Parklets to Pop Up Across D.C. Tomorrow
Some parking spots throughout D.C. won’t be occupied by cars tomorrow. Instead, they’ll be home to pop-up parks.
PARK(ing) Day is a national event that businesses, organizations and residents celebrate throughout the District each year. The city celebrates the event by turning parking spaces into these pop-up parklets.
Dupont Circle-based Rails to Trails Conservancy is participating in the event for the first time. According to Director of Communications Elizabeth Striano, they’ll set up shop near at 1400 New Hampshire NW and host bike accessory raffles, free giveaways, a bike repair station and pass out drinks and ice pops.
Bicyclists can also stop and get a Polaroid picture in front of a backdrop of a bike trail the organization helped build.
“We’re taking up two spots, so this year we’re feeling it out to see what works and what doesn’t,” Striano said. “Being able to safely bicycle in the city is critical, so we’re excited to help promote healthy places and people.”
There are 10 parks expected to go up in northwest D.C. Each will have a different theme, purpose and activities.
The locations and sponsors for the parks are:
Dupont Circle
- 2000 M St. NW (Island Press)
- 1400 New Hampshire Ave. NW (Rails to Trails Conservancy)
Logan Circle
- 1440 P St. NW (OCULUS)
U Street
- 1250 U St. NW (District Department of Parks and Recreation)
Adams Morgan
- 2424 18th St. NW (BicycleSPACE)
Columbia Heights
- 3407 14th St. NW (Washington Area Bicyclist Assocation)
K Street
- 2020 K St. NW (Golden Triangle BID, Gensler)
- 1830 K St. NW (ZGF Architects)
- 1612 K St. NW (Project for Public Spaces)
- 1200 K St. NW (HKS Architects, Inc.)
Many of the parks will be open from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year, there will be approximately 30 pop-up parks throughout D.C., more than double the amount from last year. Click here for a full list of where to find the parklets across the city.
Photo via Flickr user Aimee Curtis Photography
