The Idle and The Active Green Spaces in Northern Brooklyn and Queens

An island between Broadway and Lafayette Ave. 'Green Streets' sign.

                                    

Flushing Ave. at Morgan St.. There are many vacant lots throughout Brooklyn and Queens.  Many have been changed into community gardens.  Mary Arnold co-owner of Steward program, CURES, states that it's a "tough town" in terms of environmental change "people turn away from civic space." She added. 

Since 2009 CURES has been fighting against rail pollution by funding and executing community gardens.  Pictured here is a project executed in 2010 on Shaler Avenue in Glendale Queens.  "The problem" Local, John Urbanski said, "is that there are no fire hydrants...to water the plants." He is afraid he rarely sees people working on the garden.  CURES are planning on revitalizing a plot between 71st Pl. and 73 St., also in Glendale according to their project website.  According to Mary Arnold, views the project as a small step in a huge problem.  "There is very little you can do in New York City unless you did a Robert Moses type project.

 Cryril F. Joseph, 67, 10-year is the owner of the "Secret Garden" in Bushwick along Broadway at the Gates Ave. stop on the J train.  Mr. Cyril overlooks his plot marking the mid point of the garden.  He doubled the size of the garden when he took over the community garden he claimed: "I come here 7 days a week he says," and insists that this is the biggest community garden in Bushwick.

Collection of scallops, cabbage and onion at The Secret Garden in front of buckets of rainwater for watering the plants. Mr. Joseph is beginning to make a pen for chickens and guinea pigs "I want to get the kids interested," he said.

           Jefferson St. at Irving St., A rose blooms behind the fence in a community garden, closed for the evening, while a young child walks by.