Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo

Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo
Community Organizer
Co-Founder, 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Queens, Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo, a local attorney and longtime community activist in Jackson Heights, stepped up to help her neighbors. What began with a simple handwritten note left on a neighbor’s door, offering her cellphone number to anyone who needed assistance, soon grew into a grassroots mutual aid network.

As spring arrived, families confined to small apartments were desperate for fresh air, outdoor space, and opportunities to connect. Nuala and fellow neighborhood activists saw the potential in a long, tree-lined avenue that cut through the heart of Jackson Heights. They envisioned transforming it from a congested traffic corridor into a welcoming public space for pedestrians, cyclists, and neighbors of all ages. From that vision, the 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition was born.

Six years later, what was once a car-choked avenue has become a vibrant, 26-block community oasis—a place where neighbors gather, families play, and community life flourishes in the heart of one of New York City’s most diverse neighborhoods.

Through this work, Nuala discovered a powerful truth: when you create places and spaces for people to come together, you create opportunities to build community. This is especially meaningful in Jackson Heights, a densely populated immigrant neighborhood where more than 100 languages are spoken and people from around the world call home.

But creating a successful public space takes more than beautiful surroundings. As Nuala has learned, the real secret is programming that gives people a reason to show up, participate, and return. Under the Coalition’s leadership, 34th Avenue has developed a vibrant, seven-day-a-week calendar of activities designed to reflect the needs, interests, and creativity of the community.

Today, the Open Street is much more than a place to walk or ride a bike. It is a place to greet a neighbor, celebrate a child’s birthday, join a knitting class, participate in a community event, or simply enjoy being outdoors together. It is an outdoor community center where connection happens organically and where people who might otherwise remain strangers become neighbors.