ESTABLISHED  IN  2021
 

Berry St. Alliance was formed during the pandemic by neighbors and business owners experiencing safety, quality of life and negative environmental impacts from Berry St. being closed. In the beginning, we supported the governments many executive orders including "Open Streets."

However, the Open Streets quickly devolved into spaces that created unsafe conditions to live in. The DOT, "partners" and occupants of OS Berry St. demonstrated no consideration for the residents rooted on these blocks or how they use the streets or sidewalks. OS program attempts to “standardize” each block. But in reality, each block in our neighborhood is inherently different. Open Programs of the DOT are urban planning and design based on displacing community voices, weakening community boards, making residents and small businesses (that are not bars/restaurants) invisible while serving private interests. Standardization of people, places and things is inherently problematic and destructive to our communities socio and ecosystems which are comprised of diversity.

We unified when the executive orders became less about addressing the impact of the pandemic and more about privatizing municipal property, conceding governmental power and city agency to a small group of private citizens labeled "partners," funding "non-profits" aligned with and campaigning for local politicians and lobby groups (Transportation Alternatives & NYC Hospitality Alliance) usurped constituents from informing government.

The political climate of today is residents, especially the most vulnerable, are being made invisible and powerless over what happens in front of their homes even if it impacts them intimately and daily, or violates laws designed to protect them. Residents have become an afterthought to corporate interests.