Three Gardens to Welcome Spring in the Village

Winter in New York is not for the weak. Avenues become wind tunnels, streets become ice skating rinks, and temperatures can get so low that one tries not leave the house. But, at some point, the roaring, lion-like winds of early March tame into gentle lamb-like breezes, and all of New York rejoices on sidewalks, front stoops, and park benches—just about anywhere that’s outside. Our neighborhood has ample green spaces and havens to offer, and today we’re exploring three of them!

Jefferson Market Garden

Today, the beautiful Jefferson Market Garden is lined with tulips, magnolias, and azaleas. But it was not always this way. Before the flora, fauna, and fantastical weddings, the Jefferson Market Garden was a market, a detention center, a courthouse, a volunteer firehouse, and then some.

Known for its Victorian Gothic style and prominence on 6th Avenue, the building, now called Jefferson Market Library, was originally a courthouse built in tandem with an adjacent prison and market in the 1870s. Years before, in 1833, however, the plot next door operated as a market supplying the food needs for the growing population of Greenwich Village. In 1873, it was razed to make way for a new civic complex and courthouse. The plot of land continued to evolve over the next century, culminating in an overcrowded and inhumane Women’s House of Detention, which closed in 1974. A year later, the plot of land saw yet another rebirth, this time as the garden we love today. Led by local residents who yearned for accessible green space, the garden was designed by horticulturist and landscape architect Pamela Berdan, drawing inspiration from Frederick Law Olmsted.

Today, a community garden lives on and is enjoyed by the public through its April 1 to October 30 season.

St Luke’s in the Fields

A ten-minute walk west lies another oasis; this one, however, is a bit more of an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city (and definitely that of 6th Avenue). The Church of St. Luke’s in the Fields sits at 487 Hudson Street between Christopher and Barrow Streets. The church itself has a long and significant history and greatly impacted the social and physical environments of our neighborhood; as the third-oldest church building still in use in Manhattan, and the oldest in the Greenwich Village Historic District, its history is a uniquely continuous reflection of the surrounding neighborhood’s evolution over time. And St. Luke’s physical span is nearly as great as its cultural impact. Situated within a two-acre city block, it houses two-thirds of an acre of walks, lawns, and unique gardens.

The Barrow Street Garden, the largest garden, was developed in 1956 after buildings on the site were razed. High brick walls surround the garden’s perimeter, providing a warm microclimate that allows a wide variety of flora and fauna to flourish. The nearly two-thirds-acre garden has walkways, lawns, and a fine collection of garden standards, rare hybrids, and native American plantings. The green space provides a small but important way-station for migrating birds and butterflies in spring and fall. Over 100 species of birds and 24 types of moths and butterflies have been recorded over the years.

6th and Ave B Garden

Green spaces and idyllic hideaways are by no means limited to the West Village. In fact, the East Village is home to more than 50 community gardens and green spaces. In 2025, Village Preservation recognized the Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens, or LUNGS, as a Village Award winner. Since its inception in 2011, LUNGS has strived to connect all the volunteer-based community gardens of Loisaida, the East Village, and the Lower East Side, ensuring permanent access to green space in lower Manhattan.

At East 6th Street and Avenue B is one of these treasured spaces. Colloquially known as 6 & B Garden, the green space was founded in 1983 by a group of homesteaders in Alphabet City. The garden operated illegally for years after it unsuccessfully sought a lease from Operation Green Thumb. After four years, the city repossessed the land, and what followed was stride and friction. Facing various development plans, the garden was saved by the grit and perseverance of local residents.

Today, the garden is a community pillar, offering locals and travelers alike 17,813 square feet of escapism. The Garden contains fruiting trees, flowering shrubs and innumerable herbs, flowers and vegetables. Members cultivate raised beds of soil (plots) and stage programs of crafts, horticultural/science workshops, culinary events, films, multicultural festivals, and musical and theatrical performances from around the world

From the West Village to East, these spaces offer small but meaningful breaks from the pace of city life. We invite you to explore them, and all of our neighborhood’s other gardens, on warmer days!