Gothamist: Al Fresco Dining on the Upswing

mc

Tue, 29 May 2007 23:18:13 -0500

Some people will complain about anything. And everything.

nick

Tue, 29 May 2007 17:45:06 -0500

the city is quieted down and cleaned up: "new york isn't the same as it used to be, it's becoming disnyefied" the city remains loud and dirty: "the city smells bad and there are bums everywhere" seriously.. do you people just look for stuff? doesn't that get exhausting?

Robot

Tue, 29 May 2007 16:26:17 -0500

#8 is ridiculous. Personally, I've never understood the appeal of sidewalk dining in NYC for all the reasons listed above (bums, exhaust, noise, etc). But I do like to sit in the garden or in a bright airy restaurant.

that much is true

Tue, 29 May 2007 15:37:15 -0500

Yeah, we live with it when we're walking down the street or riding the subway. It doesn't mean we want to deal with it when we're eating. That's why I eat indoors. By the way, you're an idiot.

Jeanette

Tue, 29 May 2007 14:57:33 -0500

i don't want to leave new york for the suburbs. i just want there to be fewer cars and less exhaust here. i suppose you like car exhaust and that makes you a real new yorker, ck. cool. many cities have pedestrian only zones where cafe dining is great. New York even has a couple of blocks like that, but too bad they are only in tourist areas.

overheardinny

Tue, 29 May 2007 14:22:22 -0500

"Who's this Al Fresco guy everyone's talkin' about?" I think he's friends with Duane Reade

ck

Tue, 29 May 2007 14:18:17 -0500

The previous posters live in nyc and are complaining about panhandling, pedestrians, car exhaust, and honking??? I think it's about time you learn to live with it, or else move to the 'burbs. Or complain about everything that happens every second--your choice.

anonymass

Tue, 29 May 2007 13:57:43 -0500

Who's this Al Fresco guy everyone's talkin' about?

matty

Tue, 29 May 2007 13:41:55 -0500

i dunno about manhattan but the outdoor bistros i went to in brooklyn were phenomenal. no problems with exhaust or people or anything like that. what a beautiful place.

KevinWalsh

Tue, 29 May 2007 13:14:35 -0500

It baffles me how people eat in restaurants outside by the sidewalk. The heat; the car exhaust; the honking; the bums; the dog shit. More room for me and my pals as we go inside and enjoy the AC. www.forgotten-ny.com

Reality Czech

Tue, 29 May 2007 12:44:51 -0500

Oh it's the noise of the city the horn honking, the beggar guy bumming change, the sirens,, etc. as well as the exhaust, smell of urine and festering sewage etc which makes dining at a sidewalk cafe so nice. Laptops should be banned from public display ASAP.

rduffy

Tue, 29 May 2007 12:41:22 -0500

I smell a google maps mashup.

mmm. . . car exhaust

Tue, 29 May 2007 12:31:33 -0500

I'm with the first poster. New York's narrow sidewalks make for lousy outdoor dining. If it isn't the car exhaust it's the pedestrians stopping and having a loud conversation one foot from your table. Or the homeless panhandling while you eat. Most "garden" dining amounts to a cramped alley space behind the restaurant.

Jeanette

Tue, 29 May 2007 12:11:50 -0500

i love cafe dining in nyc. there's nothing like sucking exhaust while sipping a latte. its so romantic.