Summer Streets...

This month, for three Saturdays in a row, Park Avenue has been closed off from traffic and opened up for cyclists, runners, roller-bladers and walkers as part of the Summer Streets programme that's running at the moment.

From the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge, aaaaaaaall the way up to 72nd Street at the side of Central Park, people we able to enjoy cycling in the middle of all the skyscrapers and not worry about being bumped by a taxi driver.

This seemed like an opportunity we'd be crazy to miss, so we got up early and headed to Chambers Street to get in on the action.

There was so much going on just a Chambers Street alone, but all the way up the 7 mile route there were different stations will all sorts going on, from sandpits and sand sculptures to yoga. There were also some bike shops along the way offering free check-ups for your bike. Perhaps the best bit was that at different areas along the route, there were free bike rentals! So we got our bikes free for an hour!

There was a great atmosphere at the event, everybody seemed to be loving the freedom of being able to own the road all the way up Park Avenue, and there were LOADS of people taking part.

The big open roads looked fantastic, and being able to cycle passed all the amazing buildings was great...

As we were only allowed free bike rental for an hour and we had to return the bikes to the same station that we got them from, we didn't have time to get all the way up to the park and back. It was long enough to do a 7 mile round trip though, and we went from Chambers, up through China Town, up near SoHo, up to Union Square and near work and then up towards Grand Central Station and we turned round outside the Waldorf Astoria.

One of the best bits was being able to ride on the bit of road that goes through the arches above Grand Central - I love going through that bit in a taxi because it feels like we're driving into the station or something - but it was even more fun on the bikes...

There were all sorts of people taking part and all sorts of bikes being ridden, all shapes and sizes...

This tandem was our favourite participant, not because of the bike but because of the boxer puppy sitting in the basket on the front!

It was an absolutely fantastic morning and such a great and fun way to see the city. We were saying that they should shut off the roads to traffic more often - maybe they should have one avenue that's permanently cyclist/pedestrianised.

It was SO much fun.