The past couple of months have been busy ones, taking me away from my blog for a time as my students have required much of my time. (I’m an assistant dean at a law school, and my classes began the last week of July.) But I’ve still been exploring this wonderful city I call home, and I’ve got a stockpile of treasures I’ve discovered to share with you in the coming weeks. It was such a nice summer I’ve spent much of it outside – walking up and down streets of intriguing neighborhoods, looking for art, architecture, and other delights; hunting down the ever-renewing street art throughout the city; finding moments of quiet contemplation in public parks and community gardens; and even wandering a historic cemetery (or two).
For my first post in quite some time, I thought I’d take you to the LaGuardia Corner Gardens, located in Greenwich Village. I was walking past when the open gate drew me in, and I was glad I stopped. The garden isn’t huge, but there are several shaded spots to sit and enjoy the views.
The garden felt a little wild, and as I’ve read about it more I discovered it is intentionally so. Many plants are volunteers, growing where last year’s seeds dropped. That means a little more work to make your way through the garden, but it’s no reason to deter a visitor seeking a quiet space among the greenery and flowers. It also gave the community garden its own personality, making it a special little gem in the neighborhood that reflects the volunteers’ commitment to maintaining its character.
There were dozens of different flowers and plants throughout the garden. Here are some of my favorites.
If you look up instead of down, however, you’ll be reminded you’re in the middle of the city. These sunflowers made a fun contrast with neighboring buildings.
And then I came upon this little surprise – an heirloom tomato!
Finally, I was excited to capture this photo of a bee. So often, my bee photos turn out blurred, but this one was a success!
Want to visit the LaGuardia Corner Gardens yourself? It is located at 511 LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker and Houston Streets. The gardens are only open limited time periods – I recommend checking the Gardens’ official website, found here, for seasonal hours.
Finding NYC 
What a wonderful find. I imagine it smelled heavenly too. It is always so refreshing to sit for a minute or two in a garden and just relax.
Not only did it smell good, but I could also hear birds tweeting to each other (although I couldn’t figure out where they were hiding!).
I’m really enjoying a flurry of subways and cemeteries and gardens now you have a brief moment of leisure – and reading backwards, as you can see.
Thanks, Meg! I’m glad you are enjoying them. I’ve probably got enough material right now for 20-30 more posts, plus I want to catch up on what everyone else is reading. I feel like I’ve been away from old friends for a long time, and now I want to catch up on what everyone’s been doing.
What a tranquil spot Susan and some gorgeous photos.
Thanks, Marion. I look forward to reading about what you’ve been doing as I catch up on my blog reading.
I love this garden, but it’s been awhile since I visited. Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures, Susan!
I’m glad you enjoyed them. This garden is definitely a treasure.
What a lovely space! It has such a nice feel to it. 🙂 🙂
Heavens- I had no idea you had such a responsible job. So glad you can still find a little time to share your finds.
I often work long hours, but I love working with the students. And my explorations and blogging make for great stress relief and “recharging the batteries.”
I wondered where you had got too! This is really pretty – welcome back.
Thank you! It feels good to be back. I’ve been missing everyone.
Just love surprise gardens! Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Another treasure – I like the rustic and slightly wild look, so pretty 🙂