Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Brooklyn

Streetfilms: Pedestrians Storm Smith Street, Sans Autos

Every year, on the Sunday closest to Bastille Day, Brooklyn bistro Bar Tabac helps put on one of the city's finest car-free events, turning two blocks of Smith Street into a neighborhood party. As restaurants take over sidewalks with café seating and shady tents, the center of the street transforms into a sandy arena for a tourney of Pétanque (bocce's French cousin). Streetfilms' Nick Whitaker caught the festivities yesterday, with the Open Planning Project's Nick Grossman guiding the way and Bar Tabac's Christophe Chambers explaining what goes into the event. Says Whitaker:

It's not just the action and attraction of the tournament that makes itspecial. People lounge about, eat great culinary delights, kidsskateboard, friends play foosball, and listen to great music -- thekinds of things that we need to happen more to make the sometimeshectic, noisy streets of NYC more palatable. If livable streetsadvocates are looking for a good model of what draws people to anevent, look no further.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025

Ex-DOT Official Warns NYC’s ‘Counterproductive’ E-bike Speed Limit Will Curb Biking, Safety

The mayor is working overtime to undo the decade of gains for cycling in the Big Apple, a former de Blasio administration official told Streetsblog.

July 3, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

Things are slowing down for summer, but not entirely. Here's the news.

July 3, 2025

DOT Boss Defends Adams’s ‘Vision Zero’ Record As Agency Fights A Bike Lane in Court

Traffic fatalities are down and the DOT is taking a victory lap — even as it argues against a protected bike lane in court.

July 2, 2025

Cyclist Arrested After Crash with Electric ‘One-wheel’-Style Unicycle

Carolyn Backus is charged with fleeing the scene of a crash causing serious injury, but the details are murky.

Wednesday’s Headlines: Return of Summer Streets Edition

Summer Streets is back and bigger than ever. Plus more news.

July 2, 2025
See all posts