Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo can thank Mother Nature for a cold spring. But New York City and other municipalities in the state will face a challenge in late spring and summer in regulating open spaces. Space-starved New Yorkers are not accustomed to restraints on their use of crowded sidewalks and parks (including beaches) and ongoing limits are not likely to be well-received. This article assesses the options for the state and City (or any municipality) to limit uses of outdoor public spaces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes a concept that is more likely to be sustainable and defensible in court.