My bike and I!

It was my bike, me and the streets of New York!

What started off as a mere excuse to accompany a friend, who wanted to learn biking, emerged as one of those random things in life, that make you reflect and say "I am glad I did it".

Summer Streets, was another successful endeavour on Mayor Bloomberg's behalf, to give back to the city, its streets. As an Urban Designer, I have always believed that a city lives in it's streets. Not in its buildings, not in it's museums, not even in it's restaurants or eateries or shops; but in it's streets. Where journeys take place, where strangers walk together; in transition.

For three Saturday's in August 2008, Park Avenue was closed from 7 am to 1 pm, to any vehicular traffic. Cars, buses and Vespa's gave way to runners, bikers, pedestrians, roller-bladers and tourists, who had the whole avenue to themselves. All the way up from the Civic Center near the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street; into the park and back down again. An experiment in urban flow; another excuse to soak up a different avenue in the city, from a different avenue, on my bike.

It was the biggest block party I' ve ever seen. The 'Central Park-isation' of New York.

Runners training their 13 - 16 milers, as they approach their impending races; liberated bikers, who pedalled away at super speeds on a new route that did'nt go in circles, roller-bladers, with no cars to interrupt and of course, pedestrians, who got a kick out of loitering on an entire avenue assigned to them.

And among all of these, were us; my bike and I. Hand in hand, we sped up and down the avenue, taking in the sights, nodding at fellow-bikers, making sure we dont run down a runner or two with our enthusiastic pedalling. Bumping into several acquaintances, from old running clubs to new friend circles, as we rode all the way upto Central Park and then into it, re-living the good ol' days. A few miles ridden, a few hours spent, another memory in the city, made.

Looking forward to more Summer Saturdays in 2009:)