Bay Ridge

Summer Stroll brings cool vibe to Third Avenue

August 7, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
An acrobat walking on stilts had a grand time greeting visitors to the Summer Stroll on 3rd Friday night. Eagle photos by Paula Katinas
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Hey Brooklyn, there’s only one Summer Stroll on 3rd left this year so it’s wise to get in while the getting is good! The final Summer Stroll of 2017 takes place on Friday, Aug. 11.

After three highly successful Summer Strolls that saw tens of thousands of people come to Bay Ridge’s Third Avenue, the Merchants of Third Avenue business group is planning to cap off the series of fun-filled events with a last celebration Friday night.

Third Avenue, one of Southwest Brooklyn’s most vibrant shopping strips, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 68th to 80th streets from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The avenue will become a giant pedestrian plaza featuring outdoor cafes, musical and dance performances and arts and crafts and games for children.

On Aug. 4, Summer Stroll on 3rd was set on Third Avenue between 80th and 90th streets.

There was a feast of enjoyable activities for visitors to enjoy.

When the Brooklyn Eagle stopped in front of Grotto, an Italian restaurant on 89th Street, Tony Montana, Susana Taylor and Christina Sanders were relaxing at a table in the eatery’s outdoor cafe.

At the Art Room, a gallery-school on 87th Street, co-owners Mary Brannan and Leigh Holliday were admiring a mural on the storefront’s window created by artist Marie Roberts. “She makes it look so easy!” Brannan told the Eagle.

Across the street, the Bohemian Rose Hair Studio set up a clever game booth that also featured a large cutout that people could put their faces in and pose for funny pictures.

A block away, state Sen. Marty Golden was strolling with his wife Colleen, whose birthday was the next day. They stopped to chat with friends.

The BookMark Shoppe on 84th Street set up tables where authors could present their latest books and meet their literary fans.

Rossella Rago, who wrote “Cooking with Nonna,” was sitting with two ladies who had contributed recipes to the Italian cookbook, Roman Sciddurlo and Rosa Carmelo.

The Eagle also ran into Bob Howe, president of the Merchants of Third Avenue.

“We’re so happy with Summer Stroll this year,” Howe told the Eagle as he stood near 86th Street. “People have come to Bay Ridge from all over the place. Summer Stroll has become a destination for people and that’s great.”

Sponsored by the Merchants of Third Avenue, Summer Stroll on 3rd is a series of four events in which a large section of Third Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic, turning the street into a pedestrian plaza and giving families the opportunity to stroll along the avenue at their leisure.

During Summer Stroll, a section of the avenue is lined with outdoor cafes, performance spaces for singers, musicians and dancers, game areas for kids and information tables set up by elected officials, civic organizations and nonprofits.

The three previous Summer Stroll events took place on July 14, 21 and Aug. 4. The event is rotated so that each part of the avenue gets a chance to shine.

The Merchants organization has been hosting Summer Stroll on 3rd each year since 2012.

Summer Stroll is part of New York City Department of Transportation’s Weekend Walks program, a series of events taking place around the city in which cars are banned from streets so that the roadways can be turned over to civic organizations and business groups to host recreational activities.

For a listing of Weekend Walks events visit www.nyc.gov/html/dot/weekendwalks/html/find/find.shtml.

 

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