City Green: Public Gardens of New York

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the phrase urban jungle as “city life, especially the unpleasant parts of it,” such as traffic noise, pollution, and huge concrete buildings. New York City certainly has all of those, and they affect even the casual tourist. But it also possesses wonderful pockets of respite from all that—many more than the city’s crown jewel—Frederick Law Olmsted’s 843-acre Central Park. City Green, captured by the talented garden photographer Mick Hales, takes us on a tour of 25 verdant spaces in Manhattan and the outer boroughs. It’s a celebration of the ingenuity that urban gardens demand when short on acreage.

Consider Paley Park, tucked between two buildings on 53rd Street just off Fifth Avenue, with its wall of water that drowns out Midtown traffic. At no more than one-tenth of an acre, it still makes a statement (and is perfect for an alfresco lunch). Not just creating but also keeping green areas green can be a challenge in a city tight on space. Writer Jane Garmey chronicles the determination of Upper West Side residents to protect their community garden from development, which resulted in a vibrant, self-funded, and well-tended space. The book also takes us to those gardens that are more luxuriant in space and pedigree, such as The Cloisters in Upper Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River, and Wave Hill in the Bronx, which was once a private estate. With this book in hand, even the most ardent naturalist can brave New York City in fine form.

City Green: Public Gardens of New York by Jane Garmey, photography by Mick Hales

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