Jackson Heights Life

Not sure if this belongs in restaurants or general discussion..  considering that we’ve all survived the pandemic so far, and seen some restaurants create multiple variations on the outdoor curbside dining pavilions.. some good looking, others bare-bones.  But we are here now. 
There are some places that seem to have given-up, and their outdoor area is a $*ithole.  Examples? 
1) Rainbowberry on the corner of 80th St & 37th Ave.  there is no place to sit, and the plywood creation is a dilapidated mess.  This needs to be dismantled and removed.  If only for the removal of visual clutter & a parking space.
2) Samudra restaurant.  It appears they created a space using pallets, and then it looks like a car/truck smashed into it and destroyed it.  - Whatever, it is now a pile of rubble that needs to be removed ASAP..   

 Both of those are awful and should go soonest. After this summer, I imagine a new standard will be put in place for these outbuildings. Some on Diversity Plaza are scary. But I did overhear a contractor give a price for putting up what sounded like a modest outdoor setting and it was over $10K so I think some of the DIY stuff was to be expected.

my hunch is that if/when we reach herd immunity, a lot of restaurants will ditch the outdoor set ups. They seem like they are expensive, have to be maintained, and need to be changed for weather (the ones that still have up the plastic paneling on all four sides might be better suited for a sweat lodge at this point in the year), which may not be worth the expense and hassle if the extra seating doesn't generate enough income.

In the meantime, I surely wish the city would make the restaurants either maintain their outdoor set up or get rid of it all together.

 I think this comment is spot on. If you want the outdoor dining option, terrific, but show in your efforts that it means something to you. And that doesn't have to be a big money thing but painting and plantings go a long way. The outdoor dining can be magical on some warm evenings but most of nights are not in that category. Hard to say if it will make sense long term or will just be a fun seasonal option.

Thankfully, many places in the neighborhood have picked up their game a bit in this department, but nothing like some of the establishments in Astoria which have really gone all out.