By Phil O’Brien, W42ST
New York City is poised to bring back year-round roadway dining, after the City Council voted Thursday to scrap the winter shutdown that restaurant owners have blamed for making the permanent outdoor dining program too expensive and cumbersome. LINK: Outdoor Dining Can Stay All Year
By Christina Izzo, Time Out New York
The ongoing saga of New York City’s outdoor dining sheds looks like it has blissfully come to an end: They’re here for good. The New York City Council today passed legislation allowing NYC restaurants to install “readily removable vertical winterization coverings” in licensed sidewalk café areas from November 30 through March 31, extending al fresco season far beyond the usual warm-weather timeframe and allowing restaurant owners to forgo the annual costly hassle of tearing down their makeshift shacks and dining sheds. LINK: They’re here for good
By Jacqueline Gordon, The Spirit
Council member Gale Brewer and Small Business Services Commissioner Kenny Minaya visited small businesses along Amsterdam Ave. to try and pinpoint key problems for storeowners on the UWS. The main issue? Soaring rent costs. LINK: Amsterdam Avenue Shops Share Problems of Rent, Costs