This past Sunday, the StreetopiaUWS team posted up on the Columbus Avenue Open Street to connect with neighbors and talk about the exciting projects our team is working on.
In one word, the day was utterly joyful.
Enjoying the Open Streets engaged all five senses. The air smelled fresh. You could hear the sounds of endless laughter and chatter. People strolled along the street embracing their loved ones. We saw people dancing, children playing, and neighbors meeting for the first time. And I got to enjoy an amazing ice cream cone as we took it all in.
All of this happened in the middle of the street, a place typically dominated by loud honking, smelly fumes, and metal eyesores. From the way people were engaging with the Open Street (and each other), the cars were clearly not missed.
At the StreetopiaUWS table, we asked neighbors to tell us what they love about Open Streets and put it on a Post-it. People were so eager to share their opinions; many stopped in their tracks the second they saw the question.
To some, the answer was immediate, almost obvious, as if it had been on the tip of their tongue the moment they stepped foot on the street. Others took their time to sort through all the positives that came to mind and tried to just choose one.
We loved each and every one of the 53 answers, from people’s uniqueness and creativity (spontaneity, slowing your stroll, making a lemonade stand) to reinforcing repeated themes (great for kids, no cars, and chalk!). Each response was like a piece of a quilt, stitching together the shared joy Open Streets bring so many of us.
The only negative responses we heard were about how disappointed people were that it was the last Columbus Avenue Open Street for the year due to a DOT paving project in the fall.
It’s so easy to talk about the StreetopiaUWS vision when we’re standing inside of it: a public space prioritizing people instead of cars; a place for kids to color with chalk or run through a sprinkler, for couples to dance to live music as fellow UWSer Tony Danza serenades the neighborhood, and for strangers to find each other and build community.
The sensory joyfulness of the day kept us so present and almost oblivious to the fact that at some point that evening, the cars would be released back onto the street. This disappointing realization came crashing down as we watched a parent instruct her child at play, “it’s time to go, the cars are coming.”
But up until the moment the first car rolled back onto the street and over the fresh chalk drawings, the feeling of community vibrated up and down Columbus Avenue.
– Andrea, StreetopiaUWS Community Organizer
P.S. We welcomed Andrea to the Streetopia team in May, and we're thrilled to have her on board! Check out her bio and save the date for a Meet and Greet on September 5! More details to come.
