Summer Streets: Park Avenue Closed Next 3 Saturdays

For the last four summers, the city's Department of Transportation has been closing down Park Avenue on Saturdays in August.  This weekend is the first of the annual Summer Streets Saturdays where from 7am-1pm you can take to the avenue by foot or bike and experience something rare in NYC: no traffic!  Well, that is car traffic.

I did Summer Streets last year and things can get a little congested later in the day as it's a very popular event. I'd encourage you to get up early and take advantage of the lack of crowds while they last.  All along the 7 mile route through the heart of Manhattan, there are going to be free bike rentals, free yoga classes and free performances from the NY Intl. Fringe Festival.  It's a great chance to see the city in a whole new way!

Takin' It To The Summer Streets-Aug 21

This weekend is the last chance to enjoy Park Avenue without cars.  The annual Summer Streets program, which expanded from 1 to 3 Saturdays this year, wraps up on the 21st with all sorts of events from 72nd Street all the way down to Chatam Square.  The biggest buzzed about addition this year are the three dumpster-diving swimming pools that have been set up near Grand Central Terminal.  If you're interested in taking a dip on Park and 40th, you should get there early as the pools are small and there can be a wait.  
Last Saturday, I hit the Summer Streets and took advantage of the free bike rentals, provided by Bike'n'Roll.  You get use of the bike for an hour which was plenty of time to head from Spring and Lafayette to 72nd Street and back.  Riding below 14th Street was a little crowded but once you get onto Park it was better and above Grand Central it was gorgeous, biking past the Seagrams Building and the Lever House and enjoying the wide roadway and no dangerous taxis.


Even if you don't have a bike, there's tons to do; free yoga and exercise classes from Crunch on 25th Street, an outdoor Whole Foods market on 24th and excerpts from Fringe NYC Shows at a small stage on Spring/Lafayette.  Summer Streets starts early tomorrow at 7am and goes to 1pm when the streets are reopened to traffic.