The new outdoor dining season is here. While it's exciting to see all the beautiful setups popping up across the city where people can eat, gather, and maybe even people watch, it's also important to recognize that access to outdoor dining isn't equal across every borough, neighborhood, and restaurant.

After connecting with hundreds of restaurants citywide, we've learned that many businesses, particularly small ones, simply can't afford to participate. The application process is burdensome and lacks transparency around fees and required documentation. And because the program is seasonal, many restaurants across the five boroughs opt out entirely, even when they'd love to participate, because the cost of storing outdoor dining sheds over winter and rebuilding them each year is just too high.

This disproportionately impacts restaurants in the outer boroughs and lower-income neighborhoods, and we want to change that. We need your help!

Intro 655 supports year-round outdoor dining and streamlines the application process, making it easier for more restaurants to bring outdoor dining to their communities. Click the link in bio to send a letter to your elected officials in support of this bill!

The Mamdani administration is creating an office to tame the chaos in our 6300 miles of curbside lanes. This valuable space is currently dominated by parked cars but could serve so many better uses. With this new office, we'll hopefully see our curbs work for all New Yorkers.

Go to our Instagram and enter our raffle for a ticket to the Public Space Awards! This event is a great opportunity to connect with professionals and allies transforming New York City's streets and public spaces.

How much of the traffic near your home doesn't need to be there? Can you imagine a neighborhood that promotes cycling, walking, and socializing over car traffic? Join us and the Parking Reform Network to learn more about LTNs.

Streetfilms put together a list of low-budget sci-fi and horror movies that feature little to no car use. The plots are driven by characters walking, taking transit, sitting in public spaces, or bicycling — no car chases, no car violence!

NYC is moving ahead with Queensway. If built, adding transit later would waste $43 million and require demolishing the park. On the other hand, QueensLink shows rails and trails can co-exist while bringing nearly $9 billion in economic activity, serving 75,000 daily riders, and removing 4.7 million cars annually.

AM Emerita Torres has been fighting to stop the CBE expansion, which led her to introduce a bill stopping highway expansions near vulnerable New Yorkers. ‘We have to decrease the number of cars & trucks on the road in this area,’ she said.

"We just got congestion pricing going. We are moving in the direction of fewer cars on our streets. Robotaxis, for all the fancy technology, are just cars," said our Co-Executive Director Sara Lind about bringing more vehicles to a city already packed with them.

🌳 Street Tree Care with Big Reuse
Join Big Reuse to clean, care for, and mulch street trees across the city! Meet at the locations below with your water bottle and weather-appropriate clothing. All supplies provided.

• w/ 95th Street Block Association | Sat, Apr 18 | 10 AM-12 PM
  129 W 95th St | Sponsored by CM Shaun Abreu (District 7)
• w/ Global Learning Collaborative | Tue, May 12 | 3:30-5:30 PM
  145 W 84th St | Sponsored by CM Gale Brewer (District 6)

🧹 Bronx CB5 Community Clean-Up | Sat, Apr 18 | 11 AM-2 PM
Join Bronx Community Board 5's Parks & Recreation committee at Half-Nelson Park (1631 Nelson Ave) to pick up litter and make the neighborhood cleaner! Gloves, garbage bags, and refreshments provided—bring your energy and community spirit.

🌎 Earth Day Celebration | Sat, Apr 18 | 12-4 PM
Reimagine public space with South Bronx Unite, unleash your creativity, and take home a free DIY air purifier! Join us at 128 Lincoln Ave for music, food, and free acupuncture to help you relax and recharge while celebrating our planet and community.

🚊 Clean Up Under the Shuttle | Sat, Apr 18 | 3-5 PM
Join friendly neighbors for a trash pickup under and around the S train. Meet at 552 St Marks Ave in Brooklyn to help brighten up this neglected space and stick around after to hang out at Rialto!

🚲 Family Bike Day | Sat, Apr 25 | 9 AM-2 PM
Bring the whole family for a day of biking fun with learn-to-ride lessons, arts & crafts, family cargo bike test rides, bike/helmet/gear giveaways, and free safety bike checks. Perfect for cyclists of all ages and skill levels!

🏃🏽‍♀️ WE ACT Earth Day 5K | Sat, Apr 25 | 9 AM

Lace up for WE ACT's annual 5K at Randall's Island and run for environmental justice! All registrants get a free WE ACT membership and race t-shirt, with awards for top finishers and fundraisers (individual and team). Can't make it in person? Register for the virtual race option—all proceeds support WE ACT's community-driven climate work.

🍽️ The Longest Table Kensington: A Community Meal on Black Maternal Health | Sun, Apr 26 | 3-6 PM
Brown Babies n' Books invites you to gather in Kensington, Brooklyn for a community meal rooted in collective care, courageous conversation, and connection. Come ready to eat, listen, share, and imagine what equitable maternal care could truly look like.

🎉 Gotham Park's 4th Annual Community Block Party | Sat, May 2 | 12-4 PM
Celebrate beneath the Brooklyn Bridge at Gotham Park's biggest party yet, now expanding to Big Banks and the newly restored Small Banks! Enjoy live music, art performances, skateboarding, giveaways, local food vendors, and more at this free community celebration.

🎵 Open Stages 2026 | Sat, May 9 | All Day
Park Slope transforms into a neighborhood-wide free music festival with 15+ stages, hundreds of artists, and melodies from around the globe! This celebration of Brooklyn's vibrant music scene is open to everyone and happens rain or shine, while also serving as a fundraiser that supports music education and therapy for over 7,000 New Yorkers of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds across the five boroughs.

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