By Joy Bergmann
Attention restaurateurs seeking to fortify outdoor dining sheds in advance of the warm-weather season: Consult your colleagues at Felice, the Italian ristorante and wine bar at West 71st Street and Columbus Avenue.
On Saturday night around 10:07 p.m., a Jeep headed westbound on 71st crashed into the Felice dining shed, sending its 56-year-old male driver to Mount Sinai West [Roosevelt] Hospital with a broken nose, an NYPD spokesperson told WSR. No one at the restaurant was injured. NYPD did not have any information on what caused the accident.
When WSR stopped by the scene Sunday morning, a staffer was sweeping up what looked like bits of a bumper. The shed showed barely a paint scratch.
A Felice manager reached by phone couldn’t comment on the exact construction specifications of the shed, but agreed it held up very well in the incident.
“A broken nose”? It sure sounds like the driver wasn’t wearing his seat _and shoulder_ belt.
Can’t wait for the sheds to go. Otherwise, it’s simply a matter of time until a truck plows into one killing a large group of people. It just happened in DC.
https://people.com/human-interest/2-dead-9-injured-car-crashes-outdoor-dining-area-dc-restaurant/
Folks can tolerate schmoozing over their bellinis and goat cheese omelets on the curb or indoors.
The accident in DC is different. Over there the car jumped the curb and hit the people on the sidewalk.
Glad the driver is ok. Amazing about the shed.
I’m sure Mr. Jeep guy who can’t drive straight does a lot of off-roading and really needs a Jeep.
Uhm, really?
i wish those sheds were removed and our
neighborhood restored
Also wish your scaffolding was removed too, and wouldn’t vaporize your sewage in the middle of the night
I live on the block and I wish the cars were removed instead. The dining sheds have made the neighborhood so much better!!
Agreed. Absolutely.
I live on the block and wish the sheds were removed and parking spots restored. Looks like a shanty town.
These shacks should be a thing of the past.
They are ugly, habitats for vermin, hinder traffic, take up valuable parking and are detrimental to neighboring businesses.
They ARE the neighborhood businesses. I have seen absolutely NO rats related to dining sheds. Of course not. I have also not seen any trash pileup either. These are phony constructs to argue against outdoor dining, which, of course, is by no means “ugly” at all. As a matter of fact, it’s been quite the restaurant competition: creating unique and attractive spaces. I love dining outdoors and have NO interest in parking. Rent a space and don’t expect to take City property for your personal parking needs. Power to the foodies!
Phony constructs?!? Walk-up 72nd Street were I live late night/early morning and you will see plenty of trash piled between the sheds and you can watch the rats run from the trash bags to the spaces underneath the sheds. Some businesses are really good at taking care of the area and making sure it remains clean, but others are not. But don’t simply dismiss someone else’s legitimate concerns.
why would a restaurant need anymore of these “”sheds””( that are not built properly under codes) when they have 4 walls, windows, floors and ceilings???.,,,sounds like a restaurant to me, not outdoor dining. To eat outside all you need is a bench and an umbrella!!! and a trash can when done
We NY’ers are bnot that stupid to see that these sheds an imitation outdoor dining areas rat breeders from food and drink dropings under the floors and into the gutters.
and accident’s galore too
I don’t know…I kinda like the sheds. They are growing on me. Sort of a European vibe.:)
Especially with the weather getting nicer and it staying light out later. (set your clocks, y’all)
After 2 years of being cooped up in our apartments, we all need this.
Same here – love the sheds. I’ll be sorry to see them go. I would prefer they be improved upon – the trash issue (and resulting rat issue) is a real one, but not inherent to these sheds but more an issue of planning generally.
Some can also be improved safety-wise. For example, the shed in front of PlantShed on Amsterdam and 95th should be a bit shorter. In my opinion, it is too close to the crosswalk across Amsterdam so it limits drivers’ view, especially since all drivers at that intersection are turning. And it extends all the way to the right turn lane, which makes it harder for vehicles to enter the turn lane and increases the number of drivers who make that turn illegally from the right center lane.
I absolutely love the sheds. They are not as ugly as some like to portray. Our UWS streets with scaffolding, garbage and homeless encampment are not pretty to start with. The sheds don’t contribute to it.
I find them very convenient as they provide more privacy as opposed to sidewalk dining and more protection from aggressive panhandling. The tables are set up very nice and it is clean and cozy inside.
I understand that the sheds might add to our rat problem, but they are far from being the main reason for it.
I wouldn’t say let’s keep them and enjoy dining on the open air for those who prefer that. Whoever doesn’t, there’s always an option of dining inside. Everyone is happy.
I sure hope those sheds remain and become a fixture. Time to reclaim the streets from the cars.
Completely agree, in a neighborhood as walkable as ours it’s insane we dedicate so much valuable space to cars and parking…
You people are just selfish. “ i don’t have a car. So no one should have one”. We live here too, we pay our taxes and we need/want car. Believe it or nit not every car owner is rich.
I also point out the hypocrisy of people who want RESTAURANT sheds to stay wagging their finger at car owners as elitists. . Guess what, if you’re eating at a restaurants on the UWS you are not poor, so stop pretending you’re better than people who prefer to spend their money on a dar instead of $32 for poached egg brunches. .
We have dedicated bike lanes on every street, sidewalks on every street and now sheds/restaurants literally IN the street. You do realize cars aren’t operated by robots but are relied upon by working class families. Not everyone can bike everywhere or take the subway to every destination (and get stabbed while on it…). Stop hating cars. Sounds so elitist. Black and brown communities rely on cars more than anyone.
Interesting how you say communities of color rely on cars more than anyone. Statistics show that communities of color have lower car ownership than white households. They also show that the median income of a car owning household is significantly greater than households that do not own cars. Middle Class/Working Class residents are less likely to own cars in our neighborhood than Upper Middle Class and above. So, arguing for the rights of car owners is actually the elitist position. Especially since only about 24% of UWS households own cars, those of us who own one are very much in the minority. So which argument is elitist?
“Black and brown communities rely on cars more than anyone.”
This is definitely not true in Manhattan.
Why the car hating? This narrative among a small group of WSR Rag posters makes no sense and is generally very selfish.
I am OK with the sheds but would like the restaurants to have to start paying for the space, and there should be some regulation around them. And to be fair, I think cars should pay a nominal fee for the right to park (they already pay for registration and other fees).
Everyone always says cars should pay a “nominal” fee to park, which I don’t understand. Why shouldn’t they pay the real cost of the public land that they’re using? Private garages don’t charge a nominal fee to park and neither should the city. If you can’t afford to pay for parking, you can’t afford to have a car in the city.
The supermajority of us in the neighborhood don’t have a car. If you need a car and can’t afford one, there are lots and lots of car oriented suburbs and outer borough neighborhoods that are built for you (and cheaper too!). There are people who want to live right next to the subway and have a free parking spot. It’s literally impossible for everyone in the neighborhood to have that (the cars wouldn’t fit!) I think that’s where a lot of the “car hate” comes from.
On Amsterdam Avenue we now have sheds, bike lanes, and parking lanes on both sides of the street. There is barely a lane and a half for cars, trucks and buses.
Streets should be for vehicles only.
To paraphrase the 40th president, Mr. Adams tear down those sheds.
So most of the people who don’t have vehicles should be barred from most of the street that’s dedicated to vehicles?
Janis,
In pre school, I had a great teacher who taught me to count. So, using her amazing teaching, when I look out my window at Amsterdam Avenue, I see a bike lane on the far west side. Then, I see a parking lane immediately adjacent to that. Next to that is a travel lane. I will call that “1.” Just to the East of that is another travel lane. I will call that “2.” And then just to the East of that is another travel lane, which, based in her teaching, I will call “3.” And then there is another parking lane on the East side of the Avenue, although it is a bus stop outside my window. So, unless my math is wrong, I count 3 travel lanes on Amsterdam Avenue, 2 parking lanes, and one fairly heavily used bike lane. Now, if vehicles are double parked on the avenue causing a narrowing of the roadway, maybe instead of blaming bike lanes, we should blame the drivers who are not following the rules and causing their fellow drivers a headache? This includes FedEx and UPS drivers who refuse to use the commercial parking zone right next to the bus stop I mentioned, and instead double park across the street next to the regular parking lane.
Long live the sheds!
Private businesses have no right to appropriate public spaces rent-free unless the public benefits. OPEN outdoor sheds are a safer environment for dining while this airborne virus is still mutating. But the many hermetically sealed, airless sheds should be removed as they are no safer than being inside a restaurant.
Debra, just out of curiosity, why cant a business use public space for free in a way that will benefit dozens of people (but maybe not me), but I can use the space to park my car for free, and it only benefits me? Yeah, it has been a bit harder to find parking on the street since the advent of these sheds, but that could also be because so many people went out and bought cars during the pandemic that didnt have cars before.
“…but I can use the space to park my car for free, and it only benefits me?”
Those shed are built on public property, yet earn profits for the private ventures that built them. Your vehicle is not part of a profit-making endeavor, is it? Or, if it is, it should have commercial plates and have to comply with the parking restrictions that come with those plates.
See the difference?
David, I see. Because I am not making mo eye off of the parking space, I am better than the many customers of the restaurants who are SPENDING money. And local businesses, while making a profit, are considered benefits for a neighborhood and we complain when storefronts are empty. But my car, which is of zero benefit to anyone but my own nuclear family, and in fact is a detriment to society as a whole due to the pollution it spews (at least I have a hybrid so it is not as bad as it could be) is worthy of using the space absolutely free because I am not making any money. I see the logic. Wait, no, I don’t.
The difference is the sheds benefit MANY and a parking space benefits ONE. See the difference?
I humbly apologize because I read your post, went away, and came back to comment without re-reading it and was really only replying to the first half of your first sentence. Regarding the pandemic, I totally agree with you about the hermetically sealed environments, and they should not be allowed. Once the pandemic has finally fully lifted and life truly is back to normal even for those folks who are immunocompromised, I do believe that it would be ok to then switch to the hermetically sealed designs.
I love the fact that I can take my four-legged soul mate to a lovely dinner with me!
If this were a sensible place like Paris, we could easily and safely (hey, it’s not an operating room!) take them inside the restaurant, but as long as Americans go by lack-of-science dog rules, I’m glad the sheds are here. If the sheds go, then please allow dogs in restaurants.
ugh, sorry but not everyone wants animals in restaurants.
People can’t go for 1-2 hours to dine without their dog??
That’s great! I am concerned about crashes on avenues sometimes. I love the sheds! Some of them are better looking than their indoor counterparts. Outdoor dining forever!
Another shed fan here. More please.
My sympathy/empathy goes out to the driver, having recently fallen on the sidewalk & suffered a nasal fracture. It’s no fun (esp, if you need glasses)
“Around 10:07”? Couldn’t you be more accurate in your description 😉
Sheds take up “valuable public space.”
Cars take up “valuable public space.”
Bikes and other two-wheeled vehicles take up “valuable public space.”
Dogs and dog walkers take up “valuable public space.”
Kids walking to school take up “valuable public space.”
Can we all please never again use the phrases “valuable public space” and “valuable public street space” again?
These terms were introduced by the propaganda ministers at “Transportation Alternatives” and other anti-community groups to sugarcoat a turf war.
Nothing has “gotten better. They will not “get better.” But things have changed.
The sheds are ugly and give away a huge amount of free rental space on our dimes as taxpayers. They are also hazardous to pedestrians. When crossing streets they block the the view of bike lanes where E bikes or scooters are blowing through the light as always, ready to mow the pedestrian down. Dangerous eyesores.
I’d rather look at a dining shed than someone’s ugly car. Plus, the dining shed makes money for the city.
Plus, the sheds slow the drivers down. If you can’t drive straight or otherwise distracted, you break your nose. What happened to the airbag and seat belts? I’m glad no one inside the shed was harmed.
I’ve done the alternate side street shuffle for years when I was younger. They should’ve done away with free parking twenty years ago. UWS residents (NY state) permit parking ($500-$1K/yr) and congestion pricing can’t come soon enough.
All the gas, pollution, and wasted time spent sitting in an idling SUV is well worth the $100/month for street parking.
I love the sheds.
I love the sheds! It’s good to know they can take a hit at least in some cases, I’ve definitely worried about that – but it’s not like I’d be any safer eating outside without a shed. And, I do love being able to eat outside – pandemic or no pandemic!
How about a compromise? Leave the sheds for another year to allow restaurants to make back some of the revenue they lost during the pandemic. Then restore the streets to their former less-cluttered simplicity. (Assuming there is no recurrence.)
When you said to compromise I thought you were going to say that people can park wherever they want but we get to eat in their cars.:)
Like, you leave your car keys with the restaurant and then people get served their food or drinks while they sit in your car (with the windows rolled down of course, you know, for safety).
Hahaha…ok I think it’s official. I have completely lost my mind.:)
The sheds are great in general, and some of them have been beautifully made, maintained and decorated. Examples are Cibo e Vino, Dagon, Cotta, The Consulate, Nice Matin to name just a few. There are more rats in all the construction sites than in the dining sheds, and the biggest quality of life issues on UWS right now are the smell of pot and the endless piles of dog waste.
To those hating on sheds… I love the sheds. It brings me back to the ingenuity of that early pandemic and injects a lovely European feel during ncie weather days as our streets buzz with excitement
Get rid of these ugly broken down sheds.
I think many of the sheds should stay.
They need to be kept in good repair, they need to be rat-proofed, and they need to be built in such a way that all areas beneath them are accessible for cleaning. Rats definitely use them for shelter, come to the nightly Rodentmania on 72nd Street to see for yourself.
Aside: We need a better method for trash collection than putting garbage out in plastic bags and waiting 8 hours for the sanitation department to come by.
The shedsthat are in good repair are more beneficial to most of us than parking spaces. Dining is a big industry in New York, the taxes support our economy, provide jobs for New Yorkers, generate commerce at nearby retailers, and — increasingly important — keep our streets lively and safer at night. (Note to restaurateurs: you want a shed, you owe it to us to stay open later, at least 11 p.m. for mainly food establishments and 4 a.m. for places that are primarily bars, which also should serve food until closing because we are not savages).
Since sky-high rents make it hard for retailers to make a buck, there’s no reason why we can’t use our valuable public space to subsidize at least some businesses that make most of our lives better even if it comes at the expense of the minority who own cars and don’t garage them. The dining sheds allow restaurants to add seating capacity at limited cost.
Aside: you want to put up a market rate apartment building on the Upper West Side? Include a garage with 100 more spaces than there are apartments.
“You owe it to us to stay open later, at least 11 p.m. for mainly food establishments and 4 a.m. for places that are primarily bars”
Hell, no!
You realize these sheds are outside and if done legally they are not fully enclosed.
I vote for such sheds only on your block.
There are plenty on my block, and they don’t cause any trouble at all when people are in them.
If your issue is noise, there isn’t any. People are just sitting at tables eating and drinking, the bus makes more noise than they do.