Why is saving Elizabeth Street Garden even up for debate?
Where mayoral candidates fall in their support for one of New York's most beloved green spaces.
Elizabeth Street Garden has long played a role in New Yorks History. Originally serving as a school courtyard, the Elizabeth Street Gallery leased the lot from the Board of Education in 1990. Gallerist Allan Reiver not only cleared debris from the rundown lot but tended to the garden, decorating it with sculptures from his personal collection. Without contention, the garden was celebrated by residents for 20 years, growing into a beloved community center. It has since served as a gathering space for residents to engage in cultural and social practices. In 2012, the Bloomberg administration silently transferred lot ownership from the Board of Education to the New York City Housing Authority. Residents were only notified after they lost autonomy to preserve the garden, that it was going to be developed into housing. Over the last decade, there has been an outpouring of support from New Yorkers to protect Elizabeth Street Garden and move plans for housing development to one of several other viable lots.
In 2017, it was decided that the city would sell the land to Haven Green for $1 under the guise that the space would be turned into affordable housing for seniors, with luxury retail on the street level. The location of the Elizabeth Street Garden is particularly desirable as a tried and true market for high foot traffic. In 2024, the SoHo neighborhood generated $100 million of retail property sales, so it’s a no-brainer that corporations are itching to get their hands on this coveted space.
The “Affordable Housing” plan for this site requires between 30-60 years of fixed-rate housing before units can be competitively priced for the market value. 50% of spaces are reserved for residents of Manhattan CB2, but the odds of winning are 1000 to 1. Local seniors have expressed their dismay that affordable housing has been pitted against green spaces, arguing again in favor of another proposed lot.
Little Italy / Soho serves as the most paved area of Manhattan, with one of the lowest ratios of public open space in the city (at about 3 ft per resident). The scarcity of green spaces available in this area should emphasize how vital protecting ESG is to residents. Urban green spaces serve as a social third space, fulfilling a desire for cultural connectedness. Elizabeth Street Garden has previously issued calls to artists to commemorate the garden, has offered outdoor concerts and movie nights, hosted Easter Egg hunts, yoga classes, fashion shows, boxing lessons, senior nights, and has served as a home for many more community-centered activities. The mental health benefits offered by outdoor third spaces have been linked to longer life and a greater sense of equity between residents.
Moreover, the congestion of urban cities often contributes to increased temperatures of between 37-39 °F compared to suburban equivalents. Integrating vegetation into Urban areas relieves the immense pressure put on our environment, increasing physical health benefits to residents. This urban heat island effect especially affects lower-income New York residents and those lacking access to cool spaces. 2024 was the hottest summer on record, with all signs indicating temperatures will only continue to rise.
The Elizabeth Street Gardens website urges their supporters to email the Governor, Mayor, and NYC Housing Preservation and Development, imploring them to explore other options for their housing development. But with the 2025 mayoral election only months away, it’s necessary to see where the candidates fall on this issue. It was under the Bloomberg Administration that Elizabeth Street Garden was taken from it’s original lease, so it’s imperative to the future of New York’s green spaces to elect a new mayor that vows to protect urban community gardens. As of now, less than 1/3 of the 11 major candidates have voiced their support for the Garden:
FOR:
Corinne Fischer (D) voiced her support for the garden through an Instagram tour of the space. Her tagline, “I want you to spend less time worrying how you can afford to stay in New York City and more time being a part of it,” encapsulates how necessary it is to respect the spaces that define this city. One of her key 4 platforms focuses on accessibility to affordable art, primarily with consideration to LGBTQIA+ residents. Her plan highlights that there is space for both the garden and public housing for queer senior residents.
Scott Stringer (D) is a lifelong New Yorker whose platform focuses on reducing the rising cost of housing for families and artists alike. During his time as New York comptroller, Stringer spearheaded the “Save Main Street” initiative, championing small businesses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Stringer has demonstrated a long history of green energy investments, valuing the benefits of green jobs and clean energy for New York City. Protecting the Elizabeth Street Garden aligns with the ongoing promises Stringer has made and continues to pursue.
Jim Walden (I) has recognized how imperative green investments are for New York’s future. His plan promises a path towards carbon neutrality by investing in green infrastructure, energy-efficient buildings, and public transportation. Walden’s plan would open up greater possibilities for the protection of green spaces like ESG. He has used X (Twitter) to spread updates on the legal process and warn similar spaces that they cannot feel protected while the fate of Elizabeth Street Garden is undecided.
Curtis Sliwa (R) is running on a community-centric platform that takes development decisions out of the hands of developers and places them back into neighborhoods. He and his wife have taken to TikTok to advocate for the preservation of this historic garden.
AGAINST:
Adrienne Adams (D): City Council member Adrienne Adams is new to the mayoral race but not to the legal battle Elizabeth Street Garden is facing. She has maintained neutrality towards the protection of the garden, stating in a 2019 hearing that she “was very grateful for everyone that spoke today on both sides of the issue. It’s a very important issue, and I think it was very important that all sides be heard. There’s still a lot to consider, and I’ve really made no decision one way or the other yet.” In this era of corporate landlords and over-development, neutrality favors the wealthy.
Press Adrienne Adams to consider the future of Elizabeth Garden by contacting the offices of District 28: (718)-206-2068 or by email: speakeradams@council.nyc.gov
Eric Adams (D): Unshockingly, Defunct ex-Dem, Adams continues to demonstrate his apathy towards New Yorkers by never having visited Elizabeth Street Garden and failing to in any way advocate for the beloved green space. Any potential re-election will be no different. New Yorkers know it, and they’re tired of false promises.
Michael Blake (D) was interviewed by Elizabeth Street Garden and his answers spoke to support the garden: “Green space, parks, and gardens are essential to our city. They provide New Yorkers with an escape from our concrete jungle, overcrowded subways, and busy streets. They provide us with a connection to nature, the ability to learn about sustainable food production, and space for our children to be free…I also know that we need to be doing a lot more to make New York City an affordable place to live. But these two priorities do not have to be a zero-sum game.” But his support has been listed in opposition to the garden’s preservation on their Instagram.
Don’t accept false promises: contact Michael Blake’s campaign and argue in support of Green Spaces: email at blakefornyc@blakefornyc.com or call (929) 269-3729
Brad Lander (D) : New York comptroller may be running on a platform of accessible and affordable housing, but his community-centric rhetoric is lacking in his determination to preserve outdoor spaces. He claims to be preparing New York to fight back against the climate crisis with plans for emission cuts and clean energy. But Lander has evaded direct answers on his plans to preserve community gardens. The fallacy that affordable housing for seniors can only be achieved at the destruction of public gardens is destructive and unsustainable. To truly advocate for housing rights, Landers cannot gut the essence of communities he is trying to reinvigorate.
Demand answers from the Landers campaign by emailing info@landerfornyc.com in support of the Elizabeth Street Garden.
Zohran Mamdani (D): Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is favored by many young progressives. His platform is centralized around an equitable New York, particularly focusing on housing assistance and affordable transportation. But Mamdani has failed to speak up on behalf of Elizabeth Street Garden. Mamdani’s campaign has acknowledged that “fighting the climate crisis is intertwined with fighting for working people,” - acknowledging that the effects disproportionately affect New Yorkers of color. So, where is his support for community solutions that promote environmental integrity in neighborhoods that are already overdeveloped?
Zellnor Myrie (D): State Senator Zellnor Myrie is running on an initiative to “Rebuild NYC” -arguing to tackle climate change, stop gun violence, and increase public education initiatives. Safe, clean community spaces have been proven to enhance the quality of life for residents and yet Myrie is not prioritizing their protection.
Implore Zellnor Myrie to offer protections to Urban Green spaces by emailing info@zellnor.nyc
Jessica Ramos (D): State Senator Jessica Ramos promises “The fight for the heart and soul of New York begins today”, including in her platform a Green New Deal for the city. In this, she promises to invest in resilient infrastructure (including investing in green spaces) and “community-driven climate action”, aligning with the mission and purpose of Elizabeth Street Garden. So why is she silent in the preservation of this green space?
Convince Jessica Ramos that ESG furthers their mission by reaching her at her current senate office : (718) -205-3881 or by email at ramos@nysenate.gov
To protect Elizabeth Street Garden, take further action by:
Supporting efforts to preserve ESG as a conservative land trust
And promoting the garden with hashtags #elizabethstreetgarden · #SaveESG
New Yorkers deserve access to community spaces, urban gardens, and a mayor who upholds their promises to the city.
Elizabeth Street can be visited between Prince & Spring Streets, New York City. More information about the garden can be found on their website or Instagram.
Daubigny , Charles-François. Landscape with a Sunlit Stream. 1877, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York.
Happy Earth Day <3