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Independence Day Special: The Freedom to Sit
This was the scene at Herald Square yesterday afternoon. It's full of people doing what the Times' Susan Dominus finds so un-New York: sitting down. Some of these loafers are actually putting their feet up, right in the heart of our fast-paced, cutthroat city. It's like they've never even seen The Sweet Smell of Success.
July 2, 2009
Eyes on the Street: First Weekend of Car-Free Summer Streets
A reader sends in these shots of weekend car-free street activity. Above, the crowd takes in a performance from the Fourth Arts Block "Meet the Street" series on East 4th Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue in Manhattan; below is a scene from the first Saturday of Williamsburg Walks, taken at North 6th and Bedford.
June 8, 2009
Real New Yorkers Dig the New Times Square
We've been meaning to post this vid from culture mag ANIMAL New York (h/t Gothamist), which neatly undercuts the argument that the newly pedestrianized Broadway is "only for tourists." Sure, the tourists are grateful not to be jostling for space right next to traffic anymore, but so are lots of people from the five boroughs. It is, after all, where 158,000 people go to work every day. Take that, Andrea Peyser.
June 5, 2009
Summer Streets Coming to Brooklyn This Weekend
After today's rain clears out, it looks to be a beautiful weekend for two Summer Streets events in Brooklyn.
June 5, 2009
The Crossroads of the World Goes Car-Free
I've lived in New York City for just about twenty years now but yesterday was my first trip to Times Square.
May 26, 2009
Car-Free Space Is an Instant Hit on Broadway
Here's the view from 45th Street looking south at about 1 pm today, about 30 minutes after the city Dept. of Transportation closed Broadway to motor vehicle traffic in Midtown. It's obviously way too soon to judge how this experiment is working but today, at least, car-free Broadway appears to be a huge hit.
May 24, 2009
Happy Memorial Day Weekend (With Gusto This Time)
When Memorial Day weekend rolls around, here at Streetsblog we usually take the opportunity to note the advent of the summer driving season -- and all the waste and violence that entails. This year's going to be a little different, because we've got a major livable streets milestone to celebrate in New York City.
May 22, 2009
Coming Soon: The Broadway You’ve Been Waiting For
DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today officially announced that work on new pedestrian spaces at Times and Herald Squares -- the "Green Light for Midtown" pilot program -- will enter a new phase this Sunday night, when auto traffic will be re-routed to Seventh Avenue. From the DOT press release:
May 19, 2009