Since restaurants have been allowed to reopen for outdoor dining, the North End has been transformed into essentially one large outdoor terrace. Some places, however, chose to disregard social distancing regulations, leading to an emergency meeting being called by the city’s Licensing Board. Ultimately, all restaurants were given a warning, with the threat of outdoor privileges being revoked if there were any further violations.

We went to the North End recently to see how things were holding up on the cobblestone streets. We found a lot of nice-looking al fresco spots, with diners eating both outside and inside restaurants. Almost everyone had masks on, and tables were being sanitized in between patrons. But the most striking thing was how quiet the neighborhood was for a summer evening. We’d never thought we’d say it, but we missed the crowds.