Pedestrian-oriented Picnic in Pearl draws a large crowd

Reader voices his approval for Northwest 13th Avenue without dining shelters

Picnic in the Pearl, part of First Thursday on Northwest 13th Avenue.

Reader Dennis Harper reported that “We walked down to the Picnic in the Pearl on Northwest 13th Avenue last evening and were extremely pleased with the positive vibe and the huge turnout with perfect weather.

“Last year, when the city conducted a public poll of opinions about each of the semi-pedestrianized Northwest 13th Avenue blocks, I was frank about my dissatisfaction with the hodgepodge that had developed there since the pandemic. I expressed my preference to make 13th a walker's street with pedestrian amenities, trees and very limited access for cars where necessary.

“I have seen such limited accommodations for cars in foreign cities,” Harper said. “The Picnic in the Pearl was a great illustration of what a pedestrianized 13th Avenue could be.”