lots do not for the majority of us that do not have or cannot afford a car (but can afford the occasional cold spritz!)
This is a terrible idea given all the one way streets with little benefit given the limited presence of both those restaurants.
Is it really that big of an inconvenience? I have a hunch that most eastbound traffic is just turning left onto Church anyway. A minor detour will get you to the same place by going a whopping two blocks north to Worth.
Anyway, this block has always felt like a bit of urban dead weight; four lanes in width, two sacrificed to parked cars, one lane for traffic, and the last..? It seems like there are more meaningful ways this space could serve the neighborhood than just preserving underused roadway.
It is a huge inconvenience if you’re coming from Greenwich trying to get to the Duane – Reade block of either W. Broadway or Hudson. In prior summers the barricade was only on the north side of the street, allowing 1 lane (including FDNY equipment) to get through without having to move the barricade.
I sent them the following email –
We hope this message finds you well. As members of the Duane Street community, we want to begin by acknowledging the value your restaurant brings to the neighborhood and express our support for local businesses, especially those that contribute positively to the area’s character and vitality.
However, several residents—including ourselves—have become increasingly concerned about the recent full street closure on Duane Street due to your use of barricades. While we understand you have been granted permission to use a portion of the street, the current practice of barricading the entire block has resulted in significant and repeated inconvenience to residents, service vehicles, and even public transportation.
Some specific concerns include:
Vehicles coming from Greenwich attempting to reach Duane Street are forced to stop, get out, and physically move barricades—a task not feasible for many drivers, including school bus drivers.
The current full closure at Hudson and Duane prevents any eastbound access for residents, making daily routines difficult and increasing congestion on nearby streets.
If one restaurant is allowed to close an entire street for outdoor seating, what stops every other establishment from doing the same?
While we support your efforts to create a successful outdoor dining experience, we respectfully ask that adjustments be made to ensure the street remains accessible to residents and essential vehicles. Specifically, we request
That one barricade be left open at all times —so local traffic can flow without manual interference
We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to working together to find a compromise that supports your business without placing an undue burden on your neighbors.
Sincerely,
Basically – this is just not ok – the current situation is very inconvenient. I am a mom of two small kids and we live on reade between hudson and duane. my daughter’s school bus driver refuses to get off and remove that barricade everyday. And now he wants to me walk to duane and hudson and get my daughter. My other kid naps at the same time. I have to leave the kid alone at home or leave a napping child to do this, while the driver is waiting and frustrated. And at that time, there is usually none or 1 or 2 customer outside.
People with cars complaining. Blah, blah, blah. Drive a few extra blocks. Big inconvenience. We all feel your pain. Not!
Triburbia. A fictional spot in the city that is more like a suburb than the city. It is still the city.
Feeling much entitled. Welcome to NY.
I don’t have a car, and I think this is ridiculous. Perhaps block off half the street. I’ll make sure to complain.
One restaurant should not have the power to close the entire street. Put the barricades in the street in front of your restaurant where you can set up your tables. The rest of the street should be functional to all.
Looking forward to ignoring the police barricades. Do not believe in building walls.
I, too, enjoy putting other people in danger in fits of pique over minor inconveniences.
When the Open Streets program was first introduced, in order to “close a street”, it was necessary to have three (3) restaurants on the same block join in the permit being submitted. Not just one. Don’t know if things have changed legally (don’t think so) or things are just suffering from another area of “sloppy enforcement.” It’s correct, in the past only the north side of the street was closed to allow for street dining structures and the south side was allowed to be utilized by traffic (traveling carefully and at the speed limit.) The other thing that was originally included in the Open Streets plan was that a representative (or representatives) from the block were supposed to be “in charge” of setting up and taking down the barricades depending on the permitted hours…AND, if the weather was inclement and the restaurant(s) were not going to be offering outside dining on any particular day, the barricades (based on common sense) we not to be put into place.
BTW, if you’re not a driver you really have no right to comment on driver inconveniences. Yes, there is always an alternative route, but believe it or not, some of them, no matter how close they appear, are still inconvenient when you factor in the already existing traffic on that route now being doubled and the traffic leading to that route also being backed up with new and possibly unexpected traffic.
I’m all for outdoor dining, whether it be on sidewalks or in properly permitted street shacks, but why does everything lately always have to be either one extreme or the other? There is a thing called compromise, no?
They are blocking the whole street. Who gave them the right to block the entire street? That’s not ok.
I am going to complaint to the police today.
This is super super inconvenient. And what if an ambulance or a fire truck need to pass?
And equally inconvenient for everyone else they do not own the street
If taking over the entire street wasn’t enough, how about throwing deafening street parties without a permit? They were blaring music for five hours yesterday, keeping the street closed beyond their permitted time and operating well past their stated hours. The police finally came and shut it down. This is a regular occurrence, not a special event. This restaurant has no concern for their neighbors.