Upper West Side Adds 13 Blocks Of Car-Free Outdoor Dining

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced 15 more locations for expanded weekend outdoor dining options, including a section of the Upper West Side.

Starting the weekend of Aug. 8, 97th Street to 110th Street on Amsterdam Avenue will be blocked off to cars under an initiative that combines the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs.

The car-free area will allow restaurants to operate with more outdoor space from Friday through Sunday, and then switch back to regular seating options for the workweek.

"New Yorkers deserve more public space in our ongoing fight against COVID-19, and we're proud to offer more places to get a safe outdoor meal on the weekends," said de Blasio. "With two extra months of outdoor dining now approved, restaurants will have more chances than ever to get back on their feet."

The recently added outdoor dining locations bring the citywide total to 62 participating streets.

The first Open Restaurant locations were announced on July 2, and focused on streets that were already participating in the Open Streets programs. However, the city subsequently added a new set of streets on July 17, and then a third set of streets on Friday.

The hours of operation for the newly expanded seating options for restaurants between 97th and 110th and Amsterdam will be from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays.