Urban Garden Center NYC

Posted on February 10, 2018 by | 10 Comments

Urban Garden Center

By Johna Till Johnson

When it’s cold and snowy out, where does a New Yorker in search of lush greenery go? The Urban Garden Center, of course!

It’s a whimsical wonderland hidden under Park Ave at 116th St., and one of the many crown jewels of Spanish Harlem.  In summer, there are live chickens (because what’s a garden center without chickens?). Children love to come and visit, and feed the chickens.

In winter the fauna are more limited: Teddy bears and mermaids.

Fairyland (with teddy bears!)

And speaking of fairyland, the center’s owner, intrigued by my picture-taking, regaled me with stories of New York “back in the day” (we are pretty much the same age).

My favorite was the time when he, as an 18-year-old from Long Island City, Queens, drove his brand-new Honda CRX right into the middle of a gang war in Spanish Harlem.

As he drove into a narrow alley, the two sides stopped fighting each other and attacked him. They lobbed a Molotov cocktail at his car, lighting the hood on fire.  There was nowhere for him to turn, so he threw the car into reverse and burned rubber backing out of the alleyway, flaming hood and all.

Ah, New York… those were the days!

Fairyland fauna: Mermaid

 

 

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10 responses to “Urban Garden Center NYC”

  1. CurlsnSkirls | February 10, 2018 at 9:18 am | Reply

    Gorgeous mermaid & cute (hanging) teddies! What a place to come to soak up the wonderful sights & smells of Nature in the middle of a huge metropolis.
    Thanks for the visit!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Colline | February 10, 2018 at 1:11 pm | Reply

    What a beautiful space to visit in the middle of winter.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. arlene | February 11, 2018 at 6:34 am | Reply

    Wow, what a lovely place!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Marilyn Armstrong | February 11, 2018 at 3:52 pm | Reply

    There used to be a huge garden show at the Nassau Coliseum this time of year. It was my favorite thing in the winter, the one place I could go where there was COLOR. Right now, everything is mud colored.

    Liked by 1 person

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Comments are most welcome!