Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Open Newbury Street returned for its eighth summer in Back Bay on Sunday. Thousands of people gathered at the eight-block long street to enjoy food, shopping, and dining. The street was blocked to off cars so that visitors could walk freely in the area.
Opening Newbury Street will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 10 consecutive Sundays this summer. This year’s event will marks its longest season to date.
“We’re here to see the Red Sox game and we’re like let’s walk down Newbury Street. It’s great," a couple visiting from Texas told WBZ NewsRadio.
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Shop owners saw more customers in their stores on Sunday. “There’s definitely more traffic because I feel like more people are more inclined to actually stop and see the stores now, just because there’s so many pop-ups so people are actually looking,” one boutique employee said.
The annual event was initially piloted back in 2016. It was paused in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021.
“Open Newbury creates the opportunity for Bostonians and visitors alike to explore one of our City’s most vibrant streets from a different perspective free from cars," Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief of Streets, said in a statement. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the local business community to enhance the experience for all.”
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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