Kinda Interesting Things #94: 6 ½ Avenue — The Pedestrian-Only Avenue in NYC If you’re strolling through Midtown Manhattan, between West 51st and 57th Streets, and between 6th and 7th Avenue, you’ll come across 6 ½ Avenue — the pedestrian-only avenue in NYC. For many years, the passageway between 51st and 57th Streets was an open secret amongst those who lived and worked in the area. It gave pedestrians the opportunity to travel through Midtown without having to go through 6th or 7th avenue. But oftentimes, there would be a safety risk, given they had to jaywalk through the streets and avoid car traffic. So in 2011, the Friends of Privately Owned Public Spaces or F-POPS got together to propose a walkway that would connect several open-access lobbies, arcades, and atriums across six blocks. The purpose was to ease foot traffic on the main avenues, while providing pedestrian safety like clear crosswalks, and the rare Manhattan stop signs. Sources: “Manhattan's 6 ½ Avenue Turns 6 ½ Years Old this Month” (Untapped Cities, 2019) “For Walkers, a Sixth-and-a-Half Ave. May Take Shape” (New York Times, 2012) “NYC DOT Announces Completion Of “6 ½ Avenue” (NYCDOT, 2012) “6½ Avenue Is 100 Percent Complete!” (Gothamist, 2012) #nyc #newyorkcity #hiddengems #hiddengemsnyc #fyi #didyouknow #funfacts #learnontiktok #themoreyouknow #history #travel #nychistory #manhattan #midtown #explorenyc #secretnyc #hiddennyc #kindainterestingthings