Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles 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
xxx
xxx
The south end of the Melrose BID Park(ing) Day Cafe fronted Melrose Avenue
One of Mid-City West Community Council's 2017 Parking Day sites
xxx
The Beautiful Things L.A. bus held down the north end of the site, at the alley along Melrose Avenue
xxx
PDLAMelrose3
The sweet interior of the Beautiful Things L.A. bus - a vintage school bus converted into a roaming pop-up store
xxx

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
xxx
xxx
Park(ing) Day parklet in front of Matcha Box on Third Street
xxx

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

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

July 2024 Metro Board Meeting: Ridership Up, Security Measures, LAX, and More

LAX station will open this November. Metro will expand security measures, from TAP-to-Exit to turnstile hardening. Plus more Metro action!

July 25, 2024

Covina to Begin Construction on Recreation Village

The new facility will be next to the Metrolink station and include a variety of opportunities for fitness and amusement

July 25, 2024

Incomplete Streets Part 2: in OC Caltrans Ignores Caltrans Policy on Bike and Pedestrian Needs

Caltrans has a policy requiring Complete Streets in its projects, but Caltrans Districts routinely ignore it

July 24, 2024
See all posts