News from the Acres: Plant ’til you’re planted!

JOIN US: 596 ACRES GENERAL MEETING THIS SATURDAY

Whether you’re a community land steward, stuck in the middle of a land access campaign or just curious about how to get started, come get the scoop this Saturday, June 18 from 2:30pm to 4pm. Meet in front of the new Hooper Street Park, at Hooper Street and South 5th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn! 596 Acres Advisory Committee members will lead a teach-in on urban soil and there will be ample opportunity for fellow land advocates to learn from each other’s campaigns. Event details here. Facebook event here.

ABOUT HOOPER STREET PARK
Last weekend, Hooper Street Park gardeners had their first official meeting! This lot was designated as Open Space in the Southside Urban Renewal Plan in 1992, and has been waiting ever since. The land was vacant for decades before that as well but in 1940 it was a synagogue. We are glad to be reactivating this corner of the neighborhood as a gathering place in partnership with the El Puente Green Light District, NYC Parks GreenThumb and GrowNYC’s Open Space Greening program. Get involved by emailing hooperstreetpark@gmail.com, connecting on facebook, or signing up as an Organizer here:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/3024500028/

NEWS FROM THE ORGANIZING ACRES
Bed Stuy-Bushwick, Brooklyn – Neighbors have a vision for a Hip Hop Garden in the area. Join them and 596 Acres staff this Friday, June 14 at 4pm in front of the vacant lot on the corner of Howard Avenue and Madison Street to explore options. This vacant public lot in inventory of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services may become the target of organizing. We will also visit the nearby Madison Community Garden, an NYC Parks Department Green Thumb garden which is open for new members. Get in touch with Lya of Beats, Mind ‘n Alive at contact@lyapouleyy.com or (929) 428-4287, or sign up as an organizer here to plug in: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/59072/

Staten Island – This Saturday, June 18 at 9am, Harry and fellow gardeners are meeting NYC Park’s Department’s GreenThumb staff in front of a vacant lot on Sand Land near Humbert Street to finalize plans for the garden here! The Community Board is in support and neighbors have been waiting patiently since 2014 to make their garden dreams come true; this is the final step before Parks accepts jurisdiction! Come meet your neighbors and join them in making their plan for a garden here real. Sign up as an organizer here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58252/

Bed Stuy, Brooklyn – For the last several years, 596 Acres has been supporting neighbors advocating for the transfer of two long-vacant lots on Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn from NYC Housing Preservation and Development to NYC Parks to create a community garden. With no accessible public review or notice to the local community, the city is now poised to give these lots to a private developer for the construction of housing that most residents of the neighborhood will not be able to afford. Necessary hearings have not been completed and the contract has not been signed, yet work has already started on the site. Join organizers on Wednesday, June 22 at 10am at 1 Center Street in Manhattan on the Mezzanine to testify against the land give-away. 596 Acres’ Paula Segal’s article about the situation and the de Balsio administration’s response are in City Limits this week; read themhere. A guide to testifying is here. It’s easy! In the words of a neighbor and organizer, “This kind of informative response is what makes a difference in a community that has been some what uninformed and seemingly at times in the dark.”

Rockaway, Queens – A community garden is coming to Beach 84th Street on the Bay Side! Last week, Paula helped Wanda start writing a proposal for the transfer of a decades-vacant lot to NYC Parks where it can become a community space. Wanda will be getting letters of support and having a meeting for future gardeners in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for the meeting announcement, or get in touch now to help: 518-693-9349 or wandamc72@gmail.com; or sign up as an Organizer here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58968/

Melrose, Bronx – The design for Hill Street Garden, which will replace a sloping vacant lot on E 159th St between St Ann’s & Eagle Ave in the South Bronx, is almost done! On Sunday, June 5, neighbors reviewed the plans that their design team drew up after envisioning together last month. The plan includes community event space, places for neighbors to relax, and an outdoor classroom for children. Check out the progress, look at the plan, see photos, and get in touch with neighbors here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/6000020001/. If you have ties with organizations in the South Bronx, we are looking for letters of support to add to our deck. Contact Victor Maldonado at maldonvic@aol.com.Thanks so much to our pro bono design team for all your work so far!

LOTS WITH ACCESS
Harlem, Manhattan – This Saturday, June 18 from 3pm to 6pm, Saint Nicholas Miracle Gardenon 125th St and St. Nicholas Avenue is having a big day of garden music! Featuring performances from Shu Nakamura & the Ninjas, Anand Gan Suzanne Davenport & the Violin Femmes, the Ninja Academy of Music, with many other special guests. Come join us for a day of MUSIC. COMMUNITY. EDUCATION. FUN. More information here.

Bedstuy, Brooklyn – This Saturday, June 18 from 12pm to 3pm, Artfully Unforgotten: Color Your Story is coming to 462 Halsey Community Garden! Does the color yellow remind you of a special time you baked a birthday cake with your mom? Choose a color and use different materials from that color to create a picture of a memorable moment that the color reminds you of! More information at artfullyunforgotten.org. Family friendly!

Long Island City, Queens – This Sunday, June 19 from 10am to 5pm, join Smiling Hogshead Ranchers for a composting bike tour of queens! We will start at 10am at the Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St (use the Parking Garden entrance on Blossom Avenue). We will visit 5 sites before ending with an evening cooldown and picnic at Smiling Hogshead Ranch, 25-30 Skillman Ave, at approximately 3:30pm. Please RSVP to compost@queensbotanical.org. More event information here.

Rockaway, Queens: Free yoga at Edgemere Farm at Beach 45th Street Community Farm withmigenteyoga every Wednesday at 9am! Photo here. All levels and abilities welcome! ✨✨

COLLABORATORS
Bedstuy-Bushwick, Brooklyn – This Saturday, June 18 at 6pm, gather for another free summer concert at The People’s Garden! This time it’s ROCKERS’ UNDERGROUND, featuring Top Shotta Band, The Far East, Radio Daze, Crazy Baldhead, with local homemade food. All events are all ages, free and community friendly! This is part of a monthly concert series, a collaboration between The People’s Garden and Consumata Sonidera, to bring together the community of Bedstuy, Bushwick and NYC through the love of music! Event information here. Promo video here.

Harlem, Manhattan – This Sunday, June 19 from 10am to 1pm at Park Ave and 118th, join gardeners of Lydia’s Magic Garden in a bit of cleanup, weeding, and reviewing proposed garden design!

Lower East Side, Manhattan – Next Friday, June 24 from 4pm to 7pm, join FABNYC for Clinton Street Fest! Celebrate the vibrant culture and commerce of Clinton Street with an afternoon stroll through local businesses and one-of-a-kind artist interventions. Experience the energy of this diverse business corridor through music, poetry, storytelling, performances, and pop up shops! Open to the public of all ages. The event will feature discounts and tastings at select Clinton Street businesses, with drink specials at Donnybrook NYC. Check out the full program here.

Lower East Side, Manhattan – Children’s Magical Garden at 129 Stanton St on the corner of Norfolk St is offering a free 5 week summer camp for kids ages 7 to 12 from July 11 to August 12, Monday to Friday! Free to all! Super fun outdoor environmental education activities will include growing fresh and healthy food and herbs in the garden and and team-building through nature games. More information here. To get an application, contact Feng Chen at fengc24@yahoo.com or (646) 732-9462.

Harlem, Manhattan – The Harlem Rose Garden, on E 129th St between 5th Ave and Madison, is welcoming new members! Get involved by emailing harlemrosegarden@gmail.com.

GREEN FOR YOUR GREEN
Check out our list of micro grants and resources that can help you make your project a reality AFTER you have access to your lot.