Bedford Avenue is the long spine of Bed-Stuy and the Hancock Street blocks running off it are among the borough's best-preserved brownstone rows. A neighbourhood association closing exactly one block for the day is the classic version of the New York block party - small, self-organised and entirely for the people who live on it. It is free, it lasts most of the day and it is the reason Brooklyn summers sound the way they do.
What to expect
Expect barricades at each end of a single block, tables and grills at the kerb, music from a system on the pavement and children using the road as a playground. The scale is intimate rather than festival-sized. It is a public street, so walking through is fine.
Good to know
- Hancock Street near Bedford Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a walk from the G at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and local B bus routes.
- Free and open to the public — it is a permitted public event, so no ticket or RSVP is involved.
- Single-block scale, so it is small and neighbourly rather than a festival.
- The street closes for most of the day; avoid driving on the block.
- Flat and level once closed, fully stroller accessible.
- Street trees provide good shade along this stretch.
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Common questions
How big is it?
One block — it is a single-street neighbourhood association party.
Where exactly?
Hancock Street near Bedford Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Is there a charge?
No — block parties are free, permitted street events open to anyone who walks up.
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