Greenwich Village Gardens

My time in NYC is short (our lease ends May 31st!) so this spring I felt a renewed urgency to make the most of my Wednesdays off in the city. And after a long, cold and wet winter, I wanted especially to get out and see some green.

I had a few free hours in the afternoon last Wednesday so I dug out my trusty Garden Guide: New York City and leafed through, searching for something that wouldn't take me too far afield, since we had early dinner plans. I set out to visit some of the smaller gardens in Greenwich Village.

My garden guide described a church garden on Hudson Street, called The Garden at the Church of St Luke in the Fields, that sounded wonderful. It is hidden behind a high brick wall, akin to that in "The Secret Garden" (one of my all time favorite childhood books)- who could resist? But then winter came and I had forgotten all about it until a group of us stumbled upon it while walking home from the meatpacking district after dinner one night. Aha- now that I found you, I thought, it was time to pay a visit.

Sadly, the garden was closed for a private event the day I decided to go. I was pretty bummed because the plants there are rather unusual and unlikely to be found elsewhere in New York. Something special about the garden's design creates a microclimate more similar to that of the southern states, than the northeast. Not for me to see the franklinia tree, Asian pears or southern roses there that day.



I turned my attention to some of the Village's other small gardens. Many are viewing gardens located on reclaimed traffic islands, similar to those in Tribeca or the east Village. I found the Sheridan Square Viewing Garden easily, just down the block from the 1,2 subway train Christopher Street stop. The neighborhood is bustling, but neatly kept- a typical "landmark" Greenwich Village block. I was mildly disappointed with the garden, but I must admit I didn't spend a ton of time looking at plants. I brought my new digital SLR camera along, and my primary aim today was to start working with all the knobs and buttons I forgot how to use since getting a lazy point-and-shoot three years ago.





Down the street I also checked out Christopher Park- part city park, part viewing garden. Just to confound the typical tourist it was here that they placed a statue of General Sheridan, rather than in the park named for him. It reminded me how old the neighborhood really is, to see a venerable but long-dead hero honored with both a statue and a lovingly tended park.