5 ms·

In a few months time "You wont believe this ONE thing that has SAVED Outdoor Dining!!!" Spoiler: Summer.

nytesky 4y ago
You are probably posting form California or Europe. Summer in much of the US has a humid continental climate. Which means there are about 3 weeks in spring and fall when the sitting outside is as pleasant as conditioned air. Otherwise you have humidity, rain, bugs, etc for your meal, and you will be perspiring quite a bit.
- drone 4y ago
  Even in Houston, which is an exceptionally hot and humid city in the summer, and cold and humid in the winter, outdoor dining is ubiquitous across the city in all seasons. A popular restaurant down the street from me is outdoor-only and stays packed in the evenings year round. There is no dearth of outdoor dining in the US. On monsoon days, or during periods of peak heat/cold? Yes, the outdoor table attendance is down, but rarely zero. As others have stated though, outdoor dining in other cities is typically nothing at all like what the Atlantic is discussing in NYC. NYC wasn't built for outdoor dining, but it has nothing to do with being car-centric, or too hot/humid.
- rascul 4y ago
  > Which means there are about 3 weeks in spring and fall when the sitting outside is as pleasant as conditioned air. Highly subjective. I often find it more pleasant to sit outside for most of what I consider the warm part of the year, which includes summer. I eat lunch outside almost every day and love it.
- angry_octet 4y ago
  You won't believe it, but in Asia outdoor dining is common AND it's quite humid. And bugs! Yet people keep doing it.
  - alwayslikethis 4y ago
    Where? I don't think people do it here nearly as much as in Europe. In Japan you rarely see outdoor seats at restaurants, for example.
    - angry_octet 4y ago
      Malaysia, Vietnam, (southern) China, Thailand, Indonesia... Usually under shade/rain protection but open air.
    - argc 4y ago
      Pretty common in Vietnam

You are probably posting form California or Europe. Summer in much of the US has a humid continental climate. Which means there are about 3 weeks in spring and fall when the sitting outside is as pleasant as conditioned air. Otherwise you have humidity, rain, bugs, etc for your meal, and you will be perspiring quite a bit.

drone 4y ago
Even in Houston, which is an exceptionally hot and humid city in the summer, and cold and humid in the winter, outdoor dining is ubiquitous across the city in all seasons. A popular restaurant down the street from me is outdoor-only and stays packed in the evenings year round. There is no dearth of outdoor dining in the US. On monsoon days, or during periods of peak heat/cold? Yes, the outdoor table attendance is down, but rarely zero. As others have stated though, outdoor dining in other cities is typically nothing at all like what the Atlantic is discussing in NYC. NYC wasn't built for outdoor dining, but it has nothing to do with being car-centric, or too hot/humid.
rascul 4y ago
> Which means there are about 3 weeks in spring and fall when the sitting outside is as pleasant as conditioned air. Highly subjective. I often find it more pleasant to sit outside for most of what I consider the warm part of the year, which includes summer. I eat lunch outside almost every day and love it.
angry_octet 4y ago
You won't believe it, but in Asia outdoor dining is common AND it's quite humid. And bugs! Yet people keep doing it.
- alwayslikethis 4y ago
  Where? I don't think people do it here nearly as much as in Europe. In Japan you rarely see outdoor seats at restaurants, for example.
  - angry_octet 4y ago
    Malaysia, Vietnam, (southern) China, Thailand, Indonesia... Usually under shade/rain protection but open air.
  - argc 4y ago
    Pretty common in Vietnam