In the summer of 1902, the land that would become New York City’s DeWitt Clinton Park, just a few blocks from Central Park, was described as a place so run-down that even “The most vivid imagination could not have conceived a more desolate spot than this…Approached form the east, through filthy streets…it loomed up a […]
Brooklyn, New York, 1948. My immigrant father, Francesco Pietanza, a merchant steward and cook from Mola di Bari, Italy arrived at Ellis Island on the S.S. Coronado in search of his younger brother. Despite the racketeering longshore waterfront and the underlying discrimination that peppered the streets of his chance destination of South Brooklyn, he was […]
My father Nicola, emigrated to the United States in December 1965. He came to live with his brothers and sisters who had already established themselves in Flushing, New York. In September of 1967 he traveled back to his hometown of Mola di Bari, Italy, where he met my mother Rosa. They married in Mola di […]
Omar B., a zone gardener with the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), shares entries from the journal he keeps about his work with the environmental non-profit founded by Bette Midler in 1995 to preserve and transform public green spaces in New York for all citizens to enjoy. His writing gives us a day-to-day peak inside […]
Considered the oldest community garden in New York, Liz Christy Community Garden was established in 1973. In late 1973 and early 1974, the community activist group the Green Guerillas, among them an energetic member named Liz Christy, cleared the lot at the northeast corner of the Bowery and East Houston. In late April 1974, the […]
Citizens Committee for New York City’s mission is simple: to help New Yorkers – especially those in low-income areas – come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Residents are uniquely situated to define and act on the issues affecting their communities. When provided with modest support, neighborhood and school groups can […]
My name is Lori Harris, and I’m a community gardener. I’m quite sure I wouldn’t have been a gardener if it wasn’t for my father. I mean I like to grow plants in the house or whatever. But, I really took an interest in watching him be interested in doing this. He grew up in […]
Haja: My name is Haja Worley. I am the husband of Cindy Nibbelink Worley. I’m from Patterson, New Jersey by way of North Carolina. Growing up, my parents had a garden in the backyard. I’m sure the garden was not as big as it seemed to be when I was little. We grew collard greens […]
My name is Maryanne Kuzniar. My second community garden experience began in 2009 in and continues to this day at La Guardia Corner Gardens. I came back to New York City in 2009, and having had a large garden in Italy, I was a little bit worried that I was going to get depressed if […]
My name is Maryanne Kuzniar. I was born and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey, and that’s when I started gardening—helping out in the backyard with our vegetable garden and pruning flowers and things. And then, I traveled around a lot of in my early career as a hairstylist, and so I got to […]
Poppa & Momma Jones’ Historic Community Garden is a struggling garden with strong ties to an interesting past. Back around the summer of 2013, I walked past an elderly couple gathering vegetables from various garden beds. I had recently returned to the neighborhood and was exploring the community. Curious, I introduced myself and ergo, was […]
During the fall and winter of 2012 and 2013, Ryan W. put together a proposal to build an urban farm, which later became North Brooklyn Farms. He presented it at a Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning meeting, where two neighbors told him about the empty 61 Franklin St. lot, owned by the NYC […]
Gregory is the director and founder of East New York 4 Gardens. He is a visual artist, a community advocate, horticulturist, and founder of Gregory’s Garden. Gregory’s Garden is a community garden located on two formerly-abandoned city lots in Brooklyn, New York. Here is a quick interview with him about his experience gardening in East […]
El Jardin del Paraiso, Inc. is a public park, operated by community members and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. El Jardin del Paraiso is available for community events and activities. The goals of El Jardin del Paraiso, Inc. are to promote environmental awareness and education and provide a space for recreation and outdoor […]