During weekends, jazz bands performed on street corners, friends met on the median, children rode their bikes, and diners sat at bistro tables on the asphalt. The coronavirus pandemic initially kept New Yorkers indoors, but eventually led them to venture outside for various activities, resulting in a spontaneous transformation of the city's streets. City officials allocated 83 miles of roads for cyclists, runners, and walkers, permitted thousands of restaurants to use sidewalks and streets for outdoor dining, and allowed retailers to expand their storefronts. People embraced this change and are reluctant to give it up. Mayor Bill de Blasio has praised these initiatives as a positive development during a challenging time for the city. Formerly a skeptic, de Blasio now believes that certain pandemic-era experiments will become permanent fixtures in New York City. The New York Times consulted Open Streets users, urban planner Claire Weisz, and selected three streets from the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs to explore potential future changes for the city. While the Open Restaurants program has been made permanent, the future of Open Streets remains uncertain. Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, and Avenue B on the Lower East Side are examples of streets that could serve as models for city-wide improvements. For example, Vanderbilt Avenue could be transformed into a European-style boulevard with an expanded median and performance stage. On Halloween morning, Dayna Rosen was seen on Vanderbilt Avenue taking pictures of her Boston terrier mix, Monty. Monty had on a denim jacket and a bright pink mohawk, which made Rosen feel like she was in Europe. Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights was transformed into a bustling hub with restaurants extending into the street. Volunteers would block cars with blue barricades on Saturday mornings. Local residents wanted more benches and tables, improved bike lanes, and a say in the future of the avenue. Suggestions included turning it into an events space with a stage for performances. The median on Vanderbilt could be expanded into a small park with public bathrooms, similar to countries where users pay a small fee for cleanliness. Medians could serve as loading and unloading areas for deliveries, and new bike lanes could be created alongside the median to accommodate different types of cyclists. This model, similar to the one in Copenhagen, involves separate lanes for fast bicyclists, commuters, and delivery workers, as well as a lane for leisurely riders. In Queens, 34th Avenue could potentially be transformed into a pedestrian promenade by expanding the existing median to include features such as workout areas and gardens, while moving the bike lane away from traffic. Residents like Laurie Gold appreciate the current Open Streets portion of 34th Avenue, which has become a popular destination for families during the pandemic. Neighbors gather to socialize while parents push strollers and children play basketball or ride bicycles. Eight-year-old Ashley Cedeno enjoys playing tag and hide-and-seek on the street, which she describes as a place for fun and playing together. Travers Park, a 2-acre playground and green space surrounded by apartment buildings and schools, is a popular gathering spot on the western half of the avenue. While some residents want to maintain the area's residential charm, others wish for more commercial activities like fairs, food trucks, and sidewalk vendors. Occasionally, farmers and winemakers set up tents to sell goods on weekends. Edwin Cordero, who has lost 5 pounds while walking his dog, Lucy, believes there should be more options for street festivals in the area. According to Weisz, 34th Avenue presents numerous opportunities for practical use. The width of the roadway is about 55 feet from one curb to the other, allowing for the median to be expanded to the sidewalk on one side and transforming the other side into a one-way road. This expansion would provide a larger area for pedestrians and more greenery, improving safety for cyclists by moving the bike lane closer to the sidewalk. Suggestions to add public facilities like restrooms and create space for vendors and workout areas at Travers Park were made, with inspiration drawn from Tokyo's architecturally appealing and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. Converting Avenue B into a one-way street near Tompkins Square Park was proposed to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, with residents suggesting more greenery, trees, and plants along the sidewalks. Fences surround the park's perimeter, with paved entryways for access. Benches are placed along the paths, but are not surrounded by trees and shrubs, which are protected by additional fencing within the park. Weisz noted that the fences were originally intended to keep farm animals out of the park, but later became a security measure in the 1970s. She suggested that removing the fences would create a more inviting atmosphere, with paths winding through trees and green spaces for people to enjoy while maintaining social distancing. She proposed using Barcelona, Spain's superblocks as a model for Avenue B, turning it into a one-way open street with wider lanes for public amenities like restrooms. Slowing down traffic flow would improve safety in the area. Avenue B could be improved with the addition of bike lanes and designated delivery areas, according to Weisz. He believes it has the potential to be a great shared street.