All These Midtown Manhattan Streets Are Going Car-Free for the Holidays

Areas around Rockefeller Center and parts of Fifth Avenue are shutting down.

New Yorkers are about to get a little more pedestrian space for shopping and holiday celebrations

The NYC Department of Transportation announced that it will be shutting several major streets in Midtown Manhattan for the holiday season. Stretches of Fifth Avenue and streets around Rockefeller Center will be pedestrianized on three Sundays in December to accommodate crowds of tourists and holiday shoppers. 

On Sunday, December 4, 11, and 18, between noon and 6 pm, the city will shut down Fifth Avenue between 48th and 57th Streets. During the rest of the season, a lane of car traffic on both Fifth and Sixth Avenues will be permanently converted to pedestrian space. 

Meanwhile, 49th and 50th Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues will be car-free from 11 am to midnight, seven days a week. The shutdown begins on November 30th to correspond with the famous tree lighting. 

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Chris Mench is an editor focusing on NYC News at Thrillist. You can follow him on Twitter for more of his work.