The amazing Van Cortlandt Park (VCP), which covers 1,146 hilly acres in the northwest Bronx, is…read moreNew York's 3rd largest city park. It became a city park in 1888. Over half of the acreage contains natural areas, including forests, meadows, ridges, wetlands, brooks, and a wonderful man-made lake providing vital avian habitat for mallards, geese and swan families! NYC Parks manages the park in partnership with Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, and their many hardworking volunteers. Van Cortlandt Park is a great place for bird watching. VCP has been the subject of organized bird study over the years. Early surveys were conducted by influential birders such as Allan D. Cruickshank and Roger Tory Peterson, who frequently walked the park's trails in the early-to-mid twentieth century. In 1998 Van Cortlandt Park was designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) in New York State by National Audubon. Approximately 230 different bird species have been recorded in Van Cortlandt Park alone! Take a walk and/or hike through the gorgeous trails of Van Cortlandt park. Enjoy!

Naturally I'm a fan. My family has a long history with the National Audubon Society. Many of my…read moreclosest friends are avid bird watchers and conservationists. When I came across the artwork one day as I was walking through Washington Heights, I was ecstatic! If you live or work nearby take a look. If you're visiting Manhattan and enjoy birds and art check it out. It's a cool neighborhood. If they're adding new works of art I sure do need to return! These photos were taken a couple years ago.

At first, I just saw a mural of a bunch of birds, but then you see it's a five-story-high…read moreSwallow-tailed Kite that is used to show twelve birds that, like the kite, are threatened by climate change. You would not know it but this is Minnie's Land, the farm, Broadway and 155th Street, that was home to Audubon from May 1842 until his death in January 1851 So it's a perfect spot for this mural.  Audubon Society commissioned this mural and other bird murals in the area. Some cover storm gates on stops and some on building sidewalls but none stand out as this one does because it's on the corner of a busy intersection. But because it is uptown and visions of the farm that stood here are long gone the bird murals are mostly unnoticed by tourist and the like. The gas station that sits beneath the mural was more than a century and a half ago some flat part of their farm that had an orchard of more than forty fruit trees. it was on a lot that covered present-day 155th and 156th Streets, Broadway, and Amsterdam. I am not a history or art scholar but my daughter has a degree from SVA and once worked at MoMA so I get educated at home all the time about art and history. I hope if you are uptown and near buy to take a look at this fantastic mural.

Waking up @7am on a beautiful Saturday was well worth it seeing everyone on NY Cares - Hands on NY…read moreDay smiling and ready to help turn this wondrous garden into an even better place for the community of T & T to enjoy years on end! The community was very welcoming and delighted to have us help them do what they would normally take 3 or 4 Summers to finish! I can't believe how much FOOD we were getting. I volunteered @ a school last year and we didn't even see crumbs and here I was getting spoiled with a hot breakfast, finger sandwiches, bagels, fruits and freezy pops! We weeded, we raked, we pulled and cut! Everyone at least had a few drops of sweat perspiring from their foreheads. The "before" look and the "after" look was heaven and hell, we totally transformed this potentially equipped garden into something perfect for new flowers, and vegetables. I was very pleased to see how much we accomplished with so many hands involved. I cannot wait to come back in a few months to see what the community @ T & T has done with the hard work we put in.

I had the pleasure of growing up on Vernon Ave. My grandmother was the secretary when the T&T…read moreVernon Ave Block Association was formed. I was her personal mail-girl. My job was to deliver the notices to the monthly meeting to the association members. (smile). I remember in the late 1980's when the apartment buildings near Tompkins Ave burned down. The fire was terrible. However, from the ashes rose a wonderful community garden. I am proud to say that I was happy to be a part of the building of the community garden. We maintained it and held events from the garden location. I no longer reside in the state of New York but it is really good to see that something that I was a apart of is still thriving. By the way, I grew up in the house located at 175A Vernon Ave.

Great hidden gem on the Brooklyn Waterfront in Red Hook. Two floors of exhibitions opened on the…read moreweekends runned mostly by volunteers. If you're a Brooklyn artist you should check out joining this group to keep it's mission statement alive. Exhibitions change about every 2 months. Public transport is by bus. Street parking is hit or mission. Lots of other activities around this location to make this an exciting day trip. Say hi to the Statue of Liberty at the end of the street.

Unfortunately BWAC was the victim of a fire. In better days you can see lots of great artwork here…read more As an artist you can become a member for a hefty fee combined with some volunteer work. You can also apply to participate in curated shows. There are always great musical artists performing. You can purchase snacks, beer and wine and enjoy this beautiful location along with plenty of great food.

Such an amazing, beautiful, and peaceful space in the city! It's a true hidden gem filled with so…read moremany amazing things! There are such cool and unique plants/flowers, a pond with koi fish and turtles, bee place, gazebos, bird houses, place with sand to build sand castles, and composting spaces. It's a true garden oasis in the city where you can retreat to for some zen and peace and quiet. There are also a lot of cool community events happening here from live music, yoga, foraging classes, and pumpkin smashing. I'm glad I randomly just bumped into this while walking around this area. There's so much happening in this little garden and a true hidden gem.

If you're reading this, some part of your being has to be wondering "who takes the time to write a…read moreYelp review on a small community garden?" Well the answer is simple. Me. I do. The next question inevitably flowing through you must be some variation of "why?" Well that answer is not as simple, my dear reader. But I will attempt to answer: 1) I want a Yelpie, and I want one BAD. Oh you didn't know Yelpies were a thing? Well yeah I didn't either until yesterday, now I'm really finna turn it up on these reviews. Imagine how good a Yelpie would look on my mantle right next to my 8th grade basketball CYO pre-season tournament MVP, which is my crowning achievement to date. 2) This park is right across from my place and it's honestly SICK. It is covered in greenery and there is also a small little amphitheater-like seating arrangement. During the week it's a great place to come mellow out, smoke a CBD joint (allegedly), or just read a book. On the weekend there will be little cookouts (I have yet to be invited to one but I remain optimistic), concerts, or just cool, niche events. A lot of culture in and out of La Plaza Cultural. Hahaha see what I did there? 3) I just have a lot, and I mean A LOT, of fun writing things. I've been thinking a lot about my mortality lately, and just think it'd be cool to have family and friends read these if I ever die young. I also think we should spend time doing things that are fun in general, cuz none of this really matters at the end of the day. God is good and existence is beautiful. Hahahaha this got a little heavy but this park is DOPE come check it out. ALPHABET CITY STAND UP! IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

Went to a festival, they had music, poems, puppets and a variety of acts. Its such a lovely house…read moreand the grounds are beautiful. Had a chance to see tomatoes and eggplants growing. They also had face painting, tarot readings and braids were being made. Had a nice time.

Local gem and creative events…read more Visited with some family going to see some of the local history. Staff were super welcoming and I was blown away by the photos of the Inwood/Washington Heights before the subway was introduced uptown. The vast swath of farm land and this farmhouse is one place to see how it looks in that bucolic time period. The backyard had a hessian hut of what the military groups used during the historical time period. It is fascinating to think about so much history that took place across the last four centuries in Manhattan and previous to the European arrivals. Thank you for having a local spot for people to learn about history. Great value.

A treasure for the neighborhood. The garden is always kept…read moreso neat and clean. Seating offered throughout the garden. It's a beautiful space, respect it and it will respect you. I will fight for this Garden as long as I need to.

Elizabeth Street Garden was quite a nice find. It is well maintained by volunteers. Many shaded…read moreareas to sit and ponder while looking at beautiful greenery and statues of year. It was a great sit down stop.

Beautiful and cozy community garden. Great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather.read more

This is a wonderful community garden. It isn't the best place to take people who aren't steady on…read moretheir feet, as much of the garden has stepstones instead of a path. This is a small, local community garden where locals each have their own plot, so please tread carefully and don't pick anything. Because of the private nature of the plots, there are no sidewalks inside the garden. There is a small patio area near the beehives and storage shed where you could read a book, eat lunch, or simply sit on a bench and enjoy the company of the flowers, squirrels, and birds. The benches are not commercial benches, so it really feels like you're in someone's yard. The fence is open limited hours. If you aren't able to get inside the fence, it's a perfectly enjoyable option to walk around the edge of the plot as there are sidewalks and it is considered a public area. While you're here, why not stop in at Morton Williams, open 24 hours, for some excellent options? There is a fellow who lives on this corner. You can't miss him - her has dread locks longer than he is tall, and the end of them are growing moss that makes him look like a tree spirit. He has a small grill and a bicycle. COVID-Specific info: Last year, the garden underwent some renovations. Due to COVID, the garden seems to always be locked up. The new fences feel hostile. I hope to feel differently when everything is alive again in the spring. As with most of the iconic homeless people, the dryad is gone. I hope he is enjoying a hotel bed in the NYC Homless-in-hotels COVID program.