Streetsblog New York City

Once a common occurrence, the New York City block party suffered a period of near-extinction. But now it's poised for a comeback. Last year's launch of Block Party NYC made it easier for New Yorkers to plan their own events or locate parties already in the works, and even provides small grants to help out (apply now -- the 2009 deadline is next Monday, June 1).

As we celebrate the liberation of Times Square for human activity, this epic Streetfilm from Elizabeth Press nicely explains the historical and present-day significance of the traditional block party, which allows residents across the city to enjoy the benefits of car-freedom right in their own neighborhoods.

In this Streetfilm by Elizabeth Press, New Yorkers enjoy a block party on West 87th Street in Manhattan. The June event was one of dozens sponsored this summer by the New York City Streets Renaissance, many of them still to come. At over 3,000 block parties per year, New Yorkers mark their independence from traffic and pollution. How are you celebrating your car-freedom this 4th of July weekend?

Get to know your neighbors. See how differently your block can look. Experience what it's like not having to worry about your children playing in the street. It's Block Party NYC.

This summer the NYC Streets Renaissance is helping to throw dozens of block parties throughout New York City. Don't wait. Apply for a Block Grant today.

The idea behind Block Party NYC is to help neighbors build consensus around the value of reduced car traffic on neighborhood streets. These events will be traditional New York City block parties but with experts on hand to talk with residents about building greener, safer neighborhood streets and to begin drawing up new street designs that better suit community needs.

City Council Member Robert Jackson, foreground, participates in the "Umbrella/Sombrilla" celebration, held in Inwood last Sunday. The Dyckman Street festival involved neighborhood residents simultaneously waving and twirling dozens of umbrellas to symbolize the birth of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, an umbrella organization (see?) founded to promote uptown art and artists. Umbrella/Sombrilla kicks off the 5th Annual Uptown Arts Stroll, a three-week series featuring a sidewalk art fair and other outdoor exhibitions. Sunday's events culminated in a block party, with kids and their families taking over the streets.

Photo: Mike Fitelson

Some images and reflections from last night's Museum Mile Festival:

What if New York City's streets were designed to support its cultural insitutions as destinations. What if New York City's streets allowed the life and creativity inside these cultural institutions to spill out onto engaging sidewalks, plazas, and streets?

In a big, crowded city, space is one of the most limited and valuable commodities there is. The bulk of New York City's public space is its streets. Many of us assume that street space must be dedicated exclusively to motor vehicles. What if we allowed this valuable public space to be used for other activities?

What if city streets were places where children felt safe enough to sit and play? What is more valuable to the city, curbside parking or curbside creativity?

Is New York City a healthier, more competitive city when it allows its streets to be clogged and immobilized by traffic or when its streets support social and cultural activities that help build community?

One easy way to learn the answers to these questions would be to expand events like Museum Mile to other parts of the city and to more days of the year.

Tonight is the Museum Mile Festival. From 6:00 to 9:00 pm, twenty-three blocks of Fifth Avenue from 82nd Street to 105th Streets will be closed to traffic for the event billed as "New York's Biggest Block Party." Admission to the museums is free and there are all kinds of events, workshops and street performances.

Project for Public Spaces got this festival started back in 1978 along with the nine museums that line New York City's "Museum Mile." The main goal was to spur the development of new museum audiences and increase support for the arts during the fiscal crisis of the 1970's. But the festival also shows how great an asset New York City's streets can be when they are not used soley for the movement and storage of motor vehicles. 

In Tokyo, the equivalent of Fifth Avenue is called Ginza. The entire Ginza is closed to cars not just once a year, but every weekend, all weekend long. I was in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago and took this picture:

It is easy to imagine New York City doing the same thing on Fifth Avenue or sections of Broadway on weekends. If you make it to this evening's festival, you will get a sense of how great this could be.