One big result of closed restaurants, cafes and bars will be the darkening of our streets. Doormen from restaurants and bars provide a second set of eyes on our streets and help to keep us all safe. The lights from these businesses burn into the late hours and keep the streets open and safe for you to walk home from your meetings with friends. I remember well, having lived on Mulberry Street in the late eighties, how I would start to walk home from work at the Bitter End, and get to Broadway only to hail a cab and have him wait for me to enter my apartment. Those last two blocks were just too dangerous for a young woman to navigate. Once Bleecker Street bar opened in 1990, it was a different story. It lit up the entire block and there were people on the street until 4 am. We need commercial rent regulations to help save our City! — Karen Stafford on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

I was in lower Manhattan with a two year old that day as well. This poem captures the feelings of fear and helplessness so well. May we never live to see a day like this again — Diane on Poetry about 9/11 that reverberates today

No one knows what is going to happen. It depends on too many variables not just whether restaurants return. How long will it take tourism to resume, will large companies now that they have discovered many employees can work from home efficiently decrease their nyc footprint, which in turn impacts other local small business. Which people will then ask themselves if I do not need to commute why pay these rents and taxes maybe I should find someplace cheaper with a different quality of life. ( do I want to work from home with two small kids in a 2 bedroom apt) It can be a downward spiral. The population size is irrelevant. NYC in the 1970s and 80s had over 7 million people unfortunately it was a poorer population. The spiral down of nyc was created by the " white flight" starting in the 1960s which is what can possibly start to happen now. It might not be a white flight it will be the leaving of high paid individuals out of the city. Always remember nyc is not Manhattan alone. Will it go back to that I doubt it. But there will be impact no doubt. — Who knows on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

The flaw in your argument is that no one said they'd pay $6 for coffee, but not $20 for a burger. You created that for your argument. Price gouging is price gouging. — Truth Fairy on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Let’s face it. Everything in New York is overpriced. Yet many of us choose to live and work here because of all that this city has to offer. I’m a fan of Bubby’s and I do not know Ron. I get frustrated by their pricing as well. But he merely articulated what not only every restauranteur is thinking, but what every small business owner is thinking. Do you think Broadway is thinking any differently? Or a great bookstore like the Strand? Or a gym? I do not think we should sacrifice safety for money, however our elected officials do have to carefully consider what the return looks like, or else there will be even more chain restaurants and chain stores that will make NY look just like every other city, which sadly, is already starting to happen. Many restaurants have provided a small taste of normalcy during this horrible pandemic. Most of you did not move to Tribeca to sit in your apartment. Think about it. Do we really need another IHOP at the expense of a Bubby’s or diner in the neighborhood? — Marc Rayfield on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

The flaw in your argument is that rents will come down. Look at the numerous shuttered places in tribeca pre-covid. The entities that own all the property would rather sit vacant than lower rents. If the private equity holdings firms kept this mantra for years prior, they’ll be able to hold out for another 12-24 months during the pandemic. Or fill the spaces with more banks and Walgreens. There will not be a rent that will allow an interesting non chain restaurant to operate at 25-50 percent capacity. It’s not possible. Restaurants and bars are a lifeblood of a community and if they go the community suffers. It absolutely will trickle down to less people, and less revenue for a city that already wasted so much tax monies from the wealthy. Even in good times Nyc restaurants barely make it, the margins are so slim. They deserve assistance from the government to bide some time. They have families to feed and employ many people. If they don’t get help they absolutely will flee in order to earn a living. And jobs will be lost. Stores will shutter. It’s not a “threat”, it’s reality. From a federal level it’s absurd to bail out cruise ships who are all registered foreign companies. But local restaurateurs who give something back to a community, some with decades of local roots, and work their ass off are expected to pound salt. We all suffer and no one wants more Walgreens and banks, or worse, an Applebee’s. Not to derail things too much further but it’s ironic that people will lament a (quality) $20 burger but will also purchase a $6 cup of coffee without skipping a beat. — Ron speaks the truth on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Yeah, if you can't afford a $20 dollar burger then the city will decay and crime will skyrocket and government will increase taxes. Not. The city will not decay and if Ron and his sharpened knives want to go elsewhere, good luck to him. We shouldn't accept price gouging. $20 pancakes?! What's the margin on them hotcakes? — David Noway on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Can't wait to see the post-pandemic reduced prices! — Keke on Bubby’s will start serving again on Saturday

Right cuz if we don't spend $20 on a hamburger or $3000 on a 225 square foot studio apartment we're going back to the bad old days. Get a grip. These chefs have nowhere to go save L.A. and wherever they can carve a niche. If this city went down to six million people (not because of COVID 19 deaths) with people moving in and out we'd not only still be the most populated city in America by three million people but still the one with the most jobs, opportunity, culture, singles, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions etc. We'd just GASP! pay less rent and less to live. Property tax would still be an enormous revenue generator. Spare me your less taxes nonsense unless it's less taxes for everyone making up to $25 an hour. — Safety over image 2 on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

The issue with moving your business to a place where there is cheap rent, is that areas with cheap commercial space won't command NYC menu prices or NYC customer flow. Also lower property values just mean rents come down, both commercial rents and residential rents. Sure the city will look different but people fill the spaces, restaurants will return to the cheaper spaces and life will go on. Things will definitely not be the same when all this is over. Our city will look different for sure with different people and different businesses. Not necessarily worse, just different. — Sure but.... on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

I enjoyed reading the sample of Cheryl J. Fish’s poetry from her book, Crater&Tower appearing in TriBeCa Citizen. I’ve purchased the book and look forward to her other poems about this tragic but historic event and it’s aftermath. — Linda Messina on Poetry about 9/11 that reverberates today

Well said - I am still trying to digest his words- the prices became obscene, and they stopped treating the locals like we mattered. A little humility might go a long way. — Dan on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

He’s right. It’s not like restaurants are making absurd money. Margins are extremely tight in a FULL restaurant. It is impossible to fathom operating at 25 percent capacity without breaks in place. Where would chefs go? Anywhere else probably where they could afford such square footage in order to serve an amount of socially distanced patrons that makes it profitable for a chef and staff to feed their family. It’s not a threat, it’s the truth. No one would run a business that loses money. There will be a detrimental decline to neighborhoods with all these vacant restaurants. A lot of people will flee this place and that means lower property values, less money the city takes in and it snowballs. I won’t get angry that a lot of people in the city could afford a 20 dollar burger if it means the flidside is a city in decay with skyrocketing crime run by a government whose game plan of always increasing taxes no longer works. — Ron speaks the truth on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Staff and customer safety is infinitely more important than how waiters look. Too bad that you have to take an employee's temperature with a no touch temporal thermometer and send them home if they have a fever. This is the new reality until a vaccine can be created and even then you're serving me food with a normal temperature and gloves and I don't care how it looks cuz I know the deal. Just where are these chefs moving to where it's better, Allentown PA? Chicago or L.A. will be better? Go ahead Ron. Relocate Bubby's to either and tell us how it works for you. The problem with NYC is everyone wants to move here because they're too stuckup, stupid, scared, or lazy to make somewhere else like Allentown a place to be. NYC or bust. Everyone thinks they're the next whoever. This mentality inflates the cost to live, work, and do business here. Yes, many, MANY parts of this country suck but many don't. Give them a try. With all due respect I can make my own killer burger with any kind of bread I want, or I could use lettuce leaves instead, or have it bare. One 50 cent potato nets me 20 potato slices. A bare burger, potato slices, an entire onion (also 50 cents), and an avocado ($2-3) is a delicious bountiful meal for less than $6. Restaurants which will survive are ones who make food you can't make as good or better yourself and cheap eats with high volume. People will cook more and go out to eat as much as people did before 1990. — Safety over image on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

As both a landlord and owner/operator of a 43 year old business, I hate to say it but NYC has become the an undesirable place to be either. From a landlord’s perspective, the taxes are so high and always going up, doubling every 6-7 years. That’s partially why there are so many retail vacancies. The city needs to reduce property taxes. The current taxes that we pay doesn’t justify what we receive in return, which I feel is an inefficiently run government. There also needs to be some sort of mortgage relief. Without that, it’s hard for landlords to help tenants. As a tenant and business owner, PPP has been helpful but there needs to be rent relief, which will only happen if landlords are compelled to help. — Jeff K on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

This news breaks my heart. I've been away for 2 months. We went every Sunday morning for Gf pancakes and egg wrap - my friends and I went regularly during the week as well - Andy helped me so much when I was working on my Greek pronunciation for a Hanukah event - even though we missed the Christmas Santa event, he made sure to give my son a present, and every time we came - he allowed my son got a free sprinkle cookie every visit - especially if he didn't destroy the diner that morning :) - It was the best place, and one of the only GF conscious diners I knew about and it was ON MY CORNER - couldn't believe my luck when it opened and how friendly everyone is - and can't believe he's gone. We miss the Kitchen, and his warm smile and greeting -and I truly can't believe this - it's a shock and a tragedy - Send love and prayers to the whole family - Me and my son will miss him so much. RIP — Basya on Andy Koutsoudakis Sr., owner of Tribeca’s Kitchen, dies from the coronavirus

Pam, any updates on when Warren 77 will be reopening? — Keke on Despite signs, Warren 77 is not closing for good

I just learned of Dr. Quraishi’s passing and was so sad to hear. I was a patient of his for over 15 years from his days on Greenwich St and I certainly stayed with him when he went to NYU because he was that good. He was a wise soul who always had the right touch and guidance. He was beloved in the community and will be greatly missed. Thank you Doctor for all your years of service, advice, and just being a really special person. — Greg Spatz on Dr. Nisar Quraishi dies from the coronavirus at 74

I'd rather see an Albert Watson selfie than another puddle reflection. Sorry, Ripps. — Jim Smithers on COVID 19: These eight weeks in pictures

Let's just get rid of all chain stores and live with paying the higher prices of the mom & pops, cuz it just feels good to pay more...for food, services, housing, and taxes. It just does. — Jim Smithers on Petco Unleashed on Chambers is closing for good

I am sure Ron will also be adjusting his prices post-pandemic to aid patrons hit hard. $20+ for a burger or pancakes? Come on now. — Keke on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

For the Federal level, maybe consider what other industries, like nightclubs, are collectively doing: hiring pro DC lobbyists. No one's at the wheel in the useless admin branch, but Congress might hear them, if you can afford it. — j frank parnell on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Recently appearing on the Huffington Post: 'How Restaurants Will Be Different When They Reopen After COVID-19 Closures' "Most of all, Silver hopes the city handles post-COVID better than it has handled past disasters. Working with Bubby’s since 1990, Silver saw Bubby’s become a distribution hub for first responders after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. " 'But what came after that was a disgrace,' he said. 'The city tripled our sidewalk café fees and sent in Consumer Affairs, the Sanitation Department and the Health Department to extract erroneous nickels and dimes from us. There was something else at every turn. We do not want to see that again. Our industry was arguably one of the hardest-hit, and we hope the city does not attempt to recoup lost revenue by coming after us struggling restaurants.' " https://www.huffpost.com/entry/restaurants-reopen-after-coronavirus_l_5ebaaa60c5b63c14c8449bdf — James on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

" Post-pandemic, many will take their sharpened knives elsewhere." What does that even mean? To open up the first paragraph with that hollow threat, dulls the impact of the rest of the piece. I assume it's possible that all the great NYC chefs will pick up their sharpened knives and relocate to Camden, NJ, but in all likelihood I doubt this will be the case. It's the same story everywhere. More likely, current locations will close, chefs will bring their "sharpened knives" down the street and re open a concept in a different location. Who knows maybe this will open the doors to fresh new talent. Everyone is hurting in this environment, and restaurants are a big part of the economy. Unfortunately, to single out restaurateurs as the ones who are most deserving of handouts at this time seems somewhat myopic. Maybe governmental money can be better spent supporting the health and well being of the sick, hungry and less fortunate people of our community. It is also possible that even with government intervention, restaurants will still fail as most people have learned to cook for, and feed themselves over the past 2+ months and have learned that paying the price of a week's worth of groceries for an excellent (or mediocre) meal makes less sense that it used to. Maybe if "NYC doesn't play it's cards right" and the number or restaurants decreases, the reduced number will be the perfect number for our new world as people will no longer want to go to restaurants as they once did. In any case threats of leaving for mystical greener pastures mid pandemic, while simultaneously asking for handouts, might not be the best optic for this moment in time. — Dinner Diner on Open Letter: Restaurants will need government help to survive

Funny how people here complain about not supporting local businesses, attack TC/Pam for covering Starbucks/chain stores, yet bemoan the loss of Unleashed/Petco and won't support a local store like Pamper Ur Pets. Make up your damn minds, please. Which is it? — TribecaStrollerlessHottie on Petco Unleashed on Chambers is closing for good