What to Know
- On Dec. 3, 10, and 17, from noon until 6 p.m., a stretch of Fifth Avenue will only be open to pedestrians
- Through a partnership between the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), NYPD, and the Fifth Avenue Association, the city will — for the first time in half a century — transform Fifth Avenue, from 48th Street to 57th Street, into an Open Street three Sundays in December
- Additionally, the city will also bring back the pedestrianized area around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall throughout the holiday season
For the second time ever, holiday crowds shopping along an iconic stretch of Manhattan get to worry less about car traffic.
New York City is bringing back its popular Open Streets program this holiday season — and it is expanding even more.
Mayor Eric Adams said that last year's program drove $3 million in spending to businesses in the midtown area along Fifth Avenue and around Rockefeller Center, where streets get closed to all vehicles during certain times.
"Open Streets are good for people and good for business, and we can’t wait to bring back the iconic Fifth Avenue Open Street this holiday season — bigger and better than ever,” said Adams. "I felt the energy walking down the middle of Fifth Avenue last year — it was electric. And as we get excited for more of the same this December, we’re moving full speed ahead on permanently reimagining Fifth Avenue, so people can have this incredible experience every day of the year."
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The city announced that 12 city blocks will be open for pedestrians only, making it he largest-ever holiday season-specific Open Streets program. This year, the area will expand by 25%, opening Fifth Avenue up to pedestrians from 48th Street up to 59th Street — reaching up to Central Park.
On Dec. 3, 10, and 17, from noon until 6 p.m., Fifth Avenue in that section of midtown will only be open to pedestrians, the city said. On these designated Sundays, these areas will also feature performances as well as food and drink vendors.
Through the holiday season, the city will pedestrianize the streets surrounding Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, according to city officials. West 49th Street and West 50th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, will only be open to pedestrians between 11 a.m. and midnight every day. The NYPD will help ensure that vehicle traffic does not enter those streets and barriers will be in place to prevent traffic flow.
The city notes that, in order accommodate high pedestrian traffic, westbound vehicle right turns will be prohibited from Fifth Avenue onto 47th Street, 49th Street, or 51st Street during the Sundays where Open Streets will be in effect.
