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May 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The city is sending more police officers to patrol the bars and restaurants in Astoria and Long Island City to enforce social distancing.
The mayor said that the two neighborhoods are among nine “bar-heavy” districts across the five boroughs that will see more cops.
Last week Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to crack down on bars on the Upper East Side, where crowds were seen forming on sidewalks outside bars as patrons got refills on their to-go drinks. He announced today that the NYPD is expanding its area of focus.
Officers are being tasked with breaking up any de-facto sidewalk parties formed by residents picking up to-go cocktails and food outside bars.
“We’re not going to tolerate people starting to congregate. It’s as simple as that,” de Blasio said.
Today, the mayor identified the “bar-heavy” areas where officers from the NYPD and Sheriff’s Office will target to prevent gatherings.
The list of targeted neighborhoods– in addition to Astoria and Long Island City–include the East Village, West Village, Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Hell’s Kitchen and City Island.
De Blasio said the city won’t allow New Yorkers to create “de-facto outdoor seating or de facto parties” outside bars.
“The idea is if you go to a restaurant, a bar, it’s for takeout — keep moving,” de Blasio said Friday. “We’re not doing congregating, we’re not doing gatherings.”
(NYC Office of Night Life)
The city’s Office of Nightlife is also working with bars and restaurants, advising them of the rules.
The office has provided guidelines for bars and restaurants. The office prohibits these establishments from putting out tables, chairs or benches outside the storefronts for customer use.
New York City’s open container law also prohibits people from drinking alcohol in public places like city sidewalks and parks.
“The message is as simple as it could be — take out, don’t hang out,” de Blasio said Friday.
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12 Comments
Hashtagger- Trump misdeeds and criminal behavior are why people think the Orange makeup wearing man with the combover is bad:1- He spitefully took healthcare away from his ailing nephew during a family dispute. 2- Was convicted of using illegal labor.,3- Was convicted of illegal demolition of a land marked structure. 4- Convicted of housing discrimination. 5-Convicted and forced to pay full restitution in case of stealing $2 Million from Veterans. 6- Settled out $28 Million payout to victims of the Trump University Scam. 7- Paid a porn star $300K in hush money. 8-Convicted of stock fraud. 9- Draft Dodger. 10- Tried to extort a foreign government. The list goes on and CNN has nothing to do with any of this. “Those who Knowingly elect criminals imposters and the corrupt Are not victims they are accomplices.” George Orwell
I ent to Lowery Liquor the other day in the afternoon and saw a small group gathered on the sidewalk by the bar there on the corner. They have a to-go counter and were serving drinks to a group (not wearing masks, because they’re drinking!) of folks. It was weird to see alcohol consumption on the sidewalk of Queens Blvd in the afternoon, no less. I’m not really a person who goes to bars but when I do, it’s usually after the sun has gone down. Is the idea that they serve drinks to go but the patrons are supposed to “go” after being served? If they are serving to people outside of their bar, then people will congregate outside; this “okay to serve to-go drinks” policy isn’t working.
FANTASTIC MAYOR DeBLASIO . STAY STRONG.THEY’LL APPRECIATE IN IN THE LONG RUN.?
The Copper Kettle was an embarrassment and health hazard with those tables set up. Though they have gotten rid of them, people are still hanging outside drinking for hours without masks. Says so much about the owner and the people who are out there not caring about anything but themselves.
So dramatic! Asking you to keep a distance from others which has been proven to work to keep you and others safe is tyrannical? Is your mom telling you not to run into traffic tyrannical as well? When will this tyranny all end? You need to put on your big boy britches on Sonny.
I was told that Orange Man is Bad so anything that the hunky DeBlasio does is fine by me.
Totally worth it. Looks like Orange Fan Mad ?
I am Karen. I am a busy body and love to ruin other people’s fun. I also have no life and I think DeBlasio is very capable and intelligent and I loooove the way he is ruining – I meant running – this city. I go to bed and pray to Saint DeBlasio and his lovely wife Chirlane – one one who lost one billion dollars in funding for her Thrive project. And I think the Orange Man is Bad because CNN told me so.
Yeah, let’s put the final nail in the coffin in the few places that are earning a little bit of money. Yup, nothing like Big Daddy Government telling you how closely you can stand next to someone.
How about the Lowery and Bar 43 in Sunnyside.
Telling people how close they can willingly get to each other is tyrannical no matter what the pretext.
Trump lovers are actually gullible enough to believe this.
Trump cost us 100k American deaths, but the rate is going down here. Must be because social distancing…doesn’t work right? ? Did you get your Lysol injection yet?