Established in 1982, the Los Amigos Community Garden has long embodied the pulse and life of the community and served as a local hub for neighborhood activities and events.  In an effort to expand on the growing needs of the surrounding neighborhood, NYRP’s horticultural team worked for six months to re-envision this space beginning in March 2010. On August 11th of that same year, NYRP Founder Bette Midler, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and New York City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito joined the garden’s donors, Diane and Clyde Brownstone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and community members to commemorate the re-opening of this beloved community gem. The celebration included an outdoor party that Los Amigos Community highlighted and paid homage to the distinctive culture that is Spanish Harlem.

As a result of NYRP’s restoration efforts, visitors are now invited into the newly renovated into this community treasure by a tranquil row of wild grasses that line the garden’s front gates. Two rows of raised planting beds serve as the centerpiece of the garden and feature an innovative bed design – constructed from pieces of weathering steel and framed by wooden blocks – that was part of a collaborative design created by the landscape architect for the garden – Richard Alomar – and NYRP’s Project Manager Jared Vazales. Next spring, the gardening beds will be divided into plots for the growing of vegetables and herbs by local residents and families.  

For years, a focal point of the garden has been its casita that has served as a gathering spot for local community members looking to play cards or host a family event. Additionally, the community used their casita as a location for weekend barbeques, where residents gathered together to cook and serve traditional Puerto Rican dishes like arroz con gandules and roast pig. As part of the garden renovation, NYRP built a new, open-air casita that adds a fresh feel to the traditional casita design. A beautiful plum tree – planted seven years ago by one of the garden’s original members, Belén Mendez – serves as a breathtaking reminder of the space’s rich history and provides shade for anyone looking for a little respite from the sweltering summer heat. Additional highlights include a new grill that residents can use for cookouts and events and a colorful fence that helps to bring the flavor of the community into the garden.

Although small, this 1,946-square-foot garden is well-used by the primarily Hispanic residents of the surrounding community and, in 2004, was recognized by the New York State Council on the Arts for its cultural significance to the East Harlem Latino community. Situated amidst one- and two-family homes, apartments, small businesses and the nearby New York City Housing Authority’s Wagner Houses – Los Amigos Community Garden is only a few blocks from Thomas Jefferson Park and joins several other NYRP gardens in the vicinity, forming a network of green spaces that dramatically improve the quality of life in East Harlem.