Block Party / Night Out Info

Last month, we posted a reader’s question asking how one goes about holding a block party (including getting city permission to close off the block). For those of you who didn’t read the comments, here’s the skinny:

There is a city-sponsored “Night Out Against Crime” coming up August 4th, where they’re encouraging people across the city to hold block parties and stay out late, talk to neighbors and not break into each other’s cars. If you’re interested in organizing one for your block, it’s not too late, the deadline is July 31, just check the Night Out web site for more info.

If you’re thinking that you’d like to hold a block party, it doesn’t have to be on August 4th, of course. All you need to do is let the city know what you’re up to, and you can block off the street and roll out the party. The city’s Host a Neighborhood Block Party web site has all the details, but in short, you can officially close off your street as long as you:

• Do not live on an arterial street,
• Do not close your intersection,
• Do not have a bus stop on your block,
• Clean up and restore your street before 10pm,
• Do not request more than one block party per month,
• Talk to your neighbors about the party,
• Do not bump the phat beatz above 120 db after 2 a.m.