Summer Meet & Greet Edition

Spend a few hours meeting and greeting with us!

Happy August ☀️!

Summer's winding down and we've been soaking up every bit of outside time we can get — park picnics, sunsets on the Hudson, leisurely walks in Central Park, and of course, Summer Streets. It’s a perfect time of year to appreciate all the incredible public space we already have at our fingertips, and how good it feels to share it with people we care about.

It also reminds us how much more is possible. More Open Streets. More Summer Streets. More places to sit with an ice cream cone. More places to slow your stroll on a warm night. As we head into fall, let's start scouting the next block, the next corner, the next stretch of pavement that could be transformed for summers to come.

The sun may be setting earlier, but we're not locked inside yet! Open Streets on Amsterdam Avenue from 106th–110th continues through October, and we'd love to enjoy it with you.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 5, from 12pm–2pm at Amity Hall Uptown for a Meet & Greet to welcome our new Community Organizer, Andrea Fondulas. This event is co-hosted by our friends at the Columbus-Amsterdam Business Improvement District. We'll enjoy trivia, great company, and good conversation, all while taking in the joyful Open Street.

A little about Andrea: Andrea joined StreetopiaUWS in May 2026, coming from a background in public policy. Years spent fixated on the long-neglected, unsafe intersections in her own neighborhood pulled her toward the livable streets movement. When she's not organizing, you'll find her bird watching, running, or just enjoying the UWS's world-renowned public spaces. Need a conversation starter? Ask her about her favorite bird. She can't wait to meet you! Read more in her bio.

Hope to see you there!

RSVP

Can't make it for the Meet & Greet? Stop by our StreetopiaUWS table on Pier I at the West Side County Fair on Sept 6!

What Else?

Livable Streets News You Can Use

The Ghost of Robert Moses

Mayor Mamdani directly invokes Robert Moses in his proposal to fix the crumbling BQE. Moses, the urban planner behind the BQE and many of the city's highways and bridges, was infamously described as a man who loved cars more than people. His projects routinely severed neighborhoods from opportunity and each other. Curious choice, to cite Moses and choose to keep his destructive legacy intact when we’ve seen how community building becomes possible once cars and highways get out of the way. This proposal sounds like it'll keep them in it. READ >

Outdoor Dining for the Win!

Breaking bread together is one of the oldest, most visceral ways humans build community. The New York City Council just passed a bill to reinstate year-round outdoor dining, a major win for all New Yorkers across the five boroughs! It's one more way we can reclaim our streets to serve people instead of parked cars. Small businesses and local restaurants get to thrive, our streets get a boost of communal vibrancy, and we get another tool for building community in places where cars kept us apart. READ >

The Longest Blanket in the Park

Speaking of breaking bread together: this past weekend, The Longest Table and The Public Theater hosted the first-ever Longest Blanket picnic in Central Park. The invitation to share a blanket and a meal with strangers is proof that even great public space needs a reason to bring people together. This is exactly the kind of community-building we believe in, so naturally, the StreetopiaUWS team was there meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, and touching some grass. WATCH >

Street Life

Happenings in and Around Local Streets

🎡 West Side County Fair | Sunday, September 6 | 1:00pm-6:00pm | Enjoy a full day of county fair magic in Manhattan with live bands, sideshow performers, carnival amusements, local vendors, and cotton candy. | Pier I in Riverside Park South West 70th Street

🍅 Greenmarket UWS | Sundays, Year-Round | 9am–4pm | Fresh regional produce, baked goods, and local goods right in the neighborhood. | Columbus Avenue, between W 79th St & W 81st St

🛍️ Unity Market | Saturdays, | 10am–7pm A vibrant weekly market showcase featuring local vendors, crafts, and community shopping. | Central Park, 110th St Entrance

🍦 Columbus-Amsterdam BID Open Street | Saturdays, July 4 - October 31 | 12-7pm | The Columbus-Amsterdam BID open street is back for another year of community and programming. This Saturday, August 1st at 3pm, enjoy free ice cream for the first 75 people who stop by. | Amsterdam Avenue, 106th St to 110th St

🚧 West 111th Block Association Open Street | Saturdays, July 4 - October 31

This small, but mighty, one-block open street features frequent programming and abundant community | Amsterdam Avenue, 110th St to 111th St

🎷 Lincoln Square BID Summer Jazz | Wednesdays, June 24 - September 16 | 12-1:30pm |

Live lunchtime jazz is in the air this summer at Dante Park. Workers, residents, and visitors alike are invited to enjoy the world-class jazz in the heart of the neighborhood. | Dante Park, b/t Broadway & Columbus, across from Lincoln Center

📽️ Outdoor Film Screenings | Sep 18 | 7:30pm | The Uptown Film Center sponsors a free outdoor screening of the hit musical In the Heights, bringing music, dance, and neighborhood story to the park right next to the tennis courts. Free admission. | Riverside Park (North of 96th St Tennis Courts)

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