Eat Street, NYC

Tortaria's shed does  have a particularly nice roof, but what really makes this scene notable is that this is what the "anarchist jurisdiction" depicted in this NBC New York tweet looked like on the afternoon of Sept 21, 2020. The anarchy in NYC is just intolerable.

With sports back in session, lots of restaurants have put big screen TVs outside for patrons. This ends up packing the places on the weekends, but even on random weekdays, the screens are still out. (Expand post for a second picture.)  

More than any other restaurant that I pass regularly, Spicy Moon has been experiencing an ongoing evolution. Starting from the bottom: they decided on garish neon early on as a design choice. They soon expanded the pink tape with other neon colors. Then they added bright red plastic dividers, with color-changing rope lights. In its most recent incarnation, the neon tape has been replaced with street art that reflects its vegan mission (note that the animals have "Save Me" written on them).  Spicy Moon's food is amazing, and I was thrilled when they moved next door. I have almost no desire to eat in this space, however. 

The Jerk Hut, brought to you by Akbar and Jeff's long lost cousin Lily. (The orange bench seating is also a nice touch.)  

This is the last place I ate, on March 9, before The Shutdown. Now, they have both a sidewalk patio and an on-street deck. It's only a little unfortunate that the deck is in the bus lane, though I guess I'd rather prioritize restaurants than a slightly faster bus right now.

Cotton candy pink as a monolithic color scheme shows up sometimes, and well, that's a choice that a restaurant can make. (Click the post to see a second picture.)  

 Rainbow umbrellas and inflatable palm trees! Duplex, Kettle of Fish and the Stonewall Inn make up a very festive and colorful block.

      I like the juxtaposition of street culture with the restaurant that Eater describes like this : "But at La Mercerie, where the cost of goods is so completely out of reach to so many, the restaurant rather takes on the air of an aspirational advertisement, a postcard from a fictional millionaire’s lifestyle."

The rainbow painted deck makes a gloomy day a little less dreary.

Another place with live music. The amplification system here is kind of too loud, but still, props for partnering with musicians. 

  Not just one restaurant, but nearly an entire street full of them. Unfortunately, cars are still allowed to drive between these decks. This street isn't high-traffic and should just be blocked off. 

  I'm not even really sure what's going on with this restaurant. I guess the building is actually across the street (I didn't actually see it), but on Google Street View you can see that this is usually a parking lot , that happens to be right at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. The juxtaposition of the white table cloths with some janky asphalt and (the back of) a giant billboard is a bit much.

  This patio on the Gansevoort Hotel existed before Covid-19, but fits right in now. The patio itself is more appealing than the menu , but being Not The Street might be a draw.

  Beach balls as decoration. Did they have the idea independently? (FWIW, Bayard Ale House, on top, had them before I saw them at Jones, on bottom.) Also, do people steal them, or do drunk diners think it's funny to throw them into the street?

  I don't understand the purpose of these screens between tables. They're grates, not solid, so doesn't that defeat the Covid-related reason for having dividers between diners?  

  Great idea to include artwork on the barrier. Maybe the city could partner with artists and restaurants to paint murals and paintings on the decks both to beautify the restaurants and to pay artists during a difficult time.

  Excellent spacing of tables to maximize social distancing. Another lucky restaurant able to make use of the space that is coincidentally next to the building.  

On the plus side, fans! There are many days this summer when fans might help tip a diner's decision in picking a restaurant. On the minus side, Houston St. It would be hard to pick a less charming street in Manhattan.      

Not many restaurants are open by 8am for breakfast, but Bluestone Lane is reliable. Lots of online orders wait for their recipients too. Relatively large number of single diners gives this a typical coffee shop vibe. Another example of a corner restaurant that can expand their seating capacity. (August 6, 2020)

Admirable dedication to matching the umbrellas with the facade of the restaurant (there were more blue umbrellas outside the frame). Substantial sidewalk space means the tables can be much more appropriately spaced out than they would be on a deck.