#sidestreetsaturday

Have you seen the new additions to the protected bike lane at 4th Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street👀?! Protected bike lanes are ideal for wide and busy streets and for long, uninterrupted stretches. Thank you to @nyc_dot for adding in the jersey barriers as a measure to increase cyclists’ safety.

Protected bike lanes help provide a greater buffer between cyclists and vehicular traffic, reduces the likelihood that a cyclist would have to swerve into mixed traffic if a bike lane was blocked, and can encourage newer bikers to choose cycling 🚴‍♀️.

The 4th Avenue protected bike lane currently runs from Flatbush Avenue to 65th street. We do recognize that this street serves as a major north-south connection between neighborhoods and hope to see more improvements extended to all of 4th Avenue. Shout out to @transportationalternatives and community members for their advocacy around fixing/finishing 4th Avenue past 65th Street and into Bay Ridge for cyclists! 👏

#atlanticave #pedestrian #bike #safety

This month we sat down with Linsey of @facetimebeauty and @surroundsociety 💗! As is the case with many talented business owners, Linsey was searching for her calling, “I came from a very entrepreneurial family so I knew I wanted to have my own business. One day I was talking to my dad and he said, ‘You know, you love makeup. Why don’t you start a makeup line?,’” and she did just that. Linsey laughs, “I didn’t make any money. I decided I wanted to pivot and not sell makeup, but actually do makeup for events.” Linsey found herself immersed in the wedding industry and decided to bring on talented make-up and hair artists that she had met over the years, “This was before there were any other teams. I do think that we were the first!” 22 years later, Face Time Beauty continues to thrive.

Linsey’s passion didn’t stop there and she looked for a new opportunity to explore, creating Surround Society a few years ago. “I ended up going through a transition in my personal life and thought, what can I do to make this better and look back and say, ‘You know what? It’s okay I went through these tough years because something awesome came out of it.’” During this chapter, Linsey went to her first sound bath and fell in love with the practice, eventually getting her certification. Linsey reflects, “So many women were so helpful and supportive of me and I really wanted to do that for others.”

Linsey describes a soundbath as a way to, “Tune in and tune out. Scientifically, sound baths are actually proven to work and they are now finding that they’re helping in neonatal units, in hospitals with cancer patients, like with all these people who really need help.”

Along with weekly experiences to choose from, there is a retail component of crystals, which are all hand-picked by Linsey.

When it came to finding a home for both of Linsey’s businesses, there was a clear choice: Atlantic Avenue. “It’s the best, all of these different neighborhoods come together.”

Visit Face Time Beauty and Surround Society for a truly one-of-a-kind experience to unwind and heal, inside and out. Find their schedule on their website and on their Instagram. 🧘

📍 220 Atlantic Avenue

#atlanticavenue

#sidestreetsaturday

Missed out on our Open Streets Reads 📚? Here’s a quick recap 😎. The afternoon was full of good reads, literacy games, and crafts thanks to @brooklynbookbodega, @melaniehopegreenbergart, @read718, and @bklynlibrary! It was great to see kids and families pick their next book to read or find an art project to work on together. Thank you to @streetlab for also helping us create an inviting space for the community.

This year’s event was special because September is textile month! In celebration of this, we partnered with @the_handson_project to bring something tactile and interactive to Hoyt Street. The kids and community had a blast learning about block printing techniques during their workshop and took home one-of-a-kind T-shirts that they designed 👕.

We are looking forward to seeing you all next year 🫶.

#community #backtoschool #reading #learning

#sidestreetsaturday

A moment for these stunning sunflowers 🌻! If you’ve passed by @freerangebrooklyn this summer, you may have seen the sunflowers popping out and basking in the sunlight. A huge thank you to our BID board member and owner of Free Range Wine & Spirits, Jack, for his green thumb. When you aren’t admiring the greenery, make sure you check out the store and shop local.

Please be respectful of the wonderful plants, flowers, and trees that make our corridor brighter. As the sign suggests, take photos not flowers! 💚

P.S. Free Range Wine & Spirits regularly hosts free tastings on Thursday evenings too🍷.

Open Monday to Thursday from 1-8:30PM, Friday from 12-9PM, Saturday from 11-9PM, and Sunday from 11-8:30PM.

📍345 Atlantic Avenue

#sunflower #summer #horticulture #smallbusiness

We recently attended the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) 2026 conference in Toronto 🇨🇦. IDA is a convening of organizations, like BIDs, and community representatives from across the world to discuss the challenges, successes, and strategies behind the work we do 🤝.

As a small team, opportunities to hear from our colleagues, both domestic and international, are valuable. We learned that many neighborhood centric organizations deal with similar issues.

Just like our Brooklyn waterfront, Toronto’s waterfront is severed from the urban core by an expressway—the Gardiner.

Like the BQE, these roads are as much psychological barriers as they are physical. Toronto has adapted a treatment plan of making the Gardiner more permeable for pedestrians, like adding an ice/roller rink beneath it and increasing pedestrian lighting (swipe to see)! These activations do not erase the presence of the infrastructure, but it does make it feel a little more human.

From expert panels to candid conversations and real life demonstrations, IDA proves the impact BIDs have on the quality of life for visitors, residents, small businesses, and the cities we serve. ❤️

Shoutout to the amazing NYC BID representation at the conference!

#bid #community #placemaking #conference #neighborhood

#sidestreetsaturday

Getting back into a routine can be tough! Treat yourself to a manicure and pedicure @nailprojectny 💅. Pick a fun pop of color and take advantage of their specialty lavender and mint or aloe spa pedicures, they include a scrub and a foot massage 🫧.

Kids can also tag along to get a mani and pedi! The best part, Nail Project has limited time offers valid Monday through Thursday so make sure you check out their website for more info.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10AM-8PM and Sunday from 10AM-7PM.

📍68 Nevins Street

#atlanticave #brooklyn #nailsart #spa

We were awarded the full amount of a competitive grant in the amount of $100,000 thanks to @nycsmallbiz !

These funds have been transformative for Atlantic Avenue: we’ve expanded the services we provide to the community, from sanitation and beautification to small business support, public programming and many new pieces of public art.

Since 2023, we’ve been awarded $525,000 in SBS grants which we invest directly into the public realm. Atlantic Avenue has never been cleaner, greener, or freshly painted. Have you seen the difference over these past years? Let us know in the comments.

- Kelly, Lilly, Layla, & Brooklyn 🐾

This funding also planted this tree and allowed our team to grow, too. This was 2023 when it was just Kelly and Layla and a bunch of bald, baby trees!