WASHINGTON, DC, September 19, 2013 — Two parking spaces will become a miniature picnic haven on Friday, September 20; enjoy a free popsicle, as you relax in a mini park for Park(ing) Day!
Park(ing) Day is a global event in which metered parking spaces are transformed into temporary public parks. Take a stroll down to 131 M Street, NE on Friday, September 20 and hang out in the NoMa picnic park(ing) area, complete with beach umbrellas, picnic tables adorned with gingham, lush Astroturf, and free popsicles. Take part in a temporary mural and mark your favorite NoMa spot on an oversized art map.
Park(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar, an art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with artists, organizations and individuals constructing creative temporary public space in urban contexts, such as libraries, gardens, and miniature golf courses.
The mission of Park(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more open, public space in the urban environment. With a capital investment of $50 million from the DC government, NoMa will soon have great new parks and public spaces. Learn more about NoMa parks here.
NoMa’s Park(ing) Day is organized by the NoMa BID and supported by One NoMa Station and Union Kitchen. Tweet @NoMaBID to tell us what you’re bringing to the picnic!
In addition, this weekend is a three-day celebration (September 20-22) of Car Free Day in the DC metropolitan region. Living or working in NoMa already makes it easy to go car-free. Those who pledge to go car free or car-lite here will be automatically entered in drawings for great prizes such as an iPad, annual Capital Bikeshare memberships, SmarTrip Cards, and more. Tweet @NoMaBID and tell us what you’re doing for #CarFreeDay. This event is organized by Commuter Connections.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the last seven years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35 blocks within the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. With a capital investment of $50 million from the DC government, NoMa will soon have great new parks and public spaces as well. NoMa is now home to 40,000 daytime workers, with 4.5 million SF leased in the last 5 years. More than 3,900 apartments have been recently completed or are under construction. NoMa has 13 modes of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in D.C., with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, and access to six Capital Bikeshare stations. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free award-winning community events each year to connect friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID and like us on Facebook.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Rachel Davis
202-997-3846