New Yorkers are always waiting in line for something.
Want a table at Lucali, a pizza restaurant in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, frequented by celebrities? Clear your afternoon to line up early. Craving a pastry from Radio Bakery? Wake up at the crack of dawn because some pastries sell out quickly.
From the pharmacy to a stoop sale, lines in New York City can pop up everywhere, but what happens when it is at your front door?
Avoiding them is part of the routine for Max St. Pierre, a 34-year-old architectural designer, who moved in 2022 to Park Slope. Dripping in sweat, he hauled his stuff out of a U-Haul truck, carrying his bed frame while weaving through the horde of people. He quickly discovered that Miriam, an Israeli restaurant in the storefront of his building, was a major draw.
“It’s pretty much like I open the door and then there’s like bodies in front of me,” he said, adding later: “Even if the line is three people, it feels like it’s 100 people long because it’s in front of my door.”
Rafi Hasid, the owner of Miriam, has tried to lighten the inconvenience for residents like Mr. St. Pierre. After long lines starting popping up around 10 years ago, he decided to open the restaurant an hour earlier on the weekend. Switching to 9 a.m. from 10 has helped them move through tables more quickly. “We try to be very cautious of our neighbors,” he said, encouraging neighbors to alert the restaurant when the line is disruptive so it can “pay more attention.” Mr. St. Pierre noted that the crowds have “been fewer as of late.”