7 Hidden Urban Green Spaces to Escape the City

New York is huge, fast-paced, exciting and glamorous, but sometimes, it’s just too much. When pushing a stroller down streets packed with movers and shakers while you inhale that only-in-NYC patented aroma of rotting garbage sprinkled with canine urine has you dreaming of the burbs, take comfort in an escape that only those-in-the-know can find – community gardens.

These urban oases are hidden throughout the city, often in the most unexpected – but desperately – needed places. Check out some of our favorites below. You might discover a spot of serenity right in your own neighborhood. Or even one worthy of venturing further!

West Side Community Garden
Impossible to miss on West 89th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, this thirty-six year old and counting treasure not only boasts a flower park and a vegetable plot, but also hosts a variety of family-oriented activities year-round, including a Children’s Shakespeare Festival in the Summer, a Tulip Festival in the Spring, and an Arts & Crafts Fair in the Fall. In addition, they offer gardening tips, like the fact that your plants love Lasagna just like Garfield the Cat. Who knew?

Photo courtesy of NYC.andre