Traffic Closure on George Street Extended Until Oct. 23

George Street will remain closed to vehicles through Oct. 23, and business owners with shops and restaurants on nearby streets are glad. 

Vinnie Brand has kept ’em laughing as the owner of The Stress Factory since 1994, but the increased foot traffic he has recently noticed around City Center is no joke.

“I’ve been in town for a long time and I’ve never seen this kind of activity before this late in the spring,” said Brand, the owner of the comedy club on Church Street. “Usually, our city slows down pretty dramatically around this time.”

Brand said creating a space where people can stroll the downtown shops, listen to live music sponsored by city restaurants and dine outside has had a big effect not just on businesses on George Street, but also on those in the surrounding streets.

That George Street will continue to be closed to traffic through Oct. 23 came as welcome news to Brand and the owners of other off-George Street businesses who have been some of the biggest proponents of keeping the pedestrian plaza open.

The City Council voted 3-0 at Wednesday’s meeting to keep George Street closed to vehicles between Albany and Bayard streets.

January was scheduled to expire this week. Cahill originally moved in June 2020 to create an outdoor dining space as restaurants struggled through the shutdowns and other restrictions implemented by the state during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has re-imagined the street lined with mom-and-pop dollar stores, a camera shop, a convenience store, clothing shops, an antique boutique, business offices and restaurants serving up Italian, Pakistani, Cambodian, Japanese and other ethnic dishes.

 “The extension of our outdoor dining will continue this successful program through the best weather months of the year,” Cahill said. “There’s something special about enjoying a great meal with the company of family and friends in an outdoor setting and I’m excited that our restaurant and hospitality patrons will be able to experience this for the upcoming months.”

Outdoor dining, along with promotions such as Yappy Hour and Rutgers football game watch parties created by New Brunswick City Center, have not only fortified New Brunswick’s reputation as a dining and shopping destination, it has helped residents from every part of the city. From Tavern on George to Harvest Moon, these businesses’ kitchens and front counters provide hundreds of jobs for New Brunswick residents.

Many more work as hosts, waiters and bartenders for restaurants such as Old Man Rafferty’s, which is seeing a boost in business despite being located on Albany Street.

“We’ve always had outdoor dining at our restaurant, but now customers have gotten used to it over the past few years,” said Mark Jakuboski, owner of Old Man Rafferty’s. “Outdoor dining is here to stay and it’s amazing to look around the corner and see all the people up and down George Street every night.”

Story By : Chuck O'Donnell
Photo Credit: New Brunswick City Center