New Open Street Coming To Ditmars Boulevard In Astoria

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A stretch of Ditmars Boulevard will close to traffic on weekends starting Friday, under an expansion of the city's Open Streets and Open Restaurants program.

The restaurant Nino's AQ will oversee the closure, which will run from 33rd Street to 36th Street Fridays through Sundays, the Mayor's Office said in a news release.

In a statement to Patch, Nino's AQ co-owner Michael Vendome called the program "essential to the small businesses that help provide entertainment and camaraderie to such a tight-knit community."

"We look forward to this program being the start of a longstanding tradition of utilizing our streets for the community," Vendome said. "It's great to see everybody come together and help each other out during this time of difficulty."

Ditmars Boulevard is among 81 roadways now participating in the city's program.

A quarter-mile stretch of 31st Avenue joined the program in July and now has its own website touting the events taking place along the street, from yoga classes to a food drive.

“We’re continuing to reimagine our urban landscape and give small businesses more chance than ever to recoup their losses from COVID-19,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “Restaurants and diners alike have loved this program from the beginning, and we’re proud to expand it even further.”