Streetfilms: A New Play Street for Jackson Heights

Streetfilms newcomer Robin Urban Smith brings us this romp through a new play street in Jackson Heights. Located in a neighborhood with little access to park space, the 78th Street Play Street effectively extends Travers Park out past the curb every Sunday for 20 weeks.

Neighborhood groups Jackson Heights Green and Friends of Travers Park put a lot of time and effort into getting the play street off the ground. "This is the only play street I know of that’s organized by grassroots groups," said Elena Madison, one of the volunteers behind it (the events are usually organized through the Police Athletic League).

This Sunday will be the third time 78th Street turns into a play street, with Williamsburg Walks and Montague Summer Space rounding out the weekend’s car-free action.

  • Cathy

    If the neighborhood is short on parks, why make a play street next to an already existing park? Wouldn’t it be better in an area that doesn’t have one within walking distance?

  • I think the logic is to expand the present park space. It’s heavily used and could stand to be bigger to accommodate all the people, so this is a way to make Travers Park temporarily bigger.

  • 78th Street is uniquely suited for a playstreet/pedestrian plaza in this area; It’s closing has no impact on auto access. On one side of the street is a park; On the other are the sides of a business and an apartment buidling, and the back of a school.

    We are looking at other parcels in the area to expand the playground into a larger park and have successfully worked to win construction of a youth-size baseball field about a half-mile away on city park property.

    To read more about what we are doing to make Jackson Heights a more environmentally sustainabley neighborhood, check out The Green Agenda for Jackson Heights website at http://thegreenagenda.webs.com.

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