Another Block In Prospect Heights To Open For Outdoor Dining

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Another block on Vanderbilt Avenue will close to cars on the weekends to give restaurants more room for outdoor dining.

The Open Street on Vanderbilt Avenue announced earlier this month will extend an extra block from Pacific Street to Atlantic Avenue for the coming weekends, the city announced on Friday.

The block had already been closed to cars between Pacific Street and Park Place during certain hours on the weekends to allow restaurants to set up in the street.

The extra block is one of 21 new locations Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday will be added to the city's Open Streets and Open Restaurants program.

"Rebuilding a fairer and better city means using our urban landscape creatively, and I'm proud to build on the success of our Open Streets program," de Blasio said. "New Yorkers have sacrificed so much during this crisis and they deserve the opportunity to safely enjoy their neighborhoods and communities."

The Vanderbilt Avenue open street, run by Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, Inc., will be closed to cars from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and from 12 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The mayor's announcement also included a new stretch of Fifth Avenue from Park Place and Dean Street in Park Slope and a stretch of 61st Street in Sunset Park.

The "Open Restaurants on Open Streets" plan started a few weeks after restaurants were first allowed to welcome customers back for outdoor dining as the city reopens its economy from the coronavirus crisis.

The initial phase of the Open Restaurants program lets eateries set up tables on sidewalks or parking lanes. More than 9,500 restaurants have signed up so far citywide, including more than hundreds in Park Slope.

The extra space for restaurants also comes as New York City postpones the return of indoor dining, originally meant to start next week, due to coronavirus spikes in other areas of the country.