It feels like summer comes in blazing around these parts. It’s like someone flipped a switch and here we are in the thick of it. Unfortunately, it will likely go just as fast as it came. For that, we need to relish all summer happenings in New York City. And there are a lot! The best thing about the summer fun is that they are often free. In a town where it seems like everything comes at a price, we have a ton of free things to do. And this week, look no further than 7th Avenue in the Garment District!
The Garment District Alliance kicks off summer with a vibrant mural along 7th Avenue, weekly musical performances, and fresh lemonade. Yes, you read that correctly, lemonade! The Garment District Alliance is enhancing the concrete jungle with a mural created by district-based artist Steed Taylor and an array of free summer programming, including live musical performances and a Broadway Squeeze lemonade stand.
Bit, Bridle and Reins – which consists of a dynamic, extreme, yellow-colored Celtic braid across a brilliant, tanzanite blue background – is displayed across 63 concrete blocks and guides pedestrians through a vivid path along the 7th Avenue pedestrian corridor. The artwork is part of the Garment District Alliance’s summer programming, which features Broadway Rhythm, a series of live musical performances presented in partnership with Music Under New York (MTA Music). The summer concert series is held on Wednesdays from 12 – 2pm on the Garment District pedestrian plazas between 39th and 40th Streets through August 31st. New Yorkers and visitors can also enjoy free lemonade by Renegade Lemonade at the Broadway Squeeze stand located between 39th and 40th Streets on Thursdays during lunch time in the Garment District through August 25th.
Located along 7th “Fashion” Avenue from 35th to 41st Streets, Bit, Bridle and Reins will remain in place through April 2023. The linear mural is printed on vinyl and applied to both sides of the concrete barriers, enabling those walking along the sidewalk or driving through to enjoy the beautiful, braided work. Taylor created the new mural to transform the corridor into a quarter-mile art exhibition, with the design signifying the complications and restraints individuals face in their daily lives.
So, who says New York is too expensive? We don’t agree. See you on 7th Avenue!
For a full schedule of Broadway Rhythm performances, please visit https://garmentdistrict.nyc/news/broadway-rhythm.
Image by Alexandre Ayer / @DiversityPics