"Open Street" On Tompkins Ave. Brings Bed-Stuy Brooklyn Neighborhood Into Full Swing

Debuting on Mother's Day, Tompkins Ave, a popular street given the amount of restaurants and shops in the neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, will be closed every Sunday between the streets of Gates Ave and Halsey St, according to a recent Patch article.

The closed street is organized and run by the Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association, which was founded by Bridge Street Development Corp. in 2009.

Closed streets in the city were launched as a way to help struggling business experience more foot traffic and sales during the Coronavirus pandemic. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, sparking Mayor Bill De Blasio to sign the 'Open Streets' bill into law, making the program permanent and managed by the communities they are in.

Supporting local businesses and communities has never been more important. It's great to see the city listening and having a good pulse for what's needed on the long road to recovery - and having a little less cars on the street doesn't hurt too.