Hope Continues Beautification Plan in Local Gardens

Next spring, Hope expects to unveil the Seeds of Growth sculpture by local artist Lina Puerta in its Modesto Flores Community Garden. Click here for off-site information on this project.

ARTICLES ON HOPE COMMUNITY GARDENS

Harlem’s Green Wave (The Indypendent, September 4, 2007)

La Cuidad Con Sabor a Campo (New York Daily News/Hora Hispana, 26 de julio 2007)

Lynda Baquero Profiles Hope Community's New Reading Garden (NBC-TV, June 3, 2006)

Modesto Flores Garden Featured in Profile of The DEY (Tempo/NY Post, April 12, 2005)

Daffodil Bulb Planting at Modesto Flores Garden (Tiempo NY, November 24, 2005)

Background

In 2006, Hope brought four community gardens to life with support of private and public partners such as City Year, Council on the Environment of NYC, Goldman Sachs, and the Troy-Built company.

Volunteers from Goldman Sachs and City Year New York teamed up with Hope staff, board members, and tenants in 2006 to refurbish Hope’s "New Frontiers" garden, located at 425-27 East 115th Street. The scope of work included top soiling, planting and painting of existent benches, and the painting of an art mural against the park wall.

Hope staff and board were joined by elected officials, local youth, storyteller, and representatives from Troy-Bilt for a May 2006 dedication ceremony for an innovative, new community reading garden located within the Modesto “Tin” Flores Community Garden on Lexington Avenue near 104th Street.

Hope’s hallmark vest pocket park now houses an innovative, new community reading garden filled with flowers, plants and benches. “The new reading garden will help preserve and enhance this historic community park and create a wonderful setting for community events,” said Carmen Vasquez, Hope’s Community Relations Manager. “It will also serve as an inviting and peaceful setting for children and adults to read while gaining an appreciation of their local environment. The community reading garden was designed and constructed by Troy-Bilt’s expert Landscapes America team, and we are most grateful to Troy Bilt for this wonderful contribution to the neighborhood,” added Vasquez.

The momentum continued as volunteers from Goldman Sachs and City Year New York revamped Hope’s "Harlem Village" garden, located on 117th Street and Second Avenue. The May 2006 overhaul included top soil and landscaping, enhancing the outer fence, and installing benches on either side of the garden’s walk-way, and an area for BBQ grilling, with refreshments, tools and other materials provided by Credit Suisse. “Hope’s aim is to develop the park as a suitable center stage location for an uptown ‘Poetas con Café’ cultural program,” explained Board Chair, Roger Cabán.

Hope staff then joined volunteers from the Council on the Environment of New York City in June 2006 to work on yet another community garden at 2030 Lexington Avenue (“La Casita”). Work during that project will include top soiling, planting and painting of existent benches.

VEST POCKET PARKS

Modesto "Tin" Flores Community Garden (Lexington Avenue @104th St.)
2028 Lexington Avenue
2286 Second Avenue
160 East 103rd Street
334 East 112th Street
425-7 East 115th Street
122 East 117th Street
157 East 117th Street
2023 Lexington Avenue

BACK YARD GARDENS (accessible through buildings)

159 East 103rd Street
335 East 105th Street
422 East 115th Street
8 West 118th Street