Has anyone thought about fire trucks' accessibility to buildings? — JP on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

I wasn't praising the behavior in its current form, so my apologies if it sounded that way. I meant it more as a question regarding its status, whether it is permissible (or was permissible) even under the outdoor dining program. I do believe that seating adjacent to the restaurant, instead out out in the street, is the best solution, but only if it goes with widening the sidewalk at least as much as the lost space which the restaurant uses. And clearly restaurants should pay a fee for such sidewalk usage. But I think properly managed outdoor seating can work well and enhance a neighborhood street. Obviously, placement and noise level and such must be considered. Ideally this would be removable tables and seatings, with or without some kind of retractable or removable awning or umbrellas. So, basically, European-style café seating. (Now a semi-permanent or permanent structure like Belle Reve did seems an extreme case, and seems it would require a whole other level of licensing, community review, fees, real estate taxes, etc.). — Marcus on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

. . . and please don't tell me that these restaurant expansions into public property "create jobs". If Central Park were divided up among Manhattan restaurants believe me plenty of jobs would be created . . . — George on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Have you seen the hideous shed in front of Scalini Fideli? There is rarely anyone in it. I have lived on Duane Street for over 42 years and it is heartbreaking to see such a filthy, derelict piece of structure ruin the ambiance of the historic street. I can't imagine anyone viewing the way in which they maintain the shed would venture into the restaurant to eat. The filth caught in the hardware cloth to prevent rats has turned into cement and yet the rats still manage to maneuver their way under. If you pass by be mindful of the concave plywood roof which looks like it is about to blow off. — Curtis on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Unfortunately Chinese cities have been filled with cars for decades, you might be referring to the 1980s! Anyway, bikes or cars are just distractions from the real issue here, wrongful appropriation of public land and now trying to keep it illegally. — R. on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Drivers of cars who pay for insurance, inspection, registration, to get their driver's license, meters and other expenses should not be forced to give up parking spaces to bicyclists who don't pay a dime. DOT makes millions of dollars from meters and parking violations to keep the roads safe.(they're supposed to, but don't). When bicyclists obey traffic laws the way car drivers are supposed to, then I'll care about them. This isn't China. This is NYC, a driving and walking city. — Sara Ross on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

I totally agree with these comments. Let's get these sheds off the streets! The most sensible policy is to immediately and significantly expand our sidewalks so that tables can be set there and we all have more space to walk. — J on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

What about Walker’s sheds? they extend literally on one side such that the actual sidewalk is taken over. they also have two sides in use. Similary situation for Bubby’s. I do think it is time for these sheds to be removed and zoning to come back in. Hopefully the restaurant owners will understand that there is a large fraction of neighbors (not all but per these posts high fraction ) that do not want the sheds. they can voluntarily take them down - i.e, La Conde Verde. — scared on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

The Belle Reve illegal addition is a prime example of egregious appropriation of public space, the fake brick façade is the epitome of transgression. I am bewildered by your praising of such behavior. And no they kept the shed as well, and the speaker on the side of the building. They’ve taken full advantage of the pandemic. The restaurant Anejo across the street also has sheds on Walker and Church. The one on Walker sits empty most of the time. Surely as it gets warmer they will put out tables on the sidewalk as well. The other shes on Church also sit empty most of the time. But they don’t see any reason to take them down. Sidewalk and street belong to the public, not restaurants, period. — R. on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

quick, destroy the trees before the sea level rises and destroys the trees! — Equus Donkeyus on Seen & Heard: A view of the Wagner demolition

The Scalini Fedeli shed is not only an eyesore, it has been a haven for multiple generations of rats. Our super paints over graffiti on a regular basis. It is filled with trash, inside and out. (They very recently cleaned it up but it won't last.) We have almost never seen anyone dining there. — JCV on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

By the way, what is the situation with Belle Reve's "shed"? Is this an option for restaurants and bars? Originally they had a shed out in the street. Then they removed that and basically built an add-on into the building, faced it to look like brick, so it looks like it was always there and a permanent part of the structure. Go inside though and you see sidewalk concrete as the "floor". Actually, perhaps this is a better solution than sheds in the street, but should go along with widening the sidewalks as well, since that addition reduced sidewalk space. — Marcus on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Agreed. However, as I see it, the key is not to the eradicate cyclists, but rather to get the to follow the rules and ride safely. For example, crossing the bike path into Hudson River Park is always an adventure. Cyclists are supposed to yield to pedestrians, but I've nearly been run down many times by non-yielding cyclists. (Although I've always found that "yield' rule unclear: Does it only mean yield to pedestrians already in the bike lane, or also those who are about to step into the lane from the sidewalk?) Central Park is also another danger zone for pedestrians where many cyclists think they are in the Tour de France. E-bikes are indeed a menace unless they obey the rules. Every day I see them speeding down sidewalks, the wrong way down streets, through red lights, etc. — Marcus on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Exactly. Widen the sidewalks. Make European-style café seating, adjacent to the restaurant, with movable/removable tables and chairs, and if desired, awnings attached to the buildings. — Marcus on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

"As much as I could care less about preserving parking, this is a private use of public space and should be evaluated that way" -street parking is also a private use of a public space and yet it's been allowed to exist in the city for generations without DOT intervening. Get rid of street parking, bring back the sheds, bring in the trash receptacles that will end the rat scourge, and there you go. — Keep Cars Out on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

If the Odeon re-builds further out in the street with the bike lane passing just in front of the shed doors it will take only one patron with a few martinis under the belt to back out of it and into a passing motor bike -- and then a trip to the hospital -- to question the wisdom of such a plan. These sheds were made to alleviate loss of revenue as the pandemic required restaurants to strictly limit on indoor dining. Restaurants are now jammed to the brim inside. The sheds are now just a gift of real estate from the city to them. Neighbors re-claim your streets! — George on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

I completely agree. These sheds are an eyesore and these restaurants are capitalizing on FREE real estate so that their PRIVATE business owners can profit. Loss of jobs? Well the restaurants created that need for these jobs. There’s no “free lunch”. Free outdoor dining space?! Are you kidding me. The so-called pandemic is over. Give us (the public) back our land! As for parking, CRITICAL delivery trucks need some place to pull over and deliver the ingredients that restaurants NEED to carry out their business. When parking spaces are displaced by FREE real estate for restaurant owners to profit from, streets bottleneck and traffic is worsened. Don’t be so short sighted and cry with the restaurant owners: you rent or own a restaurant, NOT the PUBLIC sidewalk and PUBLIC streets OUTSIDE of your restaurant. At this time, with COVID mandates in the past, encroaching on this PUBLIC space is GREED. The restaurant owners should have been very clear that the workers hired to cater to this additional seating was a temporary job, and that this outdoor dining would eventually end. I value our restaurants, but this GREED is unacceptable, and MOST of these sheds look like complete $#!T! — Nigel S. on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Best news in a long time. Outdoor dining shed was supposed to be a temporary measure during the pandemic. Of course once the restaurants realized the chance of a life time free real estate grabbing there is no stopping them. Lost revenue? Please. It was already anticipated that restaurants would try everything to ‘grand father in’ the illegal sheds and sidewalk seatings. I have traveled in other big cities both in the US and other countries since Covid, NYC stands out in the lawlessness of sheds and sidewalk seating ( no, it’s not like Paris, at all) So please stop this charade and give our sidewalk and streets back. — R. on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

I am mystified by the glorification of cyclists here. They are far more dangerous ( in my opinion) than any dining shed, as there seems to be no attempt to keep them from ignoring stop signs, speeding in the wrong direction, using the sidewalks, etc.. This is not only true of delivery people - citi bike users, suited office workers.....and don’t get me started on scooters, and other silent wheeled devices, coming at one everywhere! Because of reckless cyclists, walking in the city has become way more perilous. Why can’t something be done about that? — Jean H. on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Wagner demolition is tragic - all those beautiful trees destroyed. — A2 on Seen & Heard: A view of the Wagner demolition

It’s a slip of a thing and will be lovely. We were all children once. It will be nice to hear the sounds of children playing. It will be even nicer to see children come from all over the city to walk and wander around the area; after all we all paid for it! — TG on A preview of the sturgeon coming to Pier 26

Zona Tribeca shed(s) is the worst. It has ruined a beautiful street. — A2 on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

Absolutely not! Hot concrete! You commented before. It would have been such an eyesore: cages, blank, empty and steaming. Closed because of weather a third of the year. You have a roadway of tennis courts. Up and down the Hudson. I appreciate the skill of our danish brethren but I am compelled to ask? Why wasn’t the work down in the US by American workers? And don’t say timber because our neighbors up north could have helped with that. — TG on A preview of the sturgeon coming to Pier 26

Keep outdoor dining, but get rid of the sheds. Widen sidewalks or if not possible build a non-roofed platform in the street where parking was. Odeon’s shed was particularly ugly and poorly placed. I also don’t weep for Odeon’s economic loss. It does fine. — Cd on West Broadway dining sheds make way for bike path

BRAVO — Nancy Davidson on Seen & Heard: Farm.One is back — but in Brooklyn