DSNY Tears Down Another 100 Outdoor Dining Structures Around NYC

By: BZ Green

In a sign that the Coronavirus Pandemic is further receding from life in New York City, the Sanitation Department had crews around the city on Wednesday tearing down more than one hundred outdoor dining structures that had been a feature of life in the city for more than two years. 

It comes following such an effort by the Adams administration in August. Back then, the mayor had said, "outdoor dining is here to stay," and that the city was only targeting abandoned sheds. 

A majority of these sheds have been abandoned, and are otherwise not being used for the purpose for which they had been built. Many had attracted vermin, trash, or served as shelter for the homeless. 

While Boro Park proper has very few outdoor dining sheds remaining (one on 13th Avenue has been dismantled in recent months), there are quite a number of them on the outskirts of the community. It remains to be seen how long they will continue to occupy the streets.