New York City’s sidewalks and streets have sprouted oases that evoke destinations from the Greek isles to the New Jersey Turnpike.

This new design genre was born last month when New York City began allowing restaurants, which had been closed for on-premises dining since March, to take over miles of sidewalks and streets for outdoor seating.

A few restaurateurs consulted with the Rockwell Group, Pink Sparrow, and other design firms. They have dreamed up modular, prefabricated platforms and barriers. These outdoor cafes promise a few hours of relief from our well-founded fears.