Summer Streets came to Brooklyn for the first time this year

For pedestrians and cyclists, a glorious Saturday morning on Eastern Parkway, courtesy of the DOT

On Saturday morning, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., a two-and-half mile stretch of Eastern Parkway, from Buffalo Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, was closed to all vehicles, allowing hundreds of runners, walkers, cyclists, dogs and little kids to enjoy the grand boulevard without any of the stress or fear that sharing any New York City road with drivers brings.

“We love it,” Morgan Bui, a Prospect Heights resident out strolling with a companion and their “pittie mix” Daisy, told Brooklyn Magazine. “We’ve been so happy this whole time. It’s so beautiful, such a good way for everyone to come together. It’s been great. Daisy loves it as well, though there are far fewer ‘street treats’ here than on the sidewalk for her to try to eat.”

Prospect Park resident Morgan Bui, strolling with Daisy, said ‘it’s so beautiful, such a good way for everyone to come together’ (Scott Lynch)

Summer Streets is organized by New York’s Department of Transportation, and has been a huge hit in Manhattan since the program launched in 2008, with hundreds of thousands of people now participating over three Saturdays in August. The Eastern Parkway Summer Streets was the first time Brooklyn was allowed to get in on that sweet, sweet street closure action (it also debuted in Queens and the Bronx this year), and clearly the demand is there.

Photo by Scott Lynch

The route fell mostly in Crown Heights. Local resident Tracy Akner, who was also out walking her dog, was delighted. “For us in the Jewish community, this is shabbos so we can’t drive anyway, and this is so nice,” she said. “I didn’t even know it was happening when I left my house this morning. I can’t wait for all the children to get out here and run around.”

There were two rest stops on Saturday, one at Buffalo and one at Classon Avenues, with activities for kids, performances, water stations and giveaways like free bike helmets from the DOT. But for most people, just enjoying a small patch of their city without vehicles provided enough pleasure and entertainment to want more next year.

The ‘rest’ area at Buffalo Avenue had all sorts of performances going on (Scott Lynch)

“It’s exciting,” said Percell Dugger, a Brooklyn-born-and-raised running coach who came all the way from his current home in Harlem to soak in those car-free vibes. “It gives a lot of people the chance to move around and feel some endorphins, get some dopamine. Even in the rain earlier, it’s still a good time to get outdoors and feel the rain hit your skin and enjoy what that feels like. I wish stuff like this happened more often, but when it does happen you’ve got to take advantage of it.”