Outdoor dining is set to start today in New York City, so find a table and some fresh air. The sheds and other structures that popped up all over the city during the COVID pandemic had to be taken down last year. But now, they've become seasonal.

Outdoor dining is officially back in New York City, but with a new set of seasonal rules and plenty of confusion. Restaurant owners say the updated program—requiring permits and liquor license alterations—is expensive and unclear.

Dining Out NYC allows thousands of approved restaurants to offer outdoor dining along roadways from April 1 through November 29.