By Scott Etkin
This year for the first time, residents of Morningside Heights have a front row seat to Summer Streets, the city’s annual event that gives miles of roadway over to pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists.
Last Saturday, when Summer Streets returned to Manhattan, it spanned essentially the entire length of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge to Inwood – thanks to a new extension of the route going along Broadway from West 110th Street to Dyckman Street.
When Summer Streets debuted in 2008 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it covered the lower half of Manhattan, ending on East 72nd Street. Its route has advanced north gradually since then. Last year, the route ended on West 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. This section remains part of the route this year, in addition to the new extension up Broadway.
The program opens up the avenues for people to walk, run, and cycle. There are also several rest stations set up along the way, featuring giveaways from the event’s sponsors and other activities, such as dance workshops, chess, and art for kids.
Summer Streets is organized by the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT). It is similar in concept to Open Streets, the program that started during the Covid pandemic and has continued seasonally in some neighborhoods, including the Upper West Side.
Summer Streets will return to Manhattan on the next two Saturdays, August 9th and 16th, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’s another edition of Summer Streets taking place on August 23rd in Brooklyn and The Bronx.
Buses that normally travel along the Summer Streets route will be rerouted while the event is taking place. There will be signage posted on the affected bus stops as well on mta.info. Vehicles and buses will be able to cross the route at major intersections; the full list is available – HERE.
Along the route, “no parking” regulations will be in effect from 5 p.m. Friday before the event until 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the DOT.
The Summer Streets route in Manhattan covers 14.8 miles. Here’s a tip for those looking to make the trek by bike: Lyft, the ride-share service that also runs the city’s Citi Bike program, is offering free Citi Bike day passes with promo code LYFTSUMMER25 on the Citi Bike App.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Such a fun event! Wish they would bring this to all of Broadway as well so more of the UWS could participate
Anyone can walk or bike or take bus or subway to get to any place on the route.
And of course as we all know, Central Park and Riverside are still close by for all of us.
And countless playgrounds.
This is a nightmare for busses, cars, the elderly, disables, deliveries, construction.
Here comes Bill to rain on everyone’s parade for a few days in a summer.
Here comes GFS to rain on all of our parades by making it impossible to get around the city. It looks like the are closing Central Park North. Why can’t people frolic in the park rather than in the streets. That is what they are there for.
Or better yet, since it seems like most people who are obsessed with this are car haters who never leave the island of Manhattan and have no friends outside of Manhattan, how about we rent some buses and expose these people to some of the beautiful parks in areas not too far from NYC. There’s a great big world out there!
And while we are at it show them the homes of some of the hardworking nurses, store owners, doormen, etc. who live outside the city but not close to public transportation so rely on their cars and adequate parking to get into the city. And knock on their doors and say they don’t matter because they are evil car drivers.
They’re NOT ‘evil car owners exactly since there is no public transportation for them to get to work on living outside of Manhattan.. Why isn’t the MTA creating opportunities for these hard working people to get to work more easily ? Typical lack of figuring out to make things more productive.
If you don’t have a car, it’s nice to have access to some different outdoor spaces sometimes. It would be great if we could all hop in our car and drive upstate whenever we want, but the vast majority of UWSiders don’t have that privilege.
Josh P.
Lifelong New Yorker here (not a suburban transplant) and don’t know how to drive.
Seems to me that Manhattan residents have been “privileged” to have access to a growing number of outdoor spaces, particularly the expanding green spaces and amenities around the perimeter (administered by Hudson Park Conservancy).
That is in addition to the existing spaces and parks throughout Manhattan.
(In contrast, most low-income areas in the boroughs don’t have that “privilege”.)
But the issue is not cars – the issue is that it is wrong to deprive people of bus service.
I have friends outside of Manhattan, love cars (all shapes and sizes) and absolutely adore this event.
As are the NYC Marathon, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (and dozens of others), block parties, street fairs, Italian festas, charity walks, and marches that have been a beloved part of NYC life for decades and decades and decades. Such public uses of neighborhood spaces are absolutely nothing new and merely a part of what true New Yorkers know they have to accept to live in a great city.
There is no comparison. This gambit is straight-out discriminatory.
Basic nightmare for bus riders as it also parallels “open streets” on upper Amsterdam and Columbus.
Broadway, Amsterdam, Columbus plus 110th Street.
Who’d have ever thought the City would sabotage essential bus transit for bicycles and brunch?
It’s called, “plan ahead” maybe?
OMG loved this! Made it to 110th Street only to find out the route was extended to Dyckman Street. Great way to see the neighborhoods.
Looking forward to the next two Saturdays.
Does anyone know if Summer Streets includes a closure of the Brooklyn Bridge, or does it end at City Hall park downtown? I ride with my kid every year and am considering riding to Brooklyn with him, but don’t feel so safe taking him on the Brooklyn Bridge bike path (which is too narrow to my liking for someone inexperienced with riding on the bridge). The official map shows the Brooklyn Bridge is part of the route but I wasn’t sure if they were closing the bridge to car traffic entirely.
They don’t close it to cars!
Used Open Streets from 125th down to 79th this weekend. Beautiful day to be outside and enjoy the city. Wish it was truly Summer Streets and open every week in June and July as well!
Streets are for movement and transportation. Please use parks to play.