With around 600 community gardens spread out across the five boroughs, NYC has the largest community garden program in the country. While they may feel unnecessary for some, these community gardens are an essential part of NYC. Over the summer, I’ve been spending more time at community gardens and green spaces, and each has their own personality. But even though they’re each unique, they all serve an important service: supporting the neighborhood.

Fighting for Green Spaces in NYC

At the beginning of summer, I volunteered with the Bronx River Alliance to help care for their garden. During the day, the person leading the volunteer event told us about how the community turned the once trash-ridden place into the space it is today. After the concrete business nearby closed down in the 80s, the space was abandoned and quickly collected garbage and hazardous materials, including over 10,000 tires (!!).

The community joined forces to engage local politicians, hold press conferences and raise awareness with the media, which resulted in NYC passing over the abandoned land to the NYC Parks department in 2000. They, along with other groups such as the Bronx River Alliance, cleaned up the area and created a space the local community regularly uses. Part of their efforts included creating an edible and medicinal learning garden.

After my trip to Concrete Park, I spent more time learning about the people who have fought hard to turn unused land into these resources and it is incredibly inspiring. A lot of the efforts seemed to have kicked off in the 60s throughout NYC and ramped up in the 70s when a financial crises resulted in more abandoned buildings and vacant lots. Because of the efforts community members have taken over the years, we now have over 100 acres of community gardens throughout the boroughs and that hopefully will keep increasing over time.

Why We Need More

In each community garden that I’ve visited, there was a steady stream of people popping in and out during their open hours. Many of the people visiting the gardens stopped to say very positive things about the spaces and how they appreciate being able to either drop off their food scraps, pick up compost or buy/pick fruits or vegetables from the garden.

Overall, we see such a great impact on the health and wellness of communities that utilize these spaces to their fullest. A few of the other great ways community garden/green spaces benefit us all include:

• Places to Learn: Many community gardens offer learning opportunities to the community. For me, I’ve been going to different gardens to learn about their composting process and how compost is used throughout their neighborhoods. But I also learned about the other great resources they have or events they host, all aimed at helping people feel more connected to the community and land.
• Nature in an Urban Environment: Being in nature is a great way to learn more about the local ecosystem and can make a big impact on your mental and physical health. Trees and gardens help us by producing more oxygen, reducing the impact of falling rain and absorbing heat. Living near large parks like Central Park or Prospect Park is possible for everyone, so finding ways to give all neighborhoods a green space is essential.
• Improving Food Culture: Community gardens give people the chance to grow their own food and see how something goes from a seed to the food on your dinner plate. It also encourages people to eat more fruits and vegetables, which is always a great thing. In some of the gardens I’ve visited, they also allow garden/community members to vote on what is planted or to plant their own foods. At one of the gardens, the person hosting a volunteer event also mentioned that by allowing members to vote or plant on their own, they were able to grow food from different cultures that are hard to come by in grocery stores.

I can go on and on about the benefits of these gardens and spaces, but I encourage you to go look yourself to see what your neighborhood has to offer. And if there isn’t one near you, consider starting your own!

If you live in NYC, you can find a community garden near you at the Green Thumb website or GrowNYC.