Jackson Heights Life

I feel very strongly about this, I've always felt it should be for the whole community - not just for kids. So this year we are aiming to have a permanent seating area where anyone can enjoy the play street, much like a plaza where anyone can sit and watch people go by.
Dudley

Sounds cool.  I wonder if they coukld install benches on the sidewalks, like facing the street and even parkat angles, so that they'd be permanent but also not on the road when it reopens.

I think it depends on the angle of the benches ... the slighter the angle the less they block the sidewalk.

2010 Play Street - Full time from July 1st to August 31st (Monday to Sunday) and on Sundays after that until October 31st.

I am all for the concept of the playstreet but it doesn't seem to very organized and/or publicized. Each time I passed, there were a maximum of 8 people, just sitting on a small patch of astro turf. And, there were more dogs there than kids! I can understand leaving it closed on Saturday & Sunday but why full time??? I am not anti kid, so don't attack me. But something about this just doesn't make sense. The kids already have the playground on 78th and the schoolyard on 79th. For this, we have lost several parking spaces, which are already scarce in this part of town

hey, hold on - It's only been 4 days and it's also been hot as hades!
before pooh-poohing the whole thing, give people a chance to figure out how to use the space - i think someone needs to give lessons on how to play outside - our kids lead such structured, indoor lives that the whole notion of a place for free play is strange to them.

I am all for the concept of the playstreet but it doesn't seem to very organized and/or publicized. Each time I passed, there were a maximum of 8 people, just sitting on a small patch of astro turf. And, there were more dogs there than kids! I can understand leaving it closed on Saturday & Sunday but why full time??? I am not anti kid, so don't attack me. But something about this just doesn't make sense. The kids already have the playground on 78th and the schoolyard on 79th. For this, we have lost several parking spaces, which are already scarce in this part of town

Actually, the fact that the street is 'dead' this weekend, is a combination of a few factors (some of which julesnyc pointed out):

1)  the holiday weekend when most families are away
2)  the hottest weekend on record this year, where it's so hot the city is setting up cooling centers
3)  the newly installed toy shed on the street is presently having issues with opening (faulty door)


For people who may not now, like Queensgurl, normally the playstreet is crazy packed.  In addition to the weekly games, arts and activities, there are many special activities (Learn to Ride, the Queens Library book giveaway, the Parks and Recreation truck, the Musics shows, Mr. B's drama class, Super Kickers, etc.) weekly to justify the literally hundreds of kids who come weekly.

The one good thing about it being a holiday weekend, and the playstreet being 'dead' withs o many people away is that there is also an abundance of parking, so really there's no parking shortage at all.  Heck, as I type this on 79th Street, there's 7 spots avaialble, that has to be a record ...

I think having a park is much more important than parking, and I drive and don't have kids. I think people have to remember that the closing of this street is part of a bigger movement to create more park space. Travers Park is really a playground...not a park. Despite its renovations, it remains small and over utilized. It would be great to have benches and trees and grass, but as a first step, I applaud it!

I'll do one you better Queensgurl ... stop by my shift at 10 am next Sunday, we'll put you to work playing ...

P.S.  I grew up in this neighborhood too, and used then the larger PS 69 and IS 145 schoolyards plus Travers (then called the 77th Street Park, despite the signage), and still had time for stoop ball, handball on the corner, punch ball, etc.

I think they started calling it that even then, but we didn't ... Irecall the signs in high school (82-86 for me) andw onderingw hat the heck it meant.

Then again, my friends used to called the long traffic island that has the penguin Raspberry Island in junior high, because we always sat on it eating Raspberry sherbert from baskin robbins.

So if you skated, you did USA 99 cent Saturday mornings yes?