At 1418 Walnut Street, the entrance to Bathhouse goes through the old Tiffany storefront and down into the Bellevue's basement. It opened Friday, Sept. 25, in the hotel's long-closed food court. The space covers 36,000 square feet and has three saunas, three pools and a steam room, and The Inquirer called it the largest standalone wellness complex in Philadelphia. Two days after it opened, the 1400 block was scheduled to close to cars for the season's third car-free Sunday.
Until this year, that block was not on the route. Center City District launched Open Streets: West Walnut in 2024 and announced it as closing Walnut from 15th to 19th. The fall 2025 run used the same stretch. The 2026 route starts at Broad. So the car-free stretch now begins at the Bellevue, at the same address where this fall's biggest opening landed. Four Sundays are left. Each one has a different program, and the closed blocks hold more new storefronts than they did in spring.
A Pilot That Became a Seven-Week Season
The first run in September 2024 was a four-Sunday pilot. Center City District counted more than 47,800 visitors across those four days, with pedestrian counts averaging 36% above a typical Sunday. Fall 2025 ran six Sundays, Sept. 7 through Oct. 12. Fall 2026 is seven Sundays in a row, Sept. 13 through Oct. 25. In its August 2026 announcement, the district said an average of more than 10,500 visitors come each Sunday. It also said businesses on the route report average increases of 59% in foot traffic and 37% in sales compared with a typical Sunday.
Center City District's president and CEO, Prema Katari Gupta, described the program as "a real Center City tradition" in the fall announcement. At least one business owner backs that up. Molly Kiriacoulacos, co-owner of The Ground Rittenhouse, told CBS Philadelphia that the event brought more families and more business to the cafe.
The full footprint now covers the 1400 through 1800 blocks of Walnut. On 18th Street, it runs from Locust to Sansom and from Sansom to Chestnut. Cars can still cross at 15th, 16th, 17th and 19th, and the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Sansom stay open. Barricades are up from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and programming runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What Has Opened on the Closed Blocks
Bathhouse is the anchor at the east end. Day passes at the Philadelphia location start at $29, though the price can change with demand and time of day. Cofounders Travis Talmadge and Jason Goodman opened their first location in Brooklyn in 2019, and Philadelphia is the company's first outpost outside New York. A rooftop pool and sauna are planned for next year.
Two blocks west, Somedays Artisan Bakery & Café opened at 1601 Walnut, in the corner that used to be Republic Bank. Dino Porfyris, who lives in the city, runs the Philadelphia franchise. His brother owns the Somedays in Montclair, N.J. According to Rittenhouse Ramblings, the room has a neon croissant sign over a tan leather banquette and marble café tables. Founder Peter Phillips told the site he wanted it to be "a place where people can slow down." On the same block, Rothy's at 1613 Walnut was on track for an early-October opening as of Sept. 30.
The 18th Street leg has its own additions:
- Zac's Halal, 104 S. 18th St. The Delco team behind Zac's Hamburgers moved into the former Mac Mart space. The menu has burgers, gyros, hot chicken, a cheesesteak and the Maroosh, which is marinated chicken, pickles, garlic mayo and cilantro on a hoagie roll. It's open 10:30 a.m. to midnight every day, so it's serving through all of each Sunday's 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. programming except the first half hour.
- Almanac's new bar, 112 S. 18th St. It's under construction with partners Vy To, Victor Ng and bar manager Rob Scott. As of Sept. 30, it had no announced name or opening date.
- Tipsy Scoop, 119 S. 18th St. It's taking $2 off all sundaes from noon to 5 p.m. every Open Streets Sunday.
Some of the fall's other new places are close to the route but not on it. Carolyn's Modern Vietnamese opened Sept. 9 at 2015 Walnut, one block past where the closure ends at 19th. Chef-owner Carolyn Nguyen took over the space Revolution Taco held for 10 years. Ellen Yin's Bar Cicci opened Aug. 18 at 1620 Sansom, next to Uchi. Its posted hours run Tuesday through Saturday, so it's closed on Open Streets Sundays.
The Four Sundays Left
Rain or shine, the remaining dates are Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25. The Sept. 27 date was canceled. Center City District says it can still cancel for severe weather and posts updates on Instagram. Most of the Eagles broadcasts and family programming happen in the Fulton Fun Zone at 18th and Chestnut.
| Sunday | Start | Featured on the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 4 | 10 a.m. | Bubble Magic 10–noon, live musicians 10:30–4:30, Eagles broadcast at 1 p.m., Philly Girls Jump Double Dutch lessons 2–3 |
| Oct. 11 | 9:30 a.m. | Eagles broadcast at 9:30 a.m. for the London game, WhoaPhat Brass Band 10:30–11:30, live music 12:30–4:30, Kpop Nara donation day at 1521 Walnut |
| Oct. 18 | 10 a.m. | Bubble Magic, live musicians, Eagles broadcast at 1 p.m., Double Dutch lessons |
| Oct. 25 | 10 a.m. | Mini Golf on the Go all day, PopUpPlay monster making noon–2, free pumpkin painting at noon, Philadelphia Freedom Marching Band 3–4, trick-or-treat trail with times set by each business, Nara Market 1–4 at 1521 Walnut |
Several shops on the route run the same offer every Sunday. Madewell at 1729 Walnut hosts small local business pop-ups from noon to 4 p.m. It also takes old jeans of any brand for recycling and gives a $20 coupon toward a full-price pair for each one. Philadelphia Runner at 1711 Walnut runs The Speed Shop from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walnut Garden at 1708 Walnut has drink specials from noon to 5 p.m.
Some details don't change from week to week:
- There are no public restrooms on the route.
- Bikes, e-bikes, scooters and skateboards must be walked through the closed blocks.
- All food and drink comes from restaurants on the route. There are no outside vendors, and open containers of alcohol are prohibited.
- Westbound SEPTA routes 9, 12, 21 and 42 detour south on Broad, west on Spruce and north on 20th, then rejoin Walnut.
Why the Season Ends in October
The longer season has a cost behind it. Center City District's March 2026 report says a typical event takes about 16 staff for setup, breakdown, safety and on-the-ground management. The biggest expenses come from the Police Department's requirements for keeping cars off the closed streets. To bring that cost down, the district bought a movable barrier system called the Meridian 1200 Archer, which can close a street without using police vehicles. The report also asked the city for a separate permit process for recurring open streets events and for help paying for shared barriers.
Gupta put the current question this way when the report came out: "The question this report leaves open is not whether Open Streets works. It's how far we can take it." In 2026, the answer so far is one more block, from 15th back to Broad, and one more Sunday than last fall. After Oct. 25, the next date on the 2026 calendar is a one-day winter edition on Dec. 6.
The Damon Michels Team works out of a Center City office, and we follow changes like the Broad Street extension because they affect what a Sunday on these blocks is like. If you're weighing a move within Rittenhouse and want to know how the Open Streets route lines up with a particular building or block, contact us and we'll go through it with you.
