Putnam Pedestrian Plaza Gets Its Very Own Block Party

, the Putnam Pedestrian Plaza is here.

Work crews from the city Department of Transportation put the finishing touches on the block-long public space Thursday with the arrival of banana-yellow chairs, sky-blue tables and salt-and-pepper gravel underfoot.

Even on a dreary Friday afternoon that offered few opportunities for loafing about, Clinton Hill residents seemed mostly impressed with the new plaza, which many said seemed to spring up overnight.

"It'll be a nice place to sit, read a book and maybe eat a sandwich," said Allison Gunther. "That is, if it ever stops raining."

Organizers of a held in honor of the new open space hope the weather Sunday will shine a little more light on what the plaza has to offer—not only for residents, but business owners, as well.

However, it was likely going to take more than a successful block party to convince Mohammed Fatahi of that the plaza would be good for his business.

The deli, which directly faces the new pedestrian plaza at Putnam and Grand avenues, is already a magnet for "undesirables" in the area, Fatahi said—a situation he thinks will only get worse now that the public space is open.

"It's allright," he said. "But it won't increase business."

Employees at a few doors down on Putnam were more optimistic about the plaza's chances of drumming up more foot traffic and, hopefully, more customers.

"I don't want to tell people who have lived here a long time that they should welcome change," said one of the employees, who did not want to be identified. "But change is inevitable."

Sponsored by the Fulton Area Business Alliance, Sunday's event will begin at noon and will feature DJ Rich Medina, The Brooklyn Steppers and Afrobeat DUB by Mobius Collective.

Also on tap will be yoga, food tastings, activities for the kids—and, at some point—a ribbon cutting officially inaugurating the city's latest experiment in urban planning.