Last night my daughter rang me from her home in Melbourne, laughing hysterically. "Mum, guess what! - Peter asked what sort of car you drive!!! I told him ASIF! People in New York don't drive cars. What a dingbat..." and so on.
While Ebon might have found it highly amusing that her boyfriend thought that people in Manhattan had cars like people in Australia, I suppose many people, people who have never been to New York City, find it hard to imagine what daily life is like here in the Apple.
So I decided to write a small series on everyday life in Manhattan, starting with - gardens.
Apart from Central Park and some smaller park-type gardens, there are Manhattan's "communal gardens". These are gardens that are fenced off, and although the general public is permitted to stroll around, you must 'join' if you want to plant shrubs, flowers and vegetables there - members are allotted a plot. Rather like the strip farming of pre Agricultural Revolution in England.
One of my favorites is
the 6BC garden in Lower Manhattan, so-called as it is on 6th Street in between Avenue B and Avenue C.
I like its rambling style and the presence of people of all ages, actively participating in garden life.
The community gardens are more than just places where people can go to garden, and more provide more than a place of tranquility for jaded urban dwellers. Readings, musical afternoon, children's activities - a variety of social events are held in the community gardens that dot this city.
Another type of Manhattan garden is the
private communal gardens which are owned by apartment buildings. These are 'gated' and for use by residents only. The photo (left) is of the garden belonging to Astor Terrace, where I live. There's a BBQ, a fountain, plenty of benches and tables, and as you can see, lots of shade in summer.
The most private gardens are those attached to apartments, balcony and roof gardens. I have a balcony garden, pictured top left. You can see other apartments towering against the sky, in the background.
Some people are lucky enough to have their own, or access to a building's rooftop garden.
These can have trees and even lawns and fences. The ones in the photo on the left are
on top of medium-sized buildings, and the photo is taken from the 11th Floor, Astor Terrace.
People have similar activities on the top of their rooftop gardens as they do in suburban gardens in Australia. They have BBQs and blow-up plastic swimming pools for the kids. People sit outside in the evenings, drinking wine and chatting. Surprisingly, garden furniture is a top-selling item in stores.
Here is a photo of a garden at the top of a neighboring building. I used a zoom lens.
I love gardening and cannot imagine having no garden at all. My little balcony garden is just that, but it suffices. It is hot out there now, and the hum and heat of millions of air-conditioners detracts from its tranquility.
But I still love it. Summer, autumn and spring, I'm out there.
It is only in winter when both the plants and I, give up.
Kate Juliff
New York
June 2005
