A huge stretch of Greenwood Avenue, from 65th St. to 87th St., will be closed to cars and open to people from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, April 10, as part of the city’s Seattle Summer Streets program. The idea is to get people out of their cars and into local businesses and restaurants, to create a renewed sense of community.
“Why is it a great idea for our neighborhood? Because it puts our neighborhood on the city’s map,” Greenwood-Phinney Chamber President Steve Giliberto says. “It allows us to come together, take over our streets from automobiles and really have fun. I think both businesses and residents could use something to just have fun with.”
Seattle tried a pilot project last year – Car Free Days – and decided to expand the program to more neighborhoods this year, including Ballard (May 15), West Seattle, University District, and Rainier Valley. Greenwood-Phinney’s Summer Streets day coincides with the April Art Up/Open Up monthly art walk.
East-west traffic will be able to cross Greenwood Avenue at 65th, 80th and 85th streets. Seattle police will be on hand to help direct traffic.
Neighbors are invited to walk, bike, stroll, roller-blade or skate their way along Greenwood Avenue and meet neighbors and get to know businesses they may not otherwise patronize.
The city says the program is modeled after other similar, successful programs in New York, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Williamsburg, VA, Vancouver, B.C. and even Bogota, Columbia.
Giliberto hopes Greenwood-Phinney businesses will use their imaginations to draw people in. For instance, he says a Middle Eastern restaurant could host a belly dancer in the street, a clothing store could have a fashion show on their sidewalk, a pub could set up a DJ outside the store or have lawn bowling in the street.
“Our only limitation is our creativity,” he says. “There is no hard cost to our neighborhood. It takes the block party concept and expands it.”
11 responses so far ↓
1 tiktok // Mar 3, 2009 at 9:36 am
If it’s anything like the other times we close down Phinney/Greenwood (that parade each year, the classic car show, etc.), it means that the surface streets around will be clogged for hours with traffic that’s been rerouted. But, c’est la vie.
2 SPG // Mar 3, 2009 at 10:35 am
I’m not opposed to the car free events at all, but let’s not kid ourselves that these would have the same impact as when you do it in Midtown Manhattan. Traffic is so omnipresent there that it is a real eye opener to not have any for a few hours, whereas here we just need to walk over one block if we want some peace and quiet.
Is this the same time as Art Walk? If so, all the better.
3 MonkeyPilot // Mar 3, 2009 at 11:35 am
Sounds like one way to encourage patronizing local businesses. One of my favorite things about last year’s Art Walk was visiting the local businesses that were hosting displays. Half the places I visited were hidden in plain sight- I had no idea they existed before stepping inside. An event specifically to highlight local business seems like a great idea.
4 scott // Mar 3, 2009 at 12:03 pm
This is a fantastic idea! There are so many great businesses in our community and people are very apt to miss them if they are zooming by in a car. Getting everyone out of the cars and up the hill is good for business and good for health.
5 js // Mar 3, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Any thing that is promoted by the city government to increase local buisness activity, other than lowering buisness taxes is a joke. That Said i hope the community enjoys the evening.
6 Chris // Mar 3, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I disagree, I’m way more likely to go walk around the area for an event like this, and I imagine I’m not the only one. It’s not going to reverse the last year or so of declining profits, but I imagine it will be a good boost for a single night and introduce some new potential patrons.
7 js // Mar 3, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Not everyones profits are declining, but some might that nite, if one travels from out side the hood and cant get to that buisness,they will go to another neighborhood. If it rains it will be a disaster. 6 to 9 friday nite is prime time.
8 cp // Mar 4, 2009 at 10:18 am
Brilliant!!!! We should do this all the way down to 50th. Maybe a roller blade race or street hockey should be setup.
9 JJ // Mar 4, 2009 at 5:44 pm
This sure would be more fun on a warm August day. April 10th? Really?
10 Kate Chase Ryan // Mar 31, 2009 at 10:35 am
This sounds great! I’ve been practicing in Ravenna and am now moving back to my home neighborhood – our Greenwood. This will be a great way to re-connect!
11 sr // Apr 6, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Just what I was wanting! I only wish it were EVERY Friday night all summer! In Italy the small communities went strolling down the main drag every night. We got a taste of it during our snowy times this past winter – it was such a pleasure to see neighbors walking and nodding to each other. And we will get to patronize our local businesses without the stink, zoom and clamor of autos. Whoppee!
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