Columbus Amsterdam BID has announced its first Open Streets day on Sunday, March 12 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Festivities will take place between 106th and 110th streets on Amsterdam Avenue; starting in April, the BID will expand its Open Streets programming to Columbus Avenue between 107th and 110th streets.
A live performance by the Columbia University Lion Dance Team will be taking place at 2 p.m. “Lion dancing is a centuries-old tradition hailing primarily from China, originally known to banish evil spirits from villages. It is commonly performed during holidays like Lunar New Year. Following CULD’s performance at 2, there will be an interactive workshop where anyone can learn what makes the lions dance!” reads a description by @columbus_amsterdambid on Instagram.
There will also be an obstacle course created by Street Lab, an NYC-based nonprofit “that creates and shares programs for public space across New York City” – in addition to chalk drawing, games and more.
Columbus Amsterdam BID’s Open Streets programming will take place every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (weather permitting)
Additional weekly activities will include chess, ping-pong, hula-hoops and dominos; tree clean-ups; recycling drives and outdoor galleries. Learn more at columbusamsterdambid.org.
Here we go again with this madness! There’s a very large park one avenue away! WTF???
Let me report what happened Sunday March 12 thanks to the ridiculous unnecessary closure of these blocks which very few people take advantage of: There was a large group of bicycles, electric bikes, scooters & motorcycles which were riding up Amsterdam Ave. More than 70 of them. When they got to 106th St a large number of them decided to MOUNT THE SIDEWALK & ride on it for 2 blocks. I saw at least 3 motorcycles on the sidewalk not to mention electric bikes doing wheelies. There were actually more pedestrians on the sidewalk than in the “open streets”. It’s a miracle no one was hit by one of these idiots or killed. Of course NYPD was nowhere to be found. Get rid of these open streets once & for all. It’s nothing but an inconvenience & now has become dangerous.
Every weekend going forward both Columbus and Amsterdam closed to traffic? WTF?