Jackson Heights Life

Tonight was an amazing scene.  Over 200 people showed up to march from Travers Park to the Louis Armstrong School -- enough to stop traffic and require a police escort.  The meeting featured a strong introduction from the Green Alliance, enthusiastic endorsements by our entire delegation of elected officials, supporting statements by the Garden School, FDNY, NYPD, and DOT, and pleas for more park space from many community residents -- both adults and children (including my 1st grader!).  I had to leave at 9pm, but before then I heard only one person speak against the proposal.

The end result: CB3 overrode the recommendations of its Transportation Committee, and voted to support the Play Street!  As reported by Len Maniace on Facebook: "Community Board 3 approves the Pedestrian Plaza Playstreet proposal closing 78th Street every day in July and August. The unofficial vote was 28-yes 9-no, with 2 abstentions." 

This is huge.  Three cheers for Friends of Travers Park/JHBG, the Jackson Heights Green Alliance, and Councilmember Dromm's staff for all of their hard work on this. 

More on the 78th Street Play Street approval by CB3:

From YourNabe.com:

Park advocates rally as CB 3 approves summer play street in Jackson Heights

Or, conversely, parents of children with cars who realize its STILL easier to find parking than a place to play. 

Very jazzed about the Play Street ...

I feel funny writing as "pro-car," as I'm actually very pro-public transportation, but they're not equivalent. Metered spots are not residential parking spots, unless you want to go somewhere in your car by 8:30 am.

I'm hoping that this is the first step in permanently covering over 78th Street with green and making it a true extension of the park. I'd like it to extend to Northern Blvd. as well.  What an improvement that would be over beeping, radio blarring, polluting cars. What Jackson Heights would benefit from is a municipal lot. I drive but in this case "park" wins over cars---hands down.

Here's an article from the New York Daily News on the Play Street.

New Park for Summer - Jackson Hts. OKs push to turn street into 24-hour play space

Victory for the neighborhood. Let's share the wealth with all ages please.

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.

Thanks to everybody who has supported this project so far, it's been a great experience. The emails and phone calls and the incredible turnout the other day for the march to the Community Board meeting have all been phenomenal and instrumental in getting this approved.

Dudley