The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID) unveiled a new lighting initiative on Greenpoint Avenue, celebrating the diversity of the business corridor by making it the “Avenue of the World.”
The initiative, which illuminates light poles along Greenpoint Avenue with sun designs and colors of national flags that represent the diverse businesses that line the thoroughfare, is the result of a collaboration between Sunnyside Shines, the Queens Lighting Collective, Holiday Street Lights and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), which funded the project.
SBS awarded Sunnyside Shines $100,000 for the Greenpoint Lighting Initiative in 2024 as part of the Public Realm Grant, a competitive grants awarded to BIDs across the city to improve local streetscapes.
Sunnyside Shines, meanwhile, turned to the Queens Lighting Collective to bring the lighting initiative to life, making one of Sunnyside’s busiest commercial corridors safer and brighter at night. The initiative also aims to bring more shoppers to the busy thoroughfare.
Queens Lighting Collective then proposed a vibrant sun design that could be attached to 12 light poles along Greenpoint Avenue.
Additionally, a number of lights will shine in the colors of the national flags that represent some of the businesses that make up the business community along Greenpoint Avenue, which includes merchants from Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the Philippines, Korea, Chile, China and many other nations across the world.
Lighting company Holiday Street Lights produced the lights after the design was finalized following meetings with the local community, while installation of the new display began at the end of June.
Sunnyside Shines executive director Dirk McCall de Palomá said the new display will help bring more customers to the many businesses that line Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside.
“We have heard from our merchants on Greenpoint Avenue that we need additional lighting and better marketing to attract more visitors,” McCall de Palomá said in a statement. “This corridor is rich with restaurants and bars and now it is even brighter and more attractive.”
SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross welcomed the lighting initiative, stating that the new display demonstrates the value of the Public Realm Grant.
“I am excited to see how our Public Realm Grant can make a positive impact for the merchants along Greenpoint Avenue. It’s no question that these new lighting installations will put the ‘shine’ into Sunnyside Shines,” Gross said in a statement.
The NYC Department of Transportation, which collaborated with Sunnyside Shines, SBS and lighting companies for the lighting initiative, also welcomed the Greenpoint Lighting Initiative.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez remarked that effective street lighting can create a “vibrant atmosphere” that supports economic development and public safety.
“NYC DOT is proud to partner with Sunnyside Shines and business improvement districts across the city to provide public spaces that make New Yorkers proud to call our city ‘home’,” Rodriguez said.
Elected officials also welcomed the initiative, stating that the lights celebrate the diversity of local businesses while also creating a more welcoming atmosphere for customers.
Council Member Julie Won said the lighting will “shine a spotlight” on the diversity of local businesses by crowning Greenpoint Avenue the “Avenue of the World.”
“It truly illustrates the vibrant cultures that come from the small businesses in the area and creating home in Sunnyside,” Won said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Assemblymember Claire Valdez said the initiative was a “big win” for the Sunnyside community.
“Improved lighting will support local restaurants and bars and create a more welcoming atmosphere for everyone. The additional plan to highlight the various countries and backgrounds represented by all the participating merchants is such a beautiful tribute to the diverse communities that power our local economy and make Queens and our district so special,” Valdez said.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said it is “always a sound investment” to invest in street lighting and described Greenpoint Avenue as one of the most diverse corridors in the borough, while State Sen. Mike Gianaris said the new project will celebrate the diversity of each storefront.
