During weekends, jazz bands performed on street corners, friends met up in the middle of the road, children rode their bikes, and diners sat at bistro tables on the pavement while the distant sound of cars could still be heard. The early days of the coronavirus pandemic initially kept New Yorkers indoors, but eventually led them outside for various activities like exercising, dining, and getting fresh air. This resulted in a natural transformation of the city's streets in all five boroughs. City officials allocated 83 miles of road for cyclists, runners, and pedestrians, permitted nearly 11,000 restaurants to extend onto sidewalks and streets, and allowed retailers to expand their businesses beyond their storefronts. People have embraced this change and are reluctant to go back to the way things were. Mayor Bill de Blasio has praised these initiatives, known as Open Streets, Open Restaurants, and Open Storefronts, as a positive aspect during a challenging time for the city. Once a skeptic, de Blasio now believes that some of the pandemic-era experiments will become permanent fixtures in New York City. The New York Times sought input from individuals who have utilized Open Streets on what they hope to see continue. The Times also consulted urban planner and architect Claire Weisz of WXY Studio to provide realistic and ambitious suggestions based on successful examples elsewhere. Three specific streets that were part of the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs were highlighted as potential models for the entire city. While the Open Restaurants program has been made permanent, the future of Open Streets remains uncertain, with the mayor expressing a desire to see it continue in some form. The selected streets included Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, and Avenue B on the Lower East Side. These streets present various possibilities for improvement and transformation, such as creating a European-style boulevard on Vanderbilt Avenue and incorporating a performance stage. The thoughts and opinions of New Yorkers were also considered in the planning process. Monty sported a denim jacket and a bright pink mohawk. Rosen, 40, felt like she had been transported to another continent for a brief moment. Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights became a bustling central gathering spot until Thanksgiving, with restaurants expanding onto the street and volunteers setting up barricades to block cars. Residents expressed a desire for more benches and tables, as well as improvements to the bike lane to separate faster cyclists from slower ones. Local residents emphasized their desire to have a say in the future of Vanderbilt rather than leaving decisions to City Hall. Suggestions for the avenue's future included converting it into an event space with a stage for performances. The future of Vanderbilt could potentially involve extending and expanding the median into a small park, as well as providing public bathrooms to make the area more welcoming. Medians could serve as loading and unloading zones for deliveries and new bike lanes could be added next to the median, including one for fast bicyclists, commuters, and delivery workers, and another for leisurely riders. Copenhagen, Denmark, follows a similar model with supercycle highways. In Queens, 34th Avenue could be transformed into a pedestrian promenade by expanding the existing median, providing space for amenities like a workout area and gardens. New Yorkers, like Laurie Gold, appreciate the Open Streets portion of 34th Avenue for its pedestrian-friendly environment during the pandemic. Neighbors gather to socialize and children play on the street, with a popular gathering spot being Travers Park. While residents enjoy the residential feel of the avenue, some would like to see more commercial activities like fairs and food trucks. Some residents have suggested having street festivals to bring more choices and opportunities to the neighborhood. The road is 55 feet wide from curb to curb, with enough space to extend the median to the sidewalk on one side and create a one-way road on the other side. This extension could provide a larger area for pedestrians and more greenery. Moving the bike lane next to the sidewalk would make it safer for cyclists, as it would prevent drivers from hitting them with car doors. Travers Park could be a focal point, with public bathrooms, space for vendors, and a workout area. The neighborhood could take inspiration from Tokyo Toilet, which offers architecturally appealing and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. Avenue B in Manhattan could be made more pedestrian-friendly by converting it into a one-way strip near Tompkins Square Park. Residents believe that more greenery, trees, and plants should be added to the sidewalks. Converting Avenue B into a permanent open street could provide more space for schools to use as a playground. The park is surrounded by fences, with paved entryways and benches along the paths. Trees and shrubs are protected by additional fencing within the park. Weisz mentioned that the fences were originally intended to prevent farm animals from entering the park, but over time became a security measure. She proposed removing the fences to create a more open and inviting space with paths winding through greenery. She suggested looking to Barcelona as a model, with car-free streets and one-way avenues. Widening the street could also allow for public bathrooms and increased safety by slowing down traffic. Avenue B would see improvements with the addition of bike lanes and designated areas for deliveries, according to Weisz. He described it as an ideal shared street.