Street Renaissance Antics on Atlantic Avenue
Yesterday was the Atlantic Antic, the annual, day-long festival along Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue, in its 32nd year now. What a beautiful day. You'd be hard-pressed to find a place where as diverse a range of people and activities are brought together in such a natural and comfortable way:
By
Ethan Kent
3:09 PM EDT on September 18, 2006
Yesterday was the Atlantic Antic, the annual, day-long festival along Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, in its 32nd year now. What a beautiful day. You’d be hard-pressed to find a place where as diverse a range of people and activities are brought together in such a natural and comfortable way:
This is what Atlantic Avenue looked like on Sunday.

This is what Atlantic Avenue looks like on a “normal” day…

A police officer holds back a handful of cars for throngs of people to cross the street.

Traffic doesn’t belly dance!

Businesses and institutions along the avenue showcased themselves and connected to passersby.

There were experiments with alternative forms of transportation.

And on Monday it’s back to work.
Ethan Kent practices Placemaking as a Vice President with Project for Public Spaces. His experiences photographing, evaluating and helping to improve public spaces in hundreds of cities around the world form the foundation of his work. Ethan helped found the NYC Streets Renaissance Campaign and leads PPSs efforts in NYC, managing PPSs role in the campaign.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
THE SHIFT: Mamdani Calls In DSNY — Not NYPD — After Anti-Muslim Delivery Worker Hysteria From The NY Post
The New York Post has provoked several NYPD raids on a delivery worker hangout spot in the East Village — until now.
March 26, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines: The AV Future Edition
Is New York City ready for the driverless future? It's coming either way. Plus other news.
March 26, 2026
Former NYPD Chief Admits Giving ‘Free Pass’ to City Workers, Right Wing Allies
NYPD officers ignore transgressions by drivers if they happen to be listeners of right-wing radio host Sid Rosenberg, according to former Chief of Department John Chell.
March 25, 2026
Mamdani Budget Could Tank Queens Subway Expansion He Once Supported
Mayor Mamdani's budget funds a High Line-like Queens park that could prevent future attempts to revive a deactivated rail line.
March 25, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.