At 35-38 35th Street, Astoria's newest park blossoms with flowers and
shrubs as well as colorful murals
A.R.R.O.W. (Astoria Residents Reclaiming Our World)started on October
5, 1991 as a community recycling initiative. When New York City started
collection of recyclables a year later, A.R.R.O.W. focused on a new project:
a community garden with a recycling component.
A.R.R.O.W. selected a debris-filled city-owned lot on 35th Street and
the organization applied for a Green Thumb lease. Although threatened
with disposed by the city,the lack of open space in the community influenced
the decision to keep the property as a community garden. It was transferred
to the Park Department.
After a busy summer in 1995, the Garden officially opened on November
5th of that year. Within two years, more than one hundred volunteers were
cleaning out the garages, building raised beds, painting murals and planting
bulbs and shrubs.
Several community groups use the park including a community supported
agriculture program. Other activities include craft workshops, art projects
for children, and garden lessons.
Councilman Walter McCaffrey helped fund a capital budget to create play
areas for children and conversion of the garages to year-round activity
space. Non-profit community groups are welcome to use the space.
