Join us for an evening celebrating the legacy and future of New York City’s community gardens, inspired by the short film The Amazing Garden, produced and directed by Hiroko Tadano Neely and Deb Levine. The film tells the story of how, thirty years ago, a group of passionate neighbors transformed a derelict concrete lot on the Columbia Street waterfront into a lush, thriving green space—a powerful example of grassroots urban renewal. Following the screening, we’ll hear directly from three of the original gardeners—Launa Beuhler, Mildred Bishop, and Chris Curran—who helped bring The Amazing Garden to life.

In the second part of the evening, a panel of experts will reflect on the broader community gardening movement in New York City including Isak Mendes, Deputy Director of NYC Parks’ GreenThumb program, Steven Thomson, former President of the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust Board of Directors, and Kwesi Joseph, Urban Garden Specialist, Harvest New York.

Together, they’ll discuss the vital role community gardens have played in building neighborhoods since the 1970s and 80s, and the contemporary challenges they face—from gentrification and zoning pressures to food justice and climate resilience. We’ll also explore the future of the movement as its founding generation ages, and celebrate the enduring power of these spaces as hubs of nature, creativity, education, and connection.