Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Summer Streets 2016 Is Kicking Cars To The Curb In August
By
Scott Heins
Published Jun 16, 2016
Modified Jun 16, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Scott Heins
Published Jun 16, 2016
Modified Jun 16, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Yorkers will get to walk, run, rock-climb, bike, zipline, dance, and waterslide down the middle of the street this August as Summer Streets returns for its ninth year. For three consecutive Saturdays (August 6th, 13th, and 20th), we'll get a reprieve from the loud, noxious, and deadly cars and trucks that control urban byways and get the chance to play atop the asphalt.
All told, Summer Streets will close off seven miles of roadway beginning near the Brooklyn Bridge and running up Lafayette Street and Park Avenue to 72nd Street, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Specific attractions for summer 2016 will include public art installations, guided walking tours, DIY art projects, free food samples, a 30-foot-high zip line, rock climbing, free bike and rollerblade rental, bike and fitness classes, crafts workshops, basketball, and soccer (for those keeping score at home, there's no word on whether or not the Sound Tunnel is re-opening). The Mayor's Office also confirmed at a press conference Thursday that the giant Beachside Slide is back on the docket for Foley Square all three weekends. Check out the fun!
Along with Summer Streets, the DOT is rolling out another season of Weekend Walks, which will bring 50 different weekend events to closed-off roads normally crowded with traffic, from the Bronx to Bay Ridge. Sweetening the deal, any restaurant within the confines of a Weekend Walk will be allowed to serve patrons outdoors, even if they lack a regular permit. Hey, partner, could you pass the garbage plate?
Finally, Saturday, August 13th will turn much of lower Manhattan into "Shared Streets," which means a 60-square-block area from the Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park will be altered to severely—but not completely—limit automobile presence. The City is heralding it as a chance to "rediscover the history, culture, and commerce of lower Manhattan." The NYPD will be staffing special vehicle traffic entry points and encouraging vehicles to limit their speed to 5 mph. What a concept!
Tagged
shared streets
summer streets
weekend walks
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 11:18 a.m. ET
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .