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

New Details: Hochul’s Car Insurance ‘Affordability’ Pitch Will Shortchange Crash Victims

Hochul's Uber-backed bid to make car insurance affordable hides harmful policies for victims of car drivers.

January 23, 2026

State Pols Could Regulate E-Bikes Despite Not Knowing What They Are

State lawmakers are flirting with the idea of regulating e-bikes as if they were cars, but don't have all the facts.

January 23, 2026

Letter to Mamdani From Maryland: Free Buses Are Working Great

No fares, no homeless encampments, high-quality service. One suburban county shows the way for the new mayor.

January 23, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Redesign Not Crackdowns Edition

Mike Flynn was great on WNYC. Plus other news.

January 23, 2026
See all posts