37 Comments

I hope you can save the gardens!

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Special thanks to Coded Conversations. Save our cities and towns. Dave Pi 3.14

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Letter sent! I live in Boston now, but visit the garden whenever I come to NYC. I consider it one of my beloveds. Much gratitude for your passion and all your persistent hard work. May open hearts prevail. May a path forward be revealed.

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Letter sent. I hope to visit the garden some day. I know housing needs are critical for families everywhere, and hope this issue can be resolved without losing yet another of our cherished green spaces. Where will the children be without them?

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I think a current understanding about urban behavior tells us that it's important that people get out and be able to get away from the concrete jungles and the dense environment where they live for their own mental well-being. If they don't do this, the costs in human loss and human sickness will be far greater than what we would be expending for these kinds of releases and open spaces.

Barry Goldwater, of all people!

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Gotter done! Thank you for bringing it to our attention!

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Thanks Everyone. D3.14

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Yes save Elizabeth for the future!!

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I have sent a letter - The garden looks beautiful, especially with all the wonderful sculptures and statues. It is disheartening to see every small area of green space being developed. I hope the City reconsiders and develops their 'affordable' housing with 'luxury' retail space in another location.

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This is really heart breaking to hear about… when will this gobbling up of the community’s green space end?!

I’ve sent my letter, even though I’m in Australia and haven’t personally experienced this garden, I’ve heard of it through you of course Jesse; it’s quite obvious by all the activities and good will generated here that it is an important, and intrinsically beneficial, space in New York city.

Where I live, just this month, the local community had to stand together in opposition to a proposal that would see a known and much loved community ‘Nature Reserve’ sold off to private developers ostensibly for ‘new housing’ allocations. It was a good example of ‘People Power’ and in this case it did prevail. I fervently hope your ‘Garden’ can be saved.

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I’ve been visiting the garden for years and have been writing letters since the threat to destroy it came into being. It is such an important part of the city and its personality. To lose it to a soulless building would rob so many of so much. These little pockets of green feed us and the planet. We have to protect them

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You don’t say what the danger is. That is a big miss. You say what you like and how magical it is but never mention the threat or did I miss it?

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author

This topic is very tender and close to my heart which is why I write and post and share about it so frequently. I put a lot of intentional love into this post and provided all of the necessary links and documents so anyone who cares to put the effort in can join. Thank you for your understanding.

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The city wants to use the space for ‘affordable’ housing, which is important, but housing without green space is more costly in the long run in terms of the climate and well being of the city and its people

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May 24·edited May 24

In Australia, we had a union man Jack Mundey create ‘Green Bans’ and Builders & Labourers Federation BLF ( union ) refused to destroy & work on places that needed conservation. The women started this. Brilliant campaign. Iconic places of Sydney saved. Look up Green Bans Sydney. Jen https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/green_bans_movement

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https://www.wendyssecretgarden.org.au/ This is the story by and about Wendy Whiteley’s campaign to make & save a garden below the home she shared with Brett Whiteley snd their daughter Arkie. A journey of gardening after grief. It’s such a beautiful story & place. Maybe contact Wendy.

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Thank you for your passion and commitment, Jesse. While our cities certainly need affordable housing (which doesn't appear to be the case in this development), it shouldn't come at the expense of our gardens and green spaces. We can build magnificent structures but, in the end, we are not creatures of concrete and steel. We are beings of Nature. Wishing you every success in this campaign. Please let those of us not living in New York know how it's going.

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