'Open Streets' To Return To Park Slope's Fifth Avenue Next Week

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Just in time for spring, the popular Open Streets program is set to return to Park Slope's Fifth Avenue next week.

The Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District announced Thursday that it will close off certain blocks to traffic, as it did last year, on Saturdays starting March 13 so neighbors can play, dine and shop in the warm weather.

The tradition began last year as part of the city's Open Streets program, which was put in place to help New Yorkers social distance and enjoy outdoor dining during the coronavirus crisis.

To keep it going in 2021, though, the BID needs help from the community.

"Please note we don’t receive any funds for the city to do this, so in order to have a crew to open and close the blocks and keep you safe for play, dining and shopping we are hoping to raise $50,000 from the community, restaurants and sponsors," they wrote.

The money will be used for barricades, signage and to pay staff who open and close the blocks and monitor them for safety, the BID said.

Here are the blocks that will be closed starting next Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.:

• Dean to Prospect
• Sterling to Berkeley
• President to 3rd
• 10th to 13th

Should they raise enough, the Open Streets could be extended to Sundays in July and August, the organization said. The BID also hopes to add more blocks to the program in April and May.

The organization has set up two sites for donations, one for general open streets and another specifically for restaurants.

The fundraisers come after a tough year financially for the BID, which typically makes income from its A Taste of Fifth, Street Fair and Summer Strolls events.

The Open Streets program became a lifeline for Fifth Avenue restaurants who, like all New York City's eateries, struggled to make it through the pandemic. Days when the streets were closed to traffic doubled daily revenue for many of the restaurants who participated, according to the BID.