DisneyExaminer

  • Home
  • About
  • Movies
  • Theme Parks
  • Products
  • Editorials
  • Giveaways

How Disney helped build a community garden park in an East Harlem neighborhood

A different type of magic: Disney transforms a trash-filled lot into a vibrant community garden

  • in Other Disney

Disney has been no stranger to philanthropic endeavors. Social media campaigns like “#ShareYourEars” helped raise over $2 million dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation just earlier this year. It was a very popular campaign, and you might have even participated yourself.

What you might not yet have heard is that Disney also makes efforts to promote the restoration of public parts – in fact, recently the company has helped sponsor, develop, and refurbish public parks throughout Anaheim near the Disneyland Resort. Perhaps one of the most interesting and generous efforts by Disney is sponsoring a community garden park and playground in the middle of a bustling, urban neighborhood in East Harlem, New York.

Before
Before
After
After

(Pictures above show pictures taken before and after the restoration project.)

The 103rd Street Community Garden was formerly a vacant, “trash-filled” lot. It wasn’t until the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), SCAPE, and The Walt Disney Foundation decided to turn it into a green space in 2004 and then finally, in 2011, transform it into the vibrant, community space that it is today. The diverse space includes a Disney Junior inspired playground, basketball court, open lawn, performance space, barbecue grill, shade structures with rain barrels, and vegetable plots.

103rd-st_plan_scale-bar-rgb-1-1000x724

Plans for 103rd Street Community Garden

east-harlem-community-garden-plots
east-harlem-community-garden-plots-2

“To me this garden is a reflection of our community, where elements from all over the world are transplanted on fertile ground and along with the native species grow deep roots, blossom and bear fruit. I am most grateful to NYRP and its entire dedicated and wonderful staff who have made this all possible,” said Robert Cruz, local community member.

east-harlem-community-garden-neighborhood

The area in which the park was built is “primarily Hispanic” with “numerous schools, six NYCHA developments and many multi-story apartment buildings.” It has been regarded as a “historically underserved” neighborhood in East Harlem. This effort not only helped create a vital gathering space for community growth, but engaged and inspired the community to create something for themselves by volunteering their time, insight, and energy into making plans for the park a reality.

east-harlem-community-garden-volunteers
east-harlem-community-garden-volunteers-2
east-harlem-community-garden-volunteers-3

In 2012, the park received a NY ASLA Award for Collaborative Design.

It’s admirable to see a company like Disney, which has such a great effect on the way we view culture, use their resources to go beyond simple entertainment. Next time you’re at a local park, keep an eye out for traces of Disney magic – you never know where you might see it.

print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Share
Michelle Pagaran

— Michelle Pagaran

Writer at DisneyExaminer. Seeking adventure in the great wide somewhere and lover of all things sweet. Reach me at michelle@disneyexaminer.com Find me on Instagram at @mintvalue and Twitter at @mint_value.

You may also like...

  • Still Pursuing Happiness. 11 Sep, 2012

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Previous story Twitter wants Disney to buy them because they could save it
  • Next story On deafness, acting, and musical theatre: John McGinty and Dino Nicandros [Interview]
  • Today is

  • Happening Now

    My Tweets
  • News Archive

  • Monorail Blue Podcast

  • Home
  • Other Disney
  • How Disney helped build a community garden park in an East Harlem neighborhood
  • Hiya, Pal

    DisneyExaminer is a premier independent online magazine that takes a closer look at the various segments of The Walt Disney Company.

    Founded in Orange County, California.

  • Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel

  • Search

  • Home
  • About
  • Movies
  • Theme Parks
  • Products
  • Editorials
  • Giveaways

© 2008 - 2019 DisneyExaminer. All rights reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.