For years I have walked past the sculpture garden on Elizabeth Street in the heart of my busy Nolita neighborhood. Each passing was a special moment in my day. Coming from Los Angeles, I imagined the secret garden as my own back yard, longing to sit in the grass and read a book. In April 2014 I finally got the chance to experience this special place for the first time. The verdant trees and friendly faces grounded me. It might be one of my most memorable New York moments.
Curiosity led me to strike up a conversation with a lovely lady by the name of Emily. She was volunteering in the garden and I wanted to know more. Getting lost in the moment, we spent hours talking about the history, the character, and the need to save the garden. I came to learn that the city owned and leased the land to The Elizabeth Street Gallery in 1991. The owner of the gallery landscaped and cared for the garden and it was actually open to the public through their backdoor. A committee was put into place after the successful “It’s My Park Day” was brought to the same neighborhood’s DeSalvio Playground. It was a day dedicated to celebrating the refurbishment of that park and after that, the neighbors decided they wanted to turn their efforts towards saving the Elizabeth Street Garden from real estate development.
In order to keep the gates open, the Elizabeth Street Garden needed volunteers to assist with the maintenance of the land. In addition, they needed to coordinate free and open community events to educate the public about the current zoning of the land. Yoga classes on Sunday mornings, as well as the other free activities such as Tai Chi, drawing, movie nights, and music have given life to the once unoccupied space. After a lot of work and successful fundraising, the committee was able to hire a full time employee through ACE (Association of Community Employment) to keep the garden open full time.
The surrounding neighborhoods—Soho, Nolita, and Chinatown—are laden with history and people from all backgrounds. Everyone spends time in the garden. Even with all the gentrification, the locals love to share their nostalgic stories of that part of the city. As a real estate broker, my favorites are about the 5,000 square foot loft that went for $80,000 and Soho apartments that used to be $25,000. Many locals grew up in tenement buildings and owned bakeries and restaurants, which are now single family brownstones where their families still reside. I’m sure those that passed up on these deals are kicking themselves 30 years later!
The community is actively campaigning to protect the land and transfer jurisdiction to The Parks Department. I want to share my story with as many people as possible to preserve the legacy of the garden. Involvement in this cause is very rewarding and I look forward to telling the success story of how our neighborhood joined together to save this special place.
Donating time to the Elizabeth Street Garden has afforded me an incredible opportunity to connect with the community! To volunteer or just enjoy free community events please visit The Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden website to learn more:http://elizabethstreetgarden.org/
