596acres.org is brand new today! Check it out and share! Read our five pillars of community land access advocacy, learn about NYC policies impacting community property and see opportunities for collaboration.
SAVE THE DATE: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – PROTECT OUR PLACES
Are you a member of a nonprofit or place of worship that owns property? Learn how to get and keep property tax exemptions! Did the city send you a notice of a tax lien? What can be done? Who can help? Join us for an evening discussion, with help and solutions. The event is onThursday, November 10 from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus at 113 W 60th Street, Manhattan. Refreshments will be served. This event is brought to you by596 Acres, Fordham Law School Community Economic Development Clinic, and Office of the Taxpayer Advocate at NYC Department of Finance. You can connect with Department of Finance staff beginning at 6pm.
NEWS FROM THE ORGANIZING ACRES
Weeksville, Brooklyn – Neighbors are organizing to transform a vacant tree-filled former Lots for Tots lot at 45 Somers into a play garden! Next planning meeting: Tuesday, October 25 at 4:30at Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger’s office, 2010 Fulton Street between Howard and Saratoga Aves. At 7pm that evening, they will introduce their idea at the Brooklyn Community Board 16 at the Brownsville Multi Service Center, 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street between East New York and Pitkin Avenues. Join at the planning meeting or at the community board meeting; call Cyeann at (917) 202-1977 or Sharon at (347) 581-9216 to get in the loop; and sign up to Organize here: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/3015380043/
Crown Heights, Brooklyn – Your neighbors are organizing to transform another former Lots for Tots space on Prospect Place near Albany Avenue into a community garden. They willmeet neighbors at Friends of Brower Park’s Daffodil planting event, this Saturday, October 15 from 11am to 2pm at Brower Park (Park Place between Kingston and Brooklyn Avenues ). Contact Janice at janicepurvis@gmail.com or (646) 479-7035; and sign up to Organize here:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/59081/
Brownsville, Brooklyn – Green Valley Community Garden and Farmer’s Market is miscatergorized as a “vacant lot” in HPD’s list of developable sites – forcing organizers to once again advocate for its survival. Last December, thanks to community advocacy supported by 596 Acres, the garden was among 34 permanently protected through a transfer to the Parks Department. Read about this decades-old community space at risk of disappearing and the fate of Brownsville in CityLimits, and sign up to Organize to support the gardners: http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58882/
Far Rockaway, Queens – Last week, residents submitted over 250 comments asking the city to keep a big vacant lot on the corner of Nameoke and Augustina public and for community use in Draft of the Downtown Rockaway plan. Neighbors are now plannning the use of this space as a garden and composting site: check out their draft plan and mission statement, then connect with Allison – afionaj@gmail.com, (718) 749-8830 – or Travis – t.andersoncap@gmail.com, (646) 662-0585 or sign up to Organize here:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/4155340070/
West Harlem, Manhattan – Stefano has gathered community members who want to be part of planning and managing a community garden and healing space on West 126th Street between Lenox and Adam Clayton Powell. Along with growing fresh local vegetables, they plan to partner with a local non-profit organization of therapists to create a center where passers-by can access their services. Next step: create the proposal outlining the plan and requesting the land be transferred to NYC Parks. Stay tuned for meeting times by getting in touch with Stefano atsmarracino@yahoo.com or (646) 761-5782 and signing up to Organize here:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/1019110026/
West Village and Soho, Manhattan – The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says it is funding three new parks! The announcement comes after a decades-long broken promise to create these spaces. Read more here, and sign up to Organize here for updates:http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/1005440068/, http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/1004730047/,http://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/1005810045/
OUR LOTS WITH ACCESS
Weeksville, Brooklyn – Gather at BSCAH‘s Saratoga Farm on Saratoga and Hull Street for the annual Harvest Festival this Saturday, October 15th from 11am to 3pm! There will be activities and games for children, hot cider and apples, live performances, and face painting. The event is free and open to all ages!
Red Hook, Brooklyn – The South Brooklyn Children’s Garden’s Fall Festival is this Saturday Saturday, October 15 from 12pm to 4pm at 204 Columbia Street (corner of Columbia and Sackett Streets). Event information here.
Lower East Side, Manhattan – This Sunday, October 16 from 10am to 12pm, come decorate the Stanton Street Shul Sukkah at Siempre Verde Garden at Stanton Street and Attorney Street. There will be crafts, songs, and snacks in the garden. All welcome. Event information here.
COLLABORATORS
Greenpoint, Brooklyn – Join the Newton Creek Alliance and Greenpoint Bioremediation Projectthis Saturday, October 15 from 11am to 3pm at North Brooklyn Boat Club at 51 Ash Street at the Pulaski bridge for a first-hand view of a working model of mushrooms and other natural biological tools which can reduce pollutant contamination in residential soils! The event is free and family friendly. Event information here.
Downtown Brooklyn and neighbors – Brooklyn Community District 2 invites you to their Parks and Recreation Committee next Thursday, October 20 at 6pm where New Yorkers for Parkers(NY4P) will answer your questions about improving your favorite parks, playgrounds or pools, and how to create new ones. The meeting is at Brooklyn Hospital Center, First Floor Dining Room, 121 DeKalb Avenue at St. Felix Street. Join them!
GREEN FOR YOUR GREEN
Applications for the Citizens Committee for New York City’s Love Your Block Grants are due on November 7. Get $1,000 for block beautification projects. More information here. Citizens Committee Neighborhood Grants provide up to $3,000 for community-building projects across NYC – everything from gardens to art projects to organizing. Applications due January 23, 2017. More information here.
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.
Youth organizer Zyshonne Smith of D.U.E.C.E.S. (Do YoU Enlightenment and Cultural Empowerment Services) took this photo at our meeting at Somers Street in Weeksville last Saturday! D.U.E.C.E.S., a Brownsville and East New York nonprofit that engages youth in shaping their neighborhood, is collaborating with teen farmer Cyeann, and longtime local gardeners to develop a plan for this former park. It was planned by the City as an open space. We’re so glad to be helping neighbors transform the plan into a reality!
Happy Harvest,
596 Acres
