Merchants invite crowds to take Summer Stroll on 3rd Ave.

July 12, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Accordion player Ellen Lindstrom was along many street musicians who entertained pedestrians at the 2016 Summer Stroll. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas

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Summer Stroll on 3rd is here! Starting on Friday, July 14, the Merchants of Third Avenue, an organization representing more than 250 store owners on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, is presenting its Sixth Annual Summer Stroll on 3rd.

What is Summer Stroll? It’s an event that turns a section of busy Third Avenue into a grand piazza in the style of Venice or Rome. Cars are banned and the streets belong to children and adults so that they can enjoy al fresco dining, hear musicians playing live music, play games and, of course, stroll along the streets to take in the ambiance of a New York summer night.

The first Summer Stroll on 3rd of 2017 will take place July 14 from 80th to 90th streets from 6-10:30 p.m.

There will be three other Summer Strolls this season: another one between 80th and 90th streets and two set to take place between 80th and 68th streets.

On July 21, Summer Stroll will take place between 80th and 68th streets. The event comes back to the 10-block area between 80th and 90th streets on Aug. 4. A week later, the final Summer Stroll on 3rd of 2017 is set for the stretch of the avenue from 80th Street to 68th Street.

There are many exciting events planned within the Summer Stroll, according to organizers.

The Merchants of Third Avenue group, headed by attorney Bob Howe, works in close consultation with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), Community Board 10, state Sen. Marty Golden and Councilmember Vincent Gentile to plan and coordinate all of the Strolls.

John Quaglione, deputy chief of staff to Golden, said he and the senator are looking forward to Summer Stroll this year.

“Our families, like many others, have been anxiously waiting for the series of strolls to begin. These events showcase the greatness of our neighborhood, both the people and the businesses at the same time. It is time to celebrate summer is here in Bay Ridge!” Quaglione told the Brooklyn Eagle.

Leaders of the Merchants admit that part of their motivation for hosting Summer Stroll is to entice visitors to shop in Third Avenue stores. The hope is that visitors will come to the Stroll, like what they see and return to shop on another day, leaders said.

Pedestrians can stroll along the avenue to window shop, stop to enjoy dinner at a sidewalk cafe, listen to musicians playing their favorite songs or catch a performance by a dance troupe, among dozens of other activities.

Last year’s Summer Stroll on 3rd events brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to Bay Ridge, according to the Merchants of Third Avenue.

The Bay Ridge event is part of DOT’s Weekend Walks program, a series of happenings taking place in all five boroughs in which cars and trucks are banned from streets so that the streets can be turned over to civic organizations and business groups to host sports and recreational activities.

For a complete listing of Weekend Walks taking place around the city, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/weekendwalks/html/find/find.shtml.