Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Subscribe for only $6/Year
  • Login
  • Register

Editor in Chief: Giampaolo Pioli

VNY La Voce di New York

The First Italian English Digital Daily in the US

English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro

  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY
  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY La Voce di New York
No Result
View All Result
in
New York
August 9, 2022
in
New York
August 9, 2022
0

Quality of Life in NYC: Restaurant Sheds, Parking, and Rats Define Urban Decay

Cue-Up, a citizen coalition group is suing NYC to rid the streets of the menace to public safety

Grace Russo BullarobyGrace Russo Bullaro
Time: 3 mins read

Restaurant sheds in New York City have become another subject of discontent for city residents in the post-pandemic environment as urban decay continues to proliferate in the wake of the pandemic and a hurting economy. A citizen group, Cue-Up, has filed a lawsuit against the city to try to rid the streets of what many consider an eyesore, a menace to public health, and the source of a parking nightmare. Yet Mayor Adams, using an executive order, continues to support the restaurant owners who want to keep them up. Many of these sheds are no longer being used so one has to wonder how their encumbrance is being justified as the city spirals deeper into crime and decay. Indeed, according to an article in Bloomberg News, the fear of “rampant crime” may actually be hampering the city’s economic recovery.

The Cue-Up lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, was the group’s second effort to block the city’s push to make dining sheds permanent. The first attempt ended with an order from Justice Frank Nervo of State Supreme Court in Manhattan that directed the city to conduct a thorough environmental review, something Cue-Up had demanded. The city has appealed his order and the sheds continue to block the already congested streets and feed the exploding population of rats. Since most of these sheds stand empty,  they have since their installment become dirty and run-down.

The few people who have dined in those still in use, or on the sidewalks next to the huts,  have reported close encounters with the rat population.

This second lawsuit was accompanied by affidavits from Manhattan and other borough residents, decrying the conditions that the sheds are creating. “Where I used to be able to smell the trees as I walk my dog, it now smells like decay and urine,” Angela Bilotti, who has lived in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn since 1994, said in one affidavit. When one of Angela’s neighbors made the same complaint to a restaurant owner in her neighborhood, she got little sympathy. She was told that, “she’s conducting business, so just close [your]windows”.

The original order allowing restaurant sheds was issued in mid-2020 when Bill De Blasio was mayor and it was seen as a godsend to restaurant owners trying to survive the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and to patrons who were looking for a way to escape the lockdown isolation frustrations. That order expired after a few days, but De Blasio issued one renewal after another until his term ended last year. Adams, who succeeded De Blasio, has continued the practice at the risk of being accused of executive overreach.

Michael Sussman, representing the Cue-Up citizen group, argues that “there is no public health emergency” anymore, because the city has dropped the other pandemic provisions covered by the original order and the renewals, including vaccine requirements, mask rules and the Covid test-and-trace program. Each renewal now serves only the outdoor dining sheds to the detriment of the neighborhood.

There are other concerns that are not included in the lawsuit yet are just as relevant. There are reports that the sheds have become havens for public sex acts as well as refuges for the homeless and mentally ill. Parents fear for the safety of their children.

Then there is, and there has been since the inception of the outdoor dining experience, the danger of dining on a sidewalk that is not in any way protected from the traffic. Several major accidents involving cars crashing into dining areas and injuring or even killing unsuspecting customers occurred in the first month of the program alone. In one of the first cases an out-of-control vehicle smashed into L’Wren’s restaurant’s curbside dining area in Brooklyn, New York, injuring several people.

The response from Mayor Adams on Monday has not been encouraging. He described himself as “a big supporter of outdoor dining,” adding at a news briefing on Monday that, “Whatever I can do to help our restaurant industry that employs dishwashers, waiters, bus boys and girls — this is an important industry, and it is an indicator of our city”. He predicts that “the lawsuit is going to play itself out.”

In the meantime, between the rental bike racks and the dining sheds, the horrendous parking problem that defines New York will only get worse. But the restaurant sheds continue to deteriorate and feeds the rats.

 

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Grace Russo Bullaro

Grace Russo Bullaro

Grace Russo Bullaro holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature. After teaching for more than 25 years in the English Department at City University of New York (Lehman College) is now Emerita. Her academic interests include political, cultural and intellectual movements, specifically, the interface of politics and the arts. She has written many books and articles on subjects related to those areas.

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Investigation into Sex Abuse in Mormon Church Reveals Risk-Management Playbook

Investigation into Sex Abuse in Mormon Church Reveals Risk-Management Playbook

byGrace Russo Bullaro
Ridley Scott Who Predicted AI in 1982, Says it’s a “Technological Hydrogen Bomb”

Ridley Scott Who Predicted AI in 1982, Says it’s a “Technological Hydrogen Bomb”

byGrace Russo Bullaro

A PROPOSITO DI...

Tags: Bill De BlasioCOVID-19Cue-UpEric AdamsNew York Cityoutdoor diningPandemicQuaity of liferestaurants shedsUrban decay
Previous Post

Morto a 103 anni Mario Fiorentini, il partigiano più decorato d’Italia

Next Post

Poliomielite a New York: si sospettano migliaia di casi sommersi

Discussion about this post

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Scade la tregua, oltre 100 uccisi a Gaza. “Israele fu informata sui piani di Hamas”

As Truce in Gaza Ends, Israel Intensifies Attacks, Gazans Have No Place to Run

byGrace Russo Bullaro
Trump, Biden ha chiesto alla giustizia di accusarmi

Trump 2024 Campaign Collecting Job Apps to Ensure a “Revenge 2nd Term”

byGrace Russo Bullaro

Latest News

Gli atroci crimini sessuali dell’ISIL in Iraq: il rapporto dell’UNITAD

Gli atroci crimini sessuali dell’ISIL in Iraq: il rapporto dell’UNITAD

bySimone d'Altavilla
MTA Tackles Fare Evasion with High-Tech Gates in Queens

MTA Tackles Fare Evasion with High-Tech Gates in Queens

byLa Voce di New York

New York

MTA Tackles Fare Evasion with High-Tech Gates in Queens

MTA Tackles Fare Evasion with High-Tech Gates in Queens

byLa Voce di New York
Emergenza migranti a New York: in 150 dormono in strada per ricevere aiuto

NYC to Grant $565M in New Migrant Contracts to For-Profit Firms

byPaolo Cordova

Italiany

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

bySunny Day
La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

byAugusto Laspina
Next Post
Poliomielite a New York: si sospettano migliaia di casi sommersi

Poliomielite a New York: si sospettano migliaia di casi sommersi

La Voce di New York

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli   |   English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro   |   Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli
—
English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro
—
Founded by Stefano Vaccara

  • New York
    • Eventi
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Voto Estero
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • People
    • Nuovo Mondo
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
    • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • Mediterraneo
  • English
  • Search/Archive
  • About us
    • Editorial Staff
    • President
    • Administration
    • Advertising

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023 — La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017
Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023
La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017

Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • New York
  • Onu
  • News
    • Elezioni 2022
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • Arts
    • Speciale Venezia
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
    • Cucina Italiana
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • English
    • Arts
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Wine
    • Letters
    • Lifestyles
    • Mediterranean
    • New York
    • News
  • Subscribe for only $6/Year

© 2016/2022 VNY Media La Voce di New York

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In
By clicking on "Create my account" or by registering, you accept the Term of Service and the Privacy Policy.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici anonimi. Senza un mandato di comparizione, una conformità volontaria da parte del vostro Fornitore di Servizi Internet, o ulteriori registrazioni da parte di terzi, le informazioni memorizzate o recuperate per questo scopo da sole non possono di solito essere utilizzate per l'identificazione.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici anonimi. Senza un mandato di comparizione, una conformità volontaria da parte del vostro Fornitore di Servizi Internet, o ulteriori registrazioni da parte di terzi, le informazioni memorizzate o recuperate per questo scopo da sole non possono di solito essere utilizzate per l'identificazione.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?