Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Plazas

Eyes on the Street: New Pedestrian Spaces Pop in Financial District

By Brad Aaron | Jun 24, 2013 | 34 Comments

Clarence snapped these photos of painted sidewalk expansions on Water Street, where DOT and the Downtown Alliance are working to revitalize street life in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The top photo shows one end of the newly car-free Coentis Slip, between Water and Pearl Street. A couple of weeks ago the City Council cleared […]

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Is This the First NYC Community Board Meeting Held in a Public Plaza?

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. | Jun 21, 2013 | No Comments

I can’t say with certainty that this is the first NYC community board meeting held in a public plaza, but it certainly is the first I’ve heard of in my 22 years in New York City. On Thursday, Queens Community Board 3 held their monthly meeting amid the hustle and bustle of Jackson Heights’ Diversity Plaza on […]

DOT Working on Maintenance Initiative to Expand Reach of Plaza Program

By Stephen Miller | May 31, 2013 | 2 Comments

DOT’s plaza program has brought new public spaces to neighborhoods across the city, and even most City Council members can appreciate that. To ensure that the new plazas don’t deteriorate after implementation, the city only installs them if a local partner pledges to maintain the space. Sometimes, finding a maintenance partner can be challenging — and […]

Eyes on the Street: Checking Out Books at Putnam Plaza

By Stephen Miller | May 14, 2013 | No Comments

When Putnam Plaza opened nearly two years ago in Clinton Hill, it was welcomed with a dance party. Last Friday, the dancing continued as the Fulton Area Business Alliance, the local business improvement district, held one of its FAB Friday events in the plaza. The space featured games, live music, and a portable library allowing people to sit […]

Eyes on the Street: Ped Plaza/Bike-Share Hub Takes Shape at Grand Central

By Stephen Miller | May 10, 2013 | 18 Comments

Across the street from Grand Central, a new pedestrian plaza is being installed this afternoon. Jonny Hamilton, who works nearby, snapped this short video of DOT workers laying down the new surface at Pershing Square between 42nd and 41st Streets, on the east side of the Park Avenue viaduct. Once the plaza is installed, the […]

Eyes on the Street: First Avenue Protected Bike Lane Extends Uptown

By Stephen Miller | May 6, 2013 | 22 Comments

Our most recent progress report on the protected bike lanes for East Harlem and the Upper East Side came last October, when crews installed the bike lane and pedestrian refuges on Second Avenue between 100th Street and 125th Street. Last year also saw the construction of a protected bike lane on First Avenue between the Queensboro […]

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