MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (PIX11) – The New York City Open Streets program is popping up all over the five boroughs as summer gets underway.
It transforms busy avenues into public spaces for all to enjoy. With the snip of a ribbon and the beat of Mexican dance music, Open Streets 2025 officially got underway for a four-block stretch of Amsterdam Avenue between 106th and 110th streets.
“Pedestrians rule,” Daniel Bernstein, the executive director of the Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District, told PIX11 News. “They want to have fun, a lot of people in New York City, and they look for this to do in places to go and this gives them a canvas to do stuff on.”
From July until mid-November, every Saturday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., friends, neighbors and everyone else are invited to come out and support local businesses or just play an open game of chess or dominoes.
“You get to enjoy being outside with the community and get to know people,” Marysol Negron, a dominoes player, told PIX11 News. “Yes, people see how everyone can work together and have fun.”
You could even get backgammon tips from a world-famous expert.
“It’s skill and luck without luck, no matter how much skill you have, you won’t win,” Antoinette Marie Williams, a backgammon expert, told PIX11 News.
But perhaps the biggest hit on the opening night of Open Streets is the neighborhood clothing swap, where neighbors can bring something and just take something else home. It’s all about sustainability and generosity, organizers said.
“We’ve had quite a few requests for every Saturday to have the clothing swap, so we’ll see if we can put it together,” Erin Caylor, the clothing swap organizer, told PIX11 News.
When the first Open Streets of the season wrapped up, many gathered at Lion’s Head Tavern to toast a successful first day and to support another local business.
