Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Outdoor Dining

Friday Video: Who Ruined Outdoor Dining?

We sent our own video team to find out.

The Chinatown eatery Alimama Tea is one of many that had an outdoor dining area once enjoyed by many sales-tax-paying customers that has been converted by the city into a parking space for the tax-free benefit of one person.

|Photos: (left) Google/(right) Kevin Duggan

Outdoor dining looks a hell of a lot different this spring than it has any time in the past five years — and you can blame the City Council for that.

For today's Friday video, Streetsblog NYC’s engagement editor Emily Lipstein and video intern Ilan Cardenas-Silverstein visited roadway eateries across four boroughs (spoiler alert: there are none on Staten Island) to see firsthand what’s changed under the new rules for outdoor dining.

What they found were curbsides across the city relegated back to mere car storage when they once bustled with life. And of the relatively few eateries that have set up on the streets, the vast majority are located in the wealthiest parts of the city.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Republican Signs On To Super Speeder Bill, After Defending Reckless Driving

A Brooklyn politican who defended speeding at a funeral for victims of traffic violence now supports preventative legislation.

November 24, 2025

Money for Something: Uber is Driving The Race for City Council Speaker

What does Uber expect to receive in return for $250,000 in donations to two Council Speaker candidates?

November 24, 2025

‘The Permanence Agenda’: Paint and Plastic Won’t Deliver Real Street Safety

DOT’s quick-build approach to redesigning streets with paint and other temporary materials has worked well enough — but Mayor-elect Mamdani should aim for permanence.

November 24, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Cartoon Bromance Edition

The president and the mayor were all smiles, but lots of Streetsbloggy topics were discussed in the Oval, as it turns out. Plus other news.

November 24, 2025

NIMBY-Mania: Middle Village Has a Love-Hate Relationship with the IBX

The idea of making it easier to reach Middle Village clearly put some Middle Villagers on edge.

November 23, 2025

Speaker Adams and DOT Are Eviscerating Daylighting Bill

Some are looking to the next mayor and Council to pass the life-saving measure.

November 21, 2025
See all posts