Streets around Rittenhouse Square will close to cars on Sundays in September
The pedestrianized section will include 18th Street between Locust and Chestnut Streets, and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th Streets.
Hot girl walkers and casual shoppers prepare: Stretches of Walnut and 18th Streets near Rittenhouse Square will close to traffic on Sundays in September to spur more shopping and dining.
The initiative — announced by the Center City District on Thursday — will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 8, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, and Sept. 29. It will encompass 18th Street between Locust and Chestnut Streets, and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th Streets. Select intersections will be open to cars, and some SEPTA buses may be rerouted.
Called Open Streets: West Walnut, the limited-run program is meant to “transform Walnut Street into public space open to all,” Corrie Moskow, the executive director of Rittenhouse Row and one of Open Street’s cosponsors, said in a news release.
The program draws on calls for Philadelphia to pedestrianize more streets, driven by the success of Playstreets — when Parks & Recreation closes streets in every neighborhood for kids-only block parties — and the popularity of Sansom Street and Martin Luther King Drive during the pandemic, which were closed to cars to encourage outdoor activities (such as dining al fresco or running with a buddy). Philadelphia was voted the most walkable city to visit by USA Today earlier this year, but safe streets advocates have long called for more pedestrian-only spaces after spates of fatal car crashes.
During Open Streets, retailers along the corridor are encouraged to take their business outdoors, and several plan to have exclusive discounts or offerings. CCD will also provide entertainment, it said, and a family-friendly zone will be cordoned for sidewalk chalk and kid-centric games. Open containers of alcohol will not be permitted.
Already on the docket: expanded outdoor seating at Parc, Bar Bombon, and the Dandelion; a weekly run club; double dutch and salsa lessons; and plenty of live music. The first two Sundays of Open Streets will also coincide with Center City Restaurant Week.
“We want visitors of all ages to come together to explore our wonderful Rittenhouse Row at their own pace,” said Prema Katari Gupta, CCD’s president and CEO. “Pedestrian-only events already exist in cities across the world, and for four Sundays this fall, Center City Philadelphia will proudly join those ranks.”