One of the most amazing things about the Alphabet City area of manhattan is the profusion of public gardens. When I say gardens, I don't mean parks. On almost every block, there is a plot of land, sometimes tiny, sometimes rather large, converted from an abandoned lot or plot of dirt into a lush green garden.
6BC botanical garden, originally uploaded by tiny banquet committee.
The most beautiful garden of these is the 6 BC Botanical Garden (a quick stroll from 9th St. Espresso), with gorgeous landscaping, a little waterfall, a tiny koi pond, a trellis, a patch of grass to spread a blanket on... and very importantly, it is dog friendly! (Not all gardens allow dogs)
My dog loves this garden, if we walked by when it was closed she would peer longingly through the gate. Once you enter this little oasis, you would never know you were in the middle of manhattan. It is the most magical place in the entire city.You can get a taste of this lovely garden by browsing these pics in flickr. The 6BC Botanical Garden is on East 6th St. between Avenues B and C (as it's name implies). There are many wonderful gardens very nearby, and I will write more about them, too. But this is my favorite garden of all. There are all sorts of gardens, from shabby to slightly tacky to hippy... literally, there is one or more on every block. But this is one you just shouldn't miss!
Most of the city's gardens are closed during the winter, but during the summer they are open on weekends and have various hours throughout the week. If you are visiting the city, do yourself a favor, I promise you will be glad you did: Head east for an afternoon and walk around the area from 14th St. and Ave C, Ave B, Ave A south to Houston and C, B, A--criss cross the streets, explore up and down the avenues and streets. You are sure to discover an abundance of secret gardens. If it's wintertime, grab a hot cup at 9th St. Espresso, and wander around anyway, just to peer at the snow covered wonderousness (i don't think that's a word!) of these gardens.
There is an amazing history to all of these gardens, and I am by no means an expert. There is a wonderful article about some of the history of these gardens here, but the article is about 10 years old, so I do believe that the gardens are no longer in danger of being evicted. Yay!
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