Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Park(ing) Day

Melrose Park(ing) Day Sets Stage For More Permanent Pedestrian Plaza

For Park(ing) Day this short stretch of Stanley Avenue became a pleasant car-free plaza. Photos by Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.

As part of last Friday's worldwide annual Park(ing) Day festivities, the Melrose Business Improvement District (BID) worked with the Mid-City West Community Council and Normandie Bakery to try out a temporary park where a more permanent plaza might follow in the near future.

For Park(ing) Day, the BID got permission from the city of L.A. to close about 150 feet of Stanley Avenue immediately north of Melrose Avenue, extending as far as the alley that separates the retail area from adjacent housing. Typical Park(ing) Day sites occupy a space or two; this one included about eight metered spaces and the roadway between them. Leaders of the BID expressed interest in working with the city, either through the LADOT People St program or otherwise, to permanently close this portion of the street to help foster a more attractive, walkable retail area.

With cars removed from the space, families dined at picnic tables under the shade of tall street trees, some snacking on treats from the newly opened Normandie Bakery. The Beautiful Things L.A. bus hosted a pop-up store. Enjoy the photo gallery below.

xxx
At the Melrose BID's Park(ing) Day Cafe, sun umbrellas, benches, and plenty of people occupied space previously reserved for cars
false
xxx
The south end of the Melrose BID Park(ing) Day Cafe fronted Melrose Avenue
false
xxx
The Beautiful Things L.A. bus held down the north end of the site, at the alley along Melrose Avenue
false
PDLAMelrose3
The sweet interior of the Beautiful Things L.A. bus - a vintage school bus converted into a roaming pop-up store
false

The Mid-City West Community Council also partnered with local businesses - Matcha Box and The Open Space - to create two other parking space parklets.

xxx
Park(ing) Day parklet in front of The Open Space coffee shop on Fairfax Avenue
false
xxx
Park(ing) Day parklet in front of Matcha Box on Third Street
false

For additional Park(ing) Day 2017 coverage see Streetsblog California.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Incomplete Streets Part 1: How Caltrans Shortchanges Pedestrians

Caltrans has a history of failing to follow its own policies around Complete Streets.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024

Long Beach Leads in Traffic Circles

Traffic circles aren't quite ubiquitous in Long Beach, but they're around. Riding and walking through the city one encounters circles in neighborhoods rich and poor, new and old.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines

What transit agencies are dealing with; Oakland's Basic Mobility program is working; Zero emission trains and ferries; More

July 15, 2024
See all posts