Nathan Layne
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People gather at the White Horse Tavern (est. 1880) as restrictions eased on indoor drinking in bars, allowing seating at the bar, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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Matt Friedlander walked into the White Horse Tavern, grabbed a seat at the polished wooden bar and let out a sigh of relief as he ordered a Budweiser and a glass of bourbon: A major pandemic restriction on drinking in New York City was finally gone.
"Fourteen months since I've done this," the 39-year-old New Yorker said with an air of satisfaction as he sat on a bar stool, his Havanese and Pomeranian mix perched on the seat to his left. "42 inches high and it just feels right," he said, referring to the standard height of a bar.