The lots that keep being harvested across Central Harlem

More than places to be, rescued empty lands in this area are orchards maintained by volunteer work, mostly known as community gardens. Except for one or another vacant lot, most spaces between housing complexes are being used this way, which draws attention to the role that an integrated recreational area can play in a residential zone.

By Gabriela A. Carrasquillo Piñeiro

August 8, 2022

“Pocket Parks have been for many years [...] spaces scattered over the urban fabric without any relation with the contet, came out as 'muchrooms'.” -Taylor 1993

Central Harlem

Anyone who walks across 120th and 135th streets in Central Harlem will notice how, in this residential zone, buildings hide "vacant lots" among them that at first glance may seem to be abandoned.

A closer look through the black gates that usually enclose them, luscious green areas await to be occupied by everyone during the day, most of them with planting terraces populated with at least one sprouted tomato plant and a picnic table.

After the original structure was torn down, some of these lots were turned into parks in the 1960’s, then known as Vest-Pocket Parks because of their narrow and long shape between buildings. Now, most of these spaces, and others that may not be so thin, are used and known as community gardens or passive parks.

The left image is Harlem Village Green Community Garden in 129th street; the right one is the first pocket park in New York City at 128th street.

Even though these may seem as spaces for passive recreation, this was never their main purpose. As rescued lands by the community, and designed by them, they were meant for cultural convergence for residents and visitors, according to an article published at The Design Journal in 2017. The rescue of lots for public use dates back to 1964 when members of the Community Church of Christ in Harlem and The Park Association organized to acquire the land. This led to the construction of the first Vest-Pocket Park in all of New York City, on 128th Street in Central Harlem.

Although most of these lots are part of the NYC Parks Greenthumb movement of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, they are all managed by resident volunteers in the area and completely independent initiatives still survive, such as Harlem Grown. Back to the 1980’s, these spaces acquired a more sacred value. Seen as “a bad neighborhood”, volunteer Sherly Saint Cloud says that these gardens started to be seen as refugees for young people to spend time while having the opportunity to assume a role for the benefit of the community by growing their own food.

A compilation of featured parks and gardens

Harlem Grown

Collyer Brothers Park

Rev. Linnette C. Williamson

Memorial Park

Harlem Grown is aproject that was born in 2011,

and it started in their location at 134th street.

Now it has six others across Harlem, three of

them in the central region.

What makes this project special is how it

has a colaborative program with schools,

and impacts mainly poor families.

It used to be where the home of Langely and Homer

Collyer until 1947, when both were discovered

dead inside. They were extreme hoarders and

it took several days for the police to reach

the inside to find them.

It was turned into a park in 1965,

located at 128th street.

Opened in May 1965 at 128th street,

and students at Columbia University’s

School of Architecture worked

on its original design.

Central Harlem

1960

2020

2011

1964

1965

First Vest-Pocket Park in New York City.

Photo: Gabriela A. Carrasquillo Piñeiro

Image retreived from Garden Collage Magazine.

Unlike most recreational areas, “the birth of Pocket Parks in Harlem wasn’t included in the urban planning programs of [the city], but it was a product for the city people who wanted to satisfy the necessity to have a space for everybody”, recorded Francesco Armato in 2017 at The Design Journal.

Driven by volunteer work, some gardens count with more organized work than others. Saint Cloud points out that, certaintly, there is still a need to share more with the community the value of involving themselves in the work of the gardens across gardens.

Perhaps more hands are needed to work and open and close the gates daily, but the enthusiasm to preserve these spaces for what they were created is what keep inviting people like Sherly who continue to visit, enjoy and work on these spaces.