As more people return to indoor dining, pandemic-born pedestrian zones for outdoor dining are slowly disappearing. Montgomery County released its plans for four of its “streateries” this week, and one in Silver Spring and one in Bethesda are set to partially close after Labor Day.
Silver Spring’s Newell Street and Bethesda’s Woodmont Avenue will both reopen to vehicle traffic in two weeks. But Newell Street will occasionally close to cars and be used as a public gathering space throughout the year; meanwhile, the Woodmont Avenue streatery will only be closed and open to vehicles temporarily for construction. Long-term plans haven’t been decided yet for Woodmont Avenue, but local officials say they’ll work with Bethesda residents and businesses to keep the street open for outdoor dining in the future.
Don’t worry—Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda and Price Avenue in Wheaton will remain open as streateries. Businesses still using pandemic-era seating additions that aren’t officially designated as streateries will need to apply for a Montgomery County permit after Labor Day to meet accessibility requirements.
Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.
