The break in the cold offered New Yorkers a welcome respite. It was almost like spring again, or, at least, spring for a day.

Elaine Altman, who worries about losing her rent-stabilized apartment, enjoys the one attraction in New York City that does not cost a thing: a nice, long walk.

For a few hours, on a few streets, on a few weekends this summer, the dream of car-free Manhattan streets will become reality.