Open Streets is the simplest good idea the city has had in years — take a block, remove the cars, and let the neighborhood have it. New Settlement has been building community infrastructure in Mount Eden since the 1990s, and running an Open Street is a direct extension of that: free space, on the block, for the people who live on it. If you want to see what a Bronx street looks like when it belongs to pedestrians, walk onto this one.
What to expect
Come to the closed block and expect barricades at each end, the roadbed open for walking, playing and sitting, and whatever programming the organizers have set up along it. Open Streets are informal by design — kids on bikes, chairs pulled out, tables and activities rather than a stage and a schedule. Local residents and vehicles still access the block at low speed.
Good to know
- B or D to 170th St serves the Mount Eden area
- Free and open to anyone — just walk onto the closed block
- The roadbed is flat asphalt, so strollers, scooters and wheelchairs move easily
- Bring water; Open Streets are car-free but not always shaded
- Local access vehicles still use the block slowly, so keep an eye on small children
- Weather-dependent, as everything happens outdoors
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Common questions
What is an Open Street?
A city program that closes a block to through traffic and reopens it as public space for walking, play and community programming.
Can cars still enter?
Local access and emergency vehicles can, at very low speed. Through traffic is barricaded out.
Is it free?
Yes. Open Streets are free public space, open to anyone.
More this weekend
