Eating outdoors in New York in October?

After two years away from New York, my partner and I have a trip planned for late October. We're both vaccinated, and are fortunate not to have any pre-existing conditions. That being said, we're also cognizant of the risks of Delta, even for vaccinated people.

We're comfortable doing indoor activities with masks, but eating indoors makes us nervous.

If we're willing to do advance planning, is it reasonable to think we can find outdoor dining options? In the Bay Area, lots of places have parklets and patio seating with space heaters. Is it similar in the theater district, or is late October just too cold?

You should be fine. Restaurant row has outdoor eating and I would suspect there are places on 9th. I am assuming you are asking about the theater district because you are wanting to find a place to eat nearby before or after a show.

Yes, October will definitely be fine for eating outdoors--most places have heaters that will keep you nice and warm. It will be interesting to see if there's as much outdoor dining in December and January this year--remember last year there was no indoor dining so there was no other choice, but now with staffing issues what they are and having the option for indoors, I could see some of these restaurants getting rid of their outdoor spaces. But October will certainly still be fine.