Summer Streets returns with uninterrupted car-free stretch across Manhattan

2025, August 3

United States

On Saturday, in Manhattan, miles of roadway were blocked off from car and vehicle traffic for Summer Streets, an annual program by the New York City Department of Transportation. Starting July 26, and running each Saturday through the end of August, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time (11:00–19:00 UTC), select roads were closed to cars for the city's annual Summer Streets program, with a continuous route stretching across Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge up to Inwood included for the first time, according to NBC New York.

Summer Streets will return along the same path on August 9 and 16, and to two small routes in Brooklyn and the Bronx on August 23, the outlet reported.

People gathered throughout the day along parts of the route where programming was set up. At intervals along the trail were side streets also devoid of cars, each having something to do to encourage residents to socialize and hang out. Some had stages with live music and performances, and many others had arts and crafts tables. Some places along the route had water bottle refilling stations.

On 144th St., in Hamilton Heights, a local banquet hall set up a softball batting cage for participants to try. In Mitchel Square Park on 167th St., a Brooklyn game store offered a Settlers of Catan board game setup. At the northern end of the path, in Anne Loftus Playground, part of Fort Tryon Park, bands with HONK NYC performed while children played in the wading pool.

New Yorkers cycled, ran, rollerbladed, and used scooters along parts of the route. The temperature stayed in the mid-70s Fahrenheit (around 24°C) with light winds and partly sunny skies.