The City Has Expanded ‘Summer Streets’ Into East Harlem

Program will for three Saturdays in August will encompass more than 8 miles of open streets.

A Summer Streets activity. Photo: DOT
A Summer Streets activity. Photo: DOT

Vamos al barrio!

The Department of Transportation is expanding its “Summer Streets” open street corridor by two miles, to East Harlem, the city announced.

The city runs the car-free corridor from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park for three Saturdays each August. Now, it will extend to East 109th Street, providing more than eight miles of car-free streets for walking, biking and free activities, according to the announcement. It promises 120 activities.

The dates are Aug. 6, 13, and 20 from 7 a.m. to 1  p.m., along Lafayette Street, Centre Street and Park Avenue, and will include free Citi Bike day passes available on Aug. 6.

“Our streets belong to all New Yorkers, and I’m so excited to be restoring the Summer Streets program to three full Saturdays and bringing it to East Harlem for the first time,” said Mayor Adams. “This is exactly what our public space is for: making fun activities accessible to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for free.”

The extension into Harlem offers a tiny bit more car-free space for an event that has not expanded in any meaningful way in its 14 years. As Streetsblog reported in 2012, in 2014, in 2017 and again this year, the city could do more than just three weekend days for a few hours. Others agree:

https://twitter.com/BrooklynSpoke/status/1546293844437762050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1546293844437762050%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnyc.streetsblog.org%2F2022%2F07%2F20%2Fwednesdays-headlines-summer-streets-shortfall-edition%2F

So the distance expansion is at least something. But given that Montreal, Paris and other cities have very long stretches of roadway that are car-free all summer, every day, New York can certainly set its sights higher. For now, though, there are three days with lots of programming. See the full list below:

Foley Square, Centre Street and Duane Street

  • Adaptive Basketball Games with the Wheelchair Sports Federation
  • Dance Party NYC
  • Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking
  • Department of Environmental Protection Water on the Go
  • Summer Streets Art Stop
  • Summer Streets Beach Chairs and Cooling Zone

Astor Place, Lafayette Street and Astor Place

  • DEP Water on the Go
  • Fitness Class Stage: Free Classes by Just Like Om, Lifetime, Energi, Athleta, and WRKNYC
  • The Movement Creative: Pop-Up Parkour Playground
  • Taste of Summer: Snack and Beverage Sampling Zone
  • Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet

Rose Hill, East 26th and 27th Streets and Park Avenue

  • Bike Repair with the Five Borough Bicycle Club
  • Dance Party NYC
  • DEP Water on the Go
  • DOT Bike Helmet Fitting
  • DOT Truck’s Eye View
  • Explore NYC Rainwater with Naik Group
  • Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking
  • Learn to Ride with Bike New York
  • Summer Streets Accessibility Station
  • Summer Streets Art Stop
  • Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet

Midtown, East 51st Street and Park Avenue

  • Art and Culture Hub
    • Aug. 6: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Coloring and Temporary Tattoos with the Asia Society
    • Aug. 13: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Tangram Challenge with Museum of Chinese in America, Make Your Own Ojo de Dios with Urban Studio Unbound, Recycled Art Making with Materials for the Arts
    • Aug. 20: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Tangram Challenge with Museum of Chinese in America, Make Your Own Ojo de Dios with Urban Studio Unbound, Recycled Art Making with Green Inspired Art
  • DEP Water on the Go
  • Midtown Performance Stage
    • Aug. 6: NYC Violinist, Dahka Band, Music With A Message, Sirens of Gotham, Project Connect
    • Aug. 13: Evan V and the Jumping Jams Band, Lilee, the Blue Dahlia, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company
    • Aug. 20: eGALitarian Brass, Metropolitan Horn Authority, The Afro-Latineers, Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance, HONK NYC presents HONK Family Band
  • Summer Streets Art Stop
  • Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet
  • Zing! Kids Fitness

Upper East, East 81st Street and Park Avenue (New)

  • Black Girls Do Bike: Riding Tips, Bike Repair, and Bike Tours
  • Fit Club NY: Physical Therapy and Recovery Services
  • Fitness Class Stage: Free Classes by Orange Theory Fitness, Fit Club NY, Pure Barre, The Code, 305 Fitness, Chase Fitness, Dance Body
  • Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking

Uptown, East 109th Street and Park Avenue (New)

  • Art and Culture Hub: Event Trivia and Coloring with Ebony Bolt, Art Lives Here, the Naji Play Machine with Naji, Studio
  • Museum in Harlem, Harlem Needle Arts
  • Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (August 20)
  • Go! Sports USA: Free Rollerblade Rentals and Instruction
  • NYC Parks Play Mobile (August 20)
  • Summer Streets Art Stop
  • Uptown Pop-Up Performances
    • Aug. 6: HONK NYC presents Off the Bar Brass Band, Marching Cobras, Batingua Arts, Fogo Azul
    • Aug. 13: HONK NYC presents New Heights Brass Band, HONK NYC presents L-Train Brass Band, HONK NYC presents Tilted Axis Music for Mobile Electric Guitars, Fogo Azul

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