Open Streets DC 2021

 

"Celebrating the People of Park View,"
mural by Rose Jaffe and Kate Zaremba in 2016

"If you close it, they will come?" Washington's Open Streets program returned to Georgia Avenue NW this month and got a turnout every bit as numerous, diverse, and fun-loving as they had two years ago.

Georgia Avenue north of New Hampshire Avenue

Again, job stuff kept me away until the last hour or so. This year, though, I walked south from the Metro station instead of north, so while the joy was the same, as was my commemorative t-shirt, the pictures are different.

Out of the Metro

The absence of cars on the street enabled activities including...

The Honey Larks on the Reduce Energy Use DC Main Stage

young and very young walkers

Enjoying snacks and company in the shade of street trees

Recreation at Bruce Monroe Community Park

Chalking and painting

Services along the route included...

Water station

Roller skating lessons

Police chilling with everybody else

Dance lessons in progress

Information booth (where I filled out a survey to get the t-shirt)

City Council member Brianne K. Nadeau

I did not see Council member Nadeau, but one of her staff was in a vigorous discussion about the future of Bruce Monroe Community Park, where a housing development is planned. Conversations like this can happen naturally when the design brings people together.

There seemed to be less public anxiety about the chaos that would ensue when the street was closed, possibly because I didn't have the local FOX station on during breakfast. Local merchants were definitely taking advantage of the opportunit

antique shop

restaurant with outdoor seating

more outdoor seating with jaunty pretzels

They have all the herbs

They have all the beans

Ice cream!

The long festival came to an end at the intersection with Barry Place...

...adjacent to historic Howard University

By this time, they were taking down their booths...

...and the police were warning all the mellow people that cars were about to return.

I'm glad Washington gave people the opportunity to imagine for a day all the many things we could do with some of the space we currently devote to cars. Soon, the city will try other streets. I hope I can be around when it happens!

SEE ALSO: "Open Streets DC," 11 October 2019