As you’ve likely noticed, the city has been placing picnic tables in local parks and public parking lots to provide locations to enjoy takeout from local restaurants, while practicing safe social distancing. The map below shows the current table locations or locations where tables are about to be placed.
In addition the chamber has created this list of are restaurants offering outdoor dining adjacent to their own premises.
Will the restaurants and/or city be cleaning (i.e., sanitizing) those tables after each party’s use, or should we plan on doing that ourselves before eating?
@Paul Levy: As I understand it, it’s strictly BYOHS* Folks will need to clean up after themselves.
@Claire: I was told by an official at another municipality that wooden tables and less conducive to virus spread than plastic type table. But I’ve not confirmed this.
*Bring Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Good news! Thanks for this Greg
The picnic tables have signs that read in part that you should put down a covering (I assume table clothe) before using which I think no one will do. There are also signs to wipe them down.
I’m not a big fan of picnic tables. I’d like to see some table and chair type seating like you see on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Beyond that fact that picnic tables can be hard to climb in and out of, they are relatively inefficient. You aren’t likely to get two separate dining parties sharing a big picnic table. And I think they will attract large groups of teens.
Baramore has gone all in with the picnic tables and they do seem to be doing a solid business. They have some room to spread out that most of the other restaurants in NC don’t have. I think the city is going to have to come up with a plan to allow them to take over parts of the streets. All in all, I think that would be great.
I haven’t seen anyone using the picnic tables in West Newton this week and I pass by them often. I’m curious to see if they get more use over the weekend. The ones in Captain Ryan park are nice, but the ones in the parking lots are kind of depressing looking. I’m still not comfortable using communal tables, even when I clean it before I use it I think there is too much risk of missing spots. I’ll still be eating my takeout at home or maybe bringing a picnic blanket to the ones in parks.
I scoffed at whether people would want to eat in a sea of picnic tables in to middle of a closed gas station. The answer is definitively yes. O’Hara’s is hopping. Every table full. Lots of umbrellas were added and it has a festive feel. People REALLY want to get out.
Baramore was hopping as well
Hanover Street in North End is being turned into street parking into dining space.
We ate is Waltham! It’s amazing that Waltham can shut down Moody street and in Newton you have to bring your own table covering to a park.
Does anyone know what is up with the Station Diner in Newton Centre? I don’t think they joined in the curbside service and there are no signs of life even now. They have four outdoor tables and if they temporarily relocated some of the benches, they could probably add a few more tables.
It’s about time!!
https://patch.com/massachusetts/newton/after-pushback-newton-allow-expanded-al-fresco-dining?utm_term=article-slot-3&utm_source=newsletter-daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter