Popular Prospect Heights 'Open Street' To Return April 2

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Outdoor diners rejoice.

Prospect Heights' popular "Open Street" on Vanderbilt Avenue is set to return on April 2, kicking off its second season as a traffic-free weekend destination.

The return comes after The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, which runs the Open Street, raised nearly $25,000 through an online fundraiser.

"Be a part of Brooklyn’s recovery, and discover the magic of a traffic-free space in New York City," organizers wrote in an announcement on their website.

The street will close to traffic on Fridays between 5 and 10 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays between noon and 10 p.m. It runs between Atlantic Avenue and Park Place.

PHNDC is one of at least two Brooklyn organizations who are raising their own funds to run Open Streets this year as the city investigates whether it can help fund the program. The city's Open Streets program, and later its Open Streets: Restaurants program, was put in place to help New Yorkers social distance and enjoy outdoor dining during the coronavirus crisis.

The outdoor dining version became a lifeline for restaurants struggling through the financial woes of the pandemic. According to PHNDC, the Open Street on Vanderbilt helped 22 businesses stay open and brought back an estimated 67 jobs to workers who had lost income.

Vanderbilt Avenue's Open Street was closed for the winter months after a 15-week run between August to November last year.

PHNDC has said the money raised will go to purchasing barriers, signage and other supplies for the Open Street and help launch an events program on the avenue. The organization expects to hire someone to supervise the events and run a communications campaign to spread the word to the neighborhood, according to PHNDC.

The organization is also planning to bring back its Open Street on Underhill Avenue. A Google Doc has been set up to help find volunteers.