photos by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, following the challenging year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the famed Bergen County town of Ridgewood, New Jersey has utilized the various rules and regulations to its advantage by creating permanent opportunities for the small business-driven community that otherwise would not have been possible before the pandemic.
When the indoor dining ban went into effect nationwide, landlords and restaurant owners throughout Ridgewood immediately began renting nearby parking lots and surrounding spaces to expand their capabilities to continue to serve their dedicated customers. What started out as simple tables and chairs quickly turned into decorated and heated igloos, greenhouses, and dining bubbles which remained booked and busy throughout the cold winter months. Due to the positive response to the town’s innovative dining spaces, restaurants in Ridgewood have continued to build upon their existing structures which has allowed them to double, triple, and almost quadruple the party sizes of what they were able to accommodate before the pandemic. The outdoor dining spaces not only helped businesses recuperate from the financial loss from the past year, but it created a plethora of job opportunities that gave the Ridgewood restaurant community a fighting chance at survival.
Building upon last year’s momentum, ten restaurants have installed dining barriers, which are 6x3x3 concrete barrier blocks that extend beyond the sidewalk to create an additional dining space to keep up with the booming outdoor dining demand. Each participating restaurant’s individual barriers have been painted and decorated by local artists and volunteers to commemorate Ridgewood’s remarkable comeback. The dining barriers will be used through Labor Day. [Restaurants using dining barriers: Bareburger, Sook Pastry Shop, Steel Wheel Tavern, S. Egidio, Le Bon Choix Café, The Office Tavern & Grill, White Maple Café, Shumi Japanese Cuisine, Park West Tavern, and It’s Greek to Me.]
For the second summer in a row, East Ridgewood Avenue will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays for the locally famed Pedestrian Plaza, which gives all restaurants and businesses the opportunity to set up additional outdoor dining, tables, and booths to further serve and reconnect with the community. Additionally, the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce announced their schedule of events that will take place throughout the summer and into the late fall season. Locals and visitors alike can join a series of free weekly events, such as movies and live music in the park, the Ridgewood Antique Car Show on September 10, Sunday farmer’s markets, among others. To view all upcoming summer events, please visit the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce events page.
In addition to the seasonal events and expansive outdoor dining, direct access to New York City and beyond via various bus stops and a New Jersey Transit train station in downtown have attracted commuters and remote workers from far and wide to make the permanent move to the bustling town. To keep up with the booming demand of new residents, Ridgewood introduced two new luxury apartment complexes and one new four-story parking garage in the heart of downtown, and just recently confirmed that two more apartment buildings are set to be built within the next six months.
Come back?
Nothing about the garage as a tourist magnet?
Will Jay Nordlinger write about it like his Salzburg journals?
What is the comeback eating in the street come back please.
Who spent all the money on the concrete blocks. And who’s going to pick them up and store them for the winter.
Who did the painting of the concrete blocks pretty good