LOS AMIGOS
GARDEN and CASITA

A grassroots greening movement emerged in New York City during the 1970s in the Lower East Side, but soon spread throughout the City's boroughs. Community members reclaimed vacant lots strewn with garbage and rubble in an effort to make their neighborhoods safer, cleaner, and more aesthetically pleasing. The lots became decorative gardens filled with artwork or practical gardens for growing a diverse array of fruits and vegetables. In areas where there was a strong Puerto Rican presence, such as East Harlem ("El Barrio") and parts of the South Bronx, casitas, or little houses, were built alongside the vegetables gardens. The casitas are inspired by the rustic houses that dot Puerto Rico's countryside and enable community members to retain a part of their island's heritage here in New York City.

The beloved casitas and community gardens make up almost 75% of the green space in El Barrio. One of those casitas is here in the Los Amigos Community Garden. The garden was established in 1982 by John Mendez and was leased for a short time through the City's Green Thumb program. In 1999, when many of the City's community gardens were in danger of being sold at auction, the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), founded by Bette Midler, joined a consortium of concerned citizens and other non-profit groups and rescued Los Amigos and 114 other gardens throughout New York City. The garden is now owned and cared for by NYRP in partnership with the community. Los Amigos and its casita remain a central part of the East Harlem and provide a festive space for holidays, birthdays, and everyday gatherings.

This Sign and Documentation of this garden was made possible by a grant from the Folk Arts Program of the New York State Council on the Arts