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Open Streets on Franklin Avenue, June 20

Having been out of town for the first Open Streets this summer, I was especially eager to see how it was going on this second occasion.  I arrived around 4pm, and immediately I ran into two old friends who were fully engaged.  Krystal DeVille had a table set up for Sheffey Realty and Norman Escoffery was busy grilling chicken outside his place, Drinks Lounge and Cafe.  The two gave each other a hug, and I got a picture.

Norman and Krystal 6.1

They both seemed very happy with Open Streets as a time to promote their businesses and also to have fun.

Right next to Norman's stand was a DJ pounding out tunes and in front of this stand was a large group of dancers moving to the beat.  I caught two of them during a break who ended up hugging each other, feeling the pure joy of the moment.

Two dancers hugging 6.2

I kept moving toward Eastern Parkway with the idea of doing a complete review of the area that was included in Open Streets.  I came on another form of music.  Four men from Black Fire Percussion were creating a storm of drum music.  A large crowd assembled to listen this forceful form of music.

Black Fire Percussion at work 6.3

Further along I found people relaxing to eat and drink at Briscola sitting at their outdoor tables.

View of Briscola restaurant 6.4

Having arrived at the southern end of Open Streets, I turned around and headed north, conducting a completely random survey of what people thought about the event.  I had noticed that lots of people were having a good time, but what would people actually say.  My first stop was at Duals Natural, the health food store.  I met the owner Abdul standing behind the counter.  He told me Open Streets is very good for him.  It brings lots of people to the area and they come in to get drinks when they get hot and tired.

Dual Naturals owner 6.5

Further along I stopped in at Beastie Bestie, where I saw the owner Bronwyn busy in the lounge in the back that she has for pets.  At the front desk I met Layne.  She said she wished she could be out on the street.  Looking out the window of the store, she saw lots of people going by having a great time.

Layne from Beastie Bestie 6.6

As I continued north, I got confirmation that Open Streets could indeed be tiring.  A family had just settled down on the sidewalk to take a rest and have something to eat and drink.

Family on the sidewalk 6.7

I continued to question more merchants and also stopped at the Bridge Street Development table.  I was hoping to meet Tiara Robertson, the director, but she had headed off a while before I arrived.  It was a woman named Shawn who was there, and she told me everything was going well.  The turnout and enthusiasm were tremendous.

Bridge Street table 6.8

Ken Bernard owner of Outlandish and Vice President of the Franklin Avenue Merchants told me the event was mixed.  More people were there, but they were having fun in the street and not buying the sports clothing his store sells.

Ken Bernard 6.9

Jade at Franklin Makers was selling things she had created on her sewing machine and she was happy with the event.  She was getting exposure and sales.  I bought a father's day card from her for my son-in-law which I thought was quite special.

Jade holding up the card she made 6.10

I ended my survey by talking to Osman who was selling a wide variety of baskets that looked good and also looked like they could be very useful for holding everything from an arrangement of fruit to the laundry.  He told me that Open Streets was “Good, good, good.”

Osman standing in front of the baskets 6.11

Now that I was up in the northern part of Open Streets I found the crowds getting larger and larger, almost impassable.  There was a Double Dutch Jump Rope contest going on and I could barely get a view of the participants

Double Dutch event 6.12

At Brooklyn Suya, the Nigerian place, a chef was preparing food and selling it as fast as he could make it to the hungry revelers.

Brooklyn Suya grill in action 6.13

And later on I found a table covered with accessories, and there the sales were going on a furious rate.  Being out on the street was definitely a better location than being in a store.

Accessories table 6.14

And further on in front of Crabby Shack owned by Gwen Woods, the president of Franklin Avenue Merchants, there was a band playing and it was almost impossible to move through the crowd that had assembled there.  I would look for a space to step forward, wait, and then do it again.  It took fifteen minutes to get down the block.

I would say that the masses of people on Franklin Avenue were having a great time, and the merchants might not have been selling as much as they would have liked, except for those on the street.  However, everyone will remember Franklin Avenue is the place to go, and I would guess those people will be back when they need to buy something.  Meanwhile, the party went on – dancing, eating and drinking, having a great time with friends and family.  I would say that Open Streets, even in this early version, has surpassed what it took all summer to accomplish last year.  I could not count, but I would guess that the crowd was larger than it ever was last year.

– John DeWind