WHAT’S ON
SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN
Escape the horrors of the city streets and find calm in one of the hood’s secret – and not so secret – garden spaces
W
e can’t all have a place in the Hamptons to escape to come August. No, for some of us, the minor irritations of life, bills and work get in the way. Sheesh! But even in Gotham, surrounded as we are by towering monoliths of concrete, steel and glass, we can achieve a Zen-like calm in the secret oases of green our ancestors once called … gardens. “It’s important to have neighborhood green spaces in areas like Hell’s Kitchen because parks and gardens provide a much needed respite from the fastpaced concrete jungle,” says Ashleigh Eubanks, of Clinton Housing Development Company, which develops and maintains some of the neighborhood’s key community gardens through Cultivate HKNY. “These types of gardens are also more accessible to the elderly, disabled, and financially challenged. “New Yorkers should not have to travel all the way to Central Park to sit under a tree and be surrounded by foliage.” The spaces are not just used for a quiet moment of calm or a convenient place to sit and have a flat white in the sun; they host photo shoots, live musical performances, picnics, theatrical performances and exercise classes. At Teresa’s Park there is even a lending library, where people can pick up and leave a book. So kick the Hell’s Kitchen dust from your feet, grab a popsicle, and come with us to some of our favorite green spots in the hood …
Juan Alonso Park is growing – watch this space!
“New Yorkers should not have to travel all the way to Central Park to sit under a tree and be surrounded by foliage.”
JUAN ALONSO PARK
Where: W51st St - 11th Ave Why: Named for devoted gardener and longtime HK resident Juan Alonso, this community garden is maintained jointly by Clinton Housing Development Company and the 11th Avenue Tenants HDFC. Extra! Extra! There are separate plots within garden managed by the Juan Alonso Garden Group , and Juan Alonso Park West. Coming soon: Juan Alonso Park East.
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