Car-Free Park Avenue 'Summer Streets' Starts Saturday: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — Looking to get some steps in this weekend? Consider stopping by Park Avenue, which will be opened up to pedestrians and cyclists for the first of three "Summer Streets" events.

The 14th annual event is bigger than ever this year, covering nearly nine miles of car-free streets along Park Avenue, plus Lafayette Street and Centre Street in Lower Manhattan.

Here's what to know.

When?

Summer Streets is happening on three Saturdays: Aug. 6, 13 and 20.

It will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.

Where?

The full length of Park Avenue below East 109th Street, continuing onto Lafayette and Centre streets (flowing directly to the new Brooklyn Bridge bike path.)

Besides the main route, a few side streets will also be closed to car traffic to help with programming, including parts of Kenmare Street, Cooper Square and Cleveland Place. (Find the full list on the Department of Transportation website.)

What's happening along the route?

Lots of activities — including free Citi Bike day passes, only available on Aug. 6, using the code SUMMER22.

Six rest stops will be open along the route, at Foley Square, Astor Place, East 26th Street, East 51st Street, East 81st Street and East 109th Street.

There, offerings will include live music, art and dance, water filling stations, bike repair, wheelchair basketball games, food samples at Astor Place, fitness classes, and much more.

The company Unlimited Biking will also offer free bike rentals on all three Saturdays, first-come, first-served, with 100 bikes up for grabs at each rest stop.

Organized by the Department of Transportation, Summer Streets launched in 2008. This year will be the first time since 2019 that it will be held on three separate days — and the first time that the route has extended as far north as East 109th Street.

About 300,000 people participate in Summer Streets every year, the city said — though some advocates have questioned why the city still limits it to a handful of days.

"Our streets belong to all New Yorkers, and I'm so excited to be restoring the Summer Streets program to three full Saturdays and bringing it to East Harlem for the first time," Mayor Adams said in a statement.

"This is exactly what our public space is for: making fun activities accessible to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for free. I look forward to more people than ever taking advantage of this incredible opportunity to enjoy the best our city has to offer."

Read the full list of Summer Streets programming here.