(credit: Summer Streets / Facebook)

Summer Streets — a combination of a walking tour, bike tour and block party that celebrates New York City's streets — promises three Saturdays of free summer fun in the month of August. Nearly 7 miles along Park Avenue from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park will be opened to cyclists, walkers and people watchers without interruption from traffic. The program aims to get New Yorkers to go green and get thinking about other ways to use the streets besides driving. In 2013, more than 300,000 people took advantage of the open streets.

Saturday Aug. 2, 9 and 16 – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Click here for complete route

Transportation

A Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train sits at the platform on July 15, 2014 in Brooklyn. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Click here for subway information
Click here for Metro North schedules
Click here for New Jersey Transit schedules
Click here for LIRR schedules

Because parking will be restricted starting the night before the event through 2 p.m. after the event, the easiest way to get to Summer Streets is by subway. The 4, 5 and 6 lines will take you close to a number of points along the way, including the Brooklyn Bridge stop which starts the route. If you're coming from Connecticut or upstate, take Metro North to Grand Central, which is near the center of the route. If you're coming from New Jersey, take New Jersey Transit into Penn Station. Long Islanders can take the LIRR into Penn Station as well. It's just a few blocks from the train station to Park Avenue.

Highlights

There is so much to do and see at Summer Streets it can become overwhelming. So we've narrowed down a few of our favorite attractions.

Photo Credit: Alex Lopez, image courtesy of NYC.gov

Bike and Roll
Rest stops along Summer Streets route
www.bikenewyorkcity.com

Price: free

If you don't own a bike, don't worry. Bike and Roll NYC is providing free one-hour bicycle rentals at each of the five rest stops along the Summer Streets route. Renting is easy; all you have to do is check in, leave your license and you're free to explore the complete route on two wheels. After the hour is up, return the bike at the location where you rented it.

Photo Credit: Summer Streets/Facebook

Zip line
Foley Square Rest Stop (at Chambers and Centre streets)

Price: free

This year's Summer Streets sees the return of the popular zip line. For all three Saturdays, New Yorkers and visitors alike will be able to overlook the sites from 28 feet up in the air. The zip line runs along 165 feet of city streets in lower Manhattan near the start of the route. Attendees will truly get a new perspective of their city.

Photo Credit: Summer Streets/Facebook

Rock Wall
Soho Rest Stop (at Spring and Lafayette streets)

Price: free

One of the most popular activities during Summer Streets is the rock climbing wall. It is returning this year, so visitors may once again reach for new heights. The rock wall is 25-feet-tall, and is made possible with REI's support.

Stops Along The Way

While Summer Streets has plenty of entertainment to offer, there are also some really great pit stops to check out while your walking or biking through the area.

Photo Credit: Traci Tournoux

Union Square Greenmarket
E 17th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 788-7476
www.grownyc.org/

This festival is all about exploring the city's greenest offerings in the greenest ways, and nothing beats a good farmers' market for that kind of fun. For 35 years farmers, bakers and fisherman have gathered in Union Square to sell their wares alongside nearly 60,000 shoppers. From the freshest fruit and veggies, to free-range poultry and grass-fed beef to artisanal cheeses and hand-picked flowers, the abundance of options is seemingly endless. Plus, it puts a whole new spin on going green.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Grand Central Terminal
87 E. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10017
www.grandcentralterminal.com/Click here for events

Open for nearly 100 years, Grand Central Terminal is an iconic New York City landmark. Not only does it house trains that take New Yorkers from the city to Connecticut, upstate New York and beyond, it also offers a plethora of restaurants and specialty shops, including the renowned Grand Central Oyster Bar. Once you're tired of eating and shopping, take a walk to the main concourse and look up. You'll see stars. The ceiling boasts a huge mural portraying more than 2,500 stars and constellations.

Photo Credit: Traci Tournoux

Central Park Zoo
64th St. and Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10021
(212) 439-6500
www.centralparkzoo.com/

Price: $18 for adults/$13 for children age 3 to 12
Click here to learn more about the animals and exhibits you can see

Just like the scenes from the cartoon movie, "Madagascar," a little zoo sits at the entrance of Central Park, housing more than 150 species of animals. The sea lion exhibit sits in the heart of the zoo, so even if you don't have a ticket, you can watch the acrobatics during feeding time. Other animals include red pandas, penguins, snow leopards, snow monkeys, birds, and reptiles. The best thing about the zoo is its size. It is small, but that means you get an up close view of all the animals.

Dining

All that moving and shaking on Summer Streets will sure work up an appetite. Thanksfully there are an array of dining options to choose along the way.

Photo Credit: shakeshack.com

Shake Shack
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park (Near Madison Ave and 23rd St.)
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600
www.shakeshack.com/

After a morning of walking, jogging and biking, nothing is better than a juicy, messy, scrumptious all beef-patty smothered in cheese and special sauce stuffed in a potato bun at the Shake Shack. Add a side of crispy, crinkle fries and wash it all down with a thick, chocolate shake, and you'll be able to make it the through the second half of the Summer Streets route ... that is if you can overcome the food coma.

Photo Credit: thecentralparkboathouse.com

The Central Park Boathouse
East 72nd St. and Park Drive North
New York, NY 10021
(212) 517-2233
www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/

The Central Park Boathouse is a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Central Park by the tip of the lake. Sit outside at the bar and grill overlooking the lake to take a break, catch some rays, nibble on an artisinal cheese plate and enjoy a glass of wine. Or if you're done exploring the events and activites of the Summer Streets, get romantic and sit inside the restaurant for lake-side dining. Watch the rowboats glide by as you enjoy a delicious meal with lunch options including New York strip steak with roasted Yukon gold potatoes, market veggies and herb butter or Scottish salmon with wild mushrooms, spring peas, and pickled pearl onions.

Traci Tournoux is a freelance writer living in New York. She is covering Travel & Outdoors. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.