NYC life bounces back after snow: in-person classes, outdoor dining resume

After the snow, New York City returns to new normal

Friday, December 18, 2020

After the snow, NYC life returning to normal

Despite the amount of snow on the ground, New York City school buildings are back open for in-person learning Friday.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Life in communities across the Tri-State area is bouncing back Friday morning, after a nor'easter dumped significant amounts of snow.

Despite the amount of snow on the ground, New York City school buildings are back open for in-person learning Friday.

Students were at home for remote learning yesterday.

Today elementary students will have to trek through potentially treacherous black ice situations to get back in the classroom.

CeFaan Kim has more on the reopening of outdoor dining in New York City following Wednesday's nor'easter.

Meantime, the storm's impact on outdoor dining has come to an end, with restaurants allowed to resume Thursday at 6 p.m.

But those restaurants have added restrictions, after the city advised restaurants that they can't allow people inside to use restrooms.

Nor will customers be allowed to go inside to pick up their orders. Only curbside pickup is allowed.

The New York City Hospitality Alliance issued statement writing in part that the new guidance is another example of the government purposely kicking them in the gut and then stomping on their hand when they're already down.

The good news is that with snowbanks and slush now part of the city's landscape due to the storm, outdoor structures were able to pass the first major hurdle.

Naveen Dhaliwal reports many New York City residents are still digging out their cars following the season's first major snowstorm.

"The outdoor dining structures did well structurally for the most part, from our frontline reviews... from what we saw," said Acting Sanitation Commissioner Ed Grayson.

"We have basically plowed every street in the city," he continued. "We're continuing with shopping operations, and we will continue with plowing operations to get our streets safe and clear for everyone."

The city says after those outdoor dining structures held up so well for this week's storm, they won't face the same threat of shutdown if there were to be another storm.

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