Something fabulous happened in NYC yesterday.
Three Saturdays a year, Park Avenue (and parts of Lafayette and 4th Ave) is closed to cars from Brooklyn Bridge to E 72nd Street and open to runners, walkers, cyclist, rollerbladers, stroller pushers. Amazing!
I had 9 miles to do, as part of my marathon training, and thought I’d give it a try. I’m very glad that I did. How wonderful to run straight through the heart of the city, without pausing every block, looking both ways, waiting for cars. Instead, Summer Streets lets you just run on through, soaking up the sights that are missed on a normal day, rushing from one place to another.
Of course not all streets were completely closed. This wasn’t a marathon. The NYPD and fantastic volunteers were stationed at cross-streets about every 5-8 blocks stopping cars and directing traffic.
There were also fitness-stops set up along the route. Here’s a Crunch Gym / Women’s Health class:
And, my favorite stop, The Whole Foods Picnic area….
I’ll tell you this….. People LOVE free stuff. The crowds weren’t bad but, people were excited to see what they could get for free, for sure.
I, too, like to get stuff for free…
That classic lemonade was a tasty treat right in the middle of a 9 mile run!
So, I didn’t make great time on the run. But, I had a great time!! Too bad I only heard about Summer Streets on the last week. But, I’ll be back next August. Well done, NYC.
Nitty Grits 