Last Tuesday, 596 Acres facilitated a design workshop for a long fenced-off hill in the South Bronx, a key step in turning this long-vacant public lot into Hill Street Community Garden. Want to join the community-driven design fun? Our next session will be on Sunday, June 5 at 3pm. Contact Victor, maldonvic@aol.com, (718) 665-4281, for details.
JOIN US
This Saturday, April 30 at 12pm, join 596 Acres and Public Space Party for the Gardens are Community, Community Spaces in Jeopardy Ride! We will start in Little Italy and head through the Lower East Side into Brooklyn to visit five gardens at risk. Event details here. Facebook event page here.
Help us with our website! We’re working on a snazzy new website and need your help. Come to our Gowanus office on Saturday, May 7, 4pm-6pm to play a card game that will help organize the last 5 (!) years of content. RSVP to organizers@596acres.org if you can. Recruit a friend. There will be snacks and everyone will get a free gift from our collection of wonders.
NEWS FROM THE ORGANIZING ACRES
Bushwick, Brooklyn – On Wednesday, Bushwick residents started planning a new community garden to replace the vacant public lot at 9 Moffat Street. This lot was nearly auctioned by the City to a private developer last year but thanks to our intervention it remains a public asset! If you want to get involved, contact Celeste at Council Member Espinal’s office: (718) 642-8664 orcleon@council.nyc.gov. You can also sign up to Organize here:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/3034380063/
Harlem, Manhattan – A neighbor of W 126th Street near Lenox Ave became an organizer on Earth Day. She writes: “Want to build vertical garden and green house and share it when neighboring schools in Harlem and give them some sort of Horticulture exposure to their curriculum- or something like that, anyone can come a grow.” Join her! Directions are here. Sign up to Organize here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/1019110026/
Highbridge, Bronx – Neighbor Dian says now is the time to organize for community access toCorporal Irwin A. Fischer Park on West 169th Street between Nelson and Shakespeare Avenues: it’s a park! And it’s closed! Signing up to Organize here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58248/. You can also contact Dian directly at dian_mhawkn715@yahoo.com, 3476108774 or 9295753438.
Port Richmond, Staten Island – Staten Islander Daniel wants to make a vacant public lot at Derby Court and Kramer Place into something better. Are you a neighbor who wants to get involved? Sign up to Organize here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/5010390175/ or contact Daniel at dcorrente@gmail.com, 347 838 1840.
LOTS WITH ACCESS
Long Island City, Queens – This Saturday, April 30, 11am to 5pm, Smiling Hogshead Ranch is having its PLANTING DAY! Facebook event here.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn – This Saturday, April 30 at 5pm, Keap Fourth Community Garden is having a meeting at the garden where you can learn how to get involved and become a member! More info on their facebook page, here.
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn – It’s a busy weekend at 462 Halsey Community Garden! On Saturday, April 30th, 12pm to 3pm, join in planting spring crops at the Spring Planting Party! Then Sunday, May 1, 12pm to 5pm, the garden will host the Free Black Women’s Library, Foodie Edition! The Free Black Woman’s Library is an interactive mobile pop-up library featuring over 350 books authored by Black women writers. The library accepts books of every genre written by cis and trans Black women, for donation or trade – bring one! Join in May Day celebration activities throughout the day, including a May pole, music, refreshments and more! Kids and families are welcome at both events – free and open to the public! Stay in the loop on their facebook page, here.
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn – Patchen Community Square, on the corner of Patchen and Putnam, is back in action for Spring! This Saturday, April 30th at 2pm, come by to meet and greet neighbors and garden members. More info on the Patchen Community Square facebook page, here, and on their website, here.
Red Hook, Brooklyn – The South Brooklyn Children’s Garden has started its free children’s garden classes! Classes are on Wednesdays from 3:30-pm to 4:15pm for 3 to 5 year olds until June 8th, and for 6 to 8 year olds June 29 to July 27. More info on the South Brooklyn Children’s Garden facebook page, here.
COLLABORATORS
Join Green Map NYC on Saturday, May 7, 11am-1pm to explore the green side of a quickly changing neighborhood bounded by Sara D Roosevelt Park and Hamilton Fish Park from HOuston to DeLAncey (Hola!). Meet at Stanton between Forsyth and Chrystie to walk and talk with the designers who created a new Green Map: Hola LES, which juxtaposes ever-mounting development pressures alongside existing green sites and plans for the neighborhood. This tour is a Jane’s Walk and an LES History Month event. RSVP here. It will end at Siempre Verde Garden (a 596 Acres site) where all are invited for cake and a Hola LES Celebration!
From May through October, the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) welcomes you to joinCelebrating the City: Jane Jacobs at 100, a celebration dedicated to legendary urban activist Jane Jacobs on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Are you creating the City in your neighborhood? You can find or list an event here.
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.
Partnerships for Parks’ next Capacity Fund Grant is due on June 1! Up to $5,000 available to community garden, park, and street tree groups stewarding NYC Parks Department property. Questions? Reach out to Grants@cityparksfoundation.org or 212-602-5348, schedule anindividual consultation or join a webinar.
Wanda and Joe, standing on a public lot in Rockaway that has been vacant for decades. With help from 596 Acres, they are transforming it into something way better. Wanda recently wrote:
“I would like to take this time out to thank Paula and any one else involved in posting the lots I am Involved in and all of the pictures and valuable information connected to the lots. Thank you for letting me be a part of this amazing journey we will be partaking in an letting me be come a organizer. I admit I will be new to a lot of things but I’m sure I will be helpful in many other ways. So if any one needs me as you see my e-mail is wandaone@optonline.net and I will be looking forward to meeting other people involved this program.”
Meet them – sign up as an Organizer here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58968/
ours,
596 Acres
