Street Lab at Jennings St

Morrisania, Bronx

2014 – Present

For more than a decade, Street Lab has partnered with Yolanda Hardy of Caldwell Enrichment Programs and the residents of Jennings Street in the Bronx. We started with our pop-up reading room in 2014, providing a place for reading on a community-run play street. And we kept coming over the years, bringing different programs and supporting the play street as it became an official NYC Open Street in 2021. In 2023, we arranged a surprise visit from the New York Yankees who came over from the stadium to play with the kids—a day that we’ll never forget! In 2024, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our partnership and were honored with a proclamation from New York State Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda. More to come in 2025!

A view of people spending town on an open street

Our Community Partner

Yolanda “Lonnie” Hardy has single-handedly organized and maintained a play street on Jennings St, and she established Caldwell Enrichment Programs, an organization that offers educational and recreational programs to reduce high school dropout rates, gang membership, and bullying, while encouraging healthy eating habits, and more.

A logo: Letter C with people inside.
A view of people spending town on an open street

How Street Lab has supported Jennings St

  • Consistent activation and programming (91 days to date)
  • Street Lab staff on 46 days
  • Program kits and other equipment
  • Visit from New York Yankees
  • Photography and documentation
  • Technical support with grants and city programs
A view of a lively and vibrant street.
A view of the street with children and adults reading. There is a navy bar that reads "Police Line - Don Not Cross NYPD" in white text.
A group of children playing and chalking on the street of NYC.
Adults and children smiling and posing at the camera on the street of NYC.
Children playing with magnatiles on the street of NYC, on a triangular wooden table and plastic benches.

Street Lab helps create new Open Streets across NYC as part of our New Public Spaces initiative.

A map showing three NYC boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens) with a dot in the Bronx.

Jennings St between Prospect Ave and Chisholm St

A view of people spending town on an open street
A view of people spending town on an open street

 “[Street Lab] came here back when nobody cared…giving the children in the community a safe place not only to play but to learn and experience other positive activities.”

Y. Lonnie Hardy,
Founder, Caldwell Enrichment Programs, Inc.

A letter of proclamation
Children and adults drawing on the street.
Teenagers and children looking (reading) a picture book together on the street of NYC.
Teenagers and children looking (reading) a picture book together on the street of NYC.

Yankees come to Jennings St

Look back at our work at Jennings St…

Uni reading room at Bronx Play Street, Summer 2014 (p2)

Uni reading room at Bronx Play Street, Summer 2014 (p2)

Oct 24, 2014

(Page 2 of 2) In July and August 2014, we deployed the Uni reading room to a new play street run by Caldwell Programs on Jennings Street near Prospect Ave in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. Learn more about our ongoing effort at play streets. Our...

read more
Uni reading room at Bronx Play Street, Summer 2014 (p1)

Uni reading room at Bronx Play Street, Summer 2014 (p1)

Oct 24, 2014

(Page 1 of 2) In July and August 2014, we deployed the Uni reading room to a new play street run by Caldwell Programs on Jennings Street near Prospect Ave in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. Learn more about our ongoing effort at play streets. Our...

read more
A child chalking on the street.