New York City's community gardens were created in the early '70's amidst urban blight on crime ridden, vacant, rubble strewn lots in low and middle-income neighborhoods long neglected by the City. Cropping up like picturesque wonderlands amidst the chaos of NYC's asphalt jungle, the gardens grew out of the determination of community residents to fight crime by reclaiming small pieces of their neighborhoods.
Community gardens are a fundamental part of strong neighborhoods.
Parks and gardens make for more cohesive communities. This is especially true in low-income neighborhoods where the residents are much more dependent on open space close to home. Neighborhoods with community gardens tend to have lower crime rates than those that do not. Community gardens provide safe havens for children, parents and grandparents in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Community gardens provide food for many families, soup kitchens and food distribution centers throughout the City.