As Covid-19 continues to impact the dining scene throughout New Jersey, restaurants have taken to the streets—literally. In these New Jersey towns, listed from north to south, select streets have been closed to vehicular traffic to allow for expanded outdoor seating options for restaurants.
Jersey City
The Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza in Jersey City has been expanded to maximize the number of possible outdoor dining guests. The expansion stretches the plaza on to Grove Street, with full street closure from First Street to Columbus Drive, and the northbound lane closed off from Columbus Drive to Grand Street. Some of the places on our Best Restaurants in Jersey City list, including Broa Cafe, Luna, and Mathews, have spread seating into the streets.
Red Bank
Red Bank diners can enjoy two “outdoor street plazas,” from 4 pm on Thursdays to 10 pm on Saturdays. The blocks of Broad Street between West Front Street and Wallace street, home to Catch 19, Bistro Red Bank and Char Steakhouse, make up the first plaza. The second is located on a section of Monmouth Street beginning at Maple Avenue and ending at Broad Street, where Teak, Jamian’s Food and Drink and others take advantage of the extra outdoor space.
Asbury Park
From Thursday afternoons to Monday mornings, three blocks of Cookman Avenue and one of adjacent Mattison Avenue close to cars and transform into a pedestrian paradise. Tables at popular eateries such as Talula’s, Taka, Bonney Reed, and Reyla spill into the streets on makeshift patios for a unique 2020-style outdoor dining experience. One block of Cookman, from Emory to Bond Street, is closed to vehicles all week long, through Labor Day. The streets are car-free as part of the city’s ReOPEN Asbury initiative.
Glassboro
Rowan Boulevard closed to cars and opened to additional restaurant patrons on July 14. The closure, from Redmond Avenue to Victoria Street and Victoria Street to Main Street, will continue until further notice. Dusk to Dawn Cafe, Mexican Mirarchi Grill and Alumni Grill are just a few of the eateries taking advantage of the on-street seating.
Wildwood
This summer, three blocks of Pacific Avenue in Wildwood will be closed to vehicles to allow restaurants to stretch outdoor seating on to the road. Between Spicer Avenue and Schellenger Avenue, Castaways Pirate Bar, Joey M’s La Piazza Cucina, Duffinetti’s Restaurant and Lounge and others benefit from the summer-long “Pacific Avenue Mall.” The streets closed to cars on June 19, via an executive order from the town’s mayor, and will remain pedestrian-only until September 7.