The roots of community gardens run deep in New York City—they are oases of vegetables, flowers, and tranquility in neighborhoods where concrete otherwise rules. Community gardens are where neighbors host cookouts and birthday parties, play musical instruments and make art, or just sit and read in the sunshine. They are enjoyed by residents of all ages, with or without green thumbs, and create a vital network of green, open space across the city.
More and more, community gardens are filling in where parks do not or cannot exist. These areas of the city are often under-resourced and economically disadvantaged. As studies by The Trust for Public Land, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and American Journal of Preventive Medicine have shown, the quality of life of urban neighborhoods is dramatically improved when open spaces are well used, programmed, and maintained.
Like other greening organizations, NYRP understands the important social, environmental, and even economic roles that community gardens play in New York City. What makes us unique is our permanent commitment to restoring, maintaining, and programming community gardens. Our goal is to help neighborhood residents develop these shared patches of green into beloved institutions that bring beauty, joy, health, and revitalization to struggling communities across the city.
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