10 Hidden Gardens in NYC You’ll Want to Keep a Secret

Green space is hard to come by in Manhattan—an apartment with a garden or terrace is a unicorn, scoring you instant popularity with friends and neighbors—but did you know there is probably a secret garden in your neighborhood? In addition to the three botanical gardens in the city, there are hundreds of gardens that are known to locals and tended by volunteers. Many of them are open to the public, so stop by one to soak in the greenery in the middle of Manhattan. Because they are run by volunteers, their opening hours may vary so we recommend checking the website or calling the information line before visiting. And after your visit, try your hand at a family gardening activity sure to grown your green thumb.

Here we reveal our 10 favorite hidden gardens in Manhattan, from north to south.
    

The Gardens of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

Entrances on Amsterdam Avenue at 110th and 111th streets, Morningside Heights
212-316-7540
Hours: daily, dawn to dusk

What many don’t realize is that the gardens of the Cathedral are open to the public all year-round, during daylight hours. There are plenty of grassy areas with places to sit, a 40-food gothic spire, and the Peace Fountain, which was sculpted to mark the 200th anniversary of the Diocese of New York in 1985. You may even bump into one of the three resident peacocks. Directly across the street there is also a small neighborhood garden called the West 111th Street People’s Garden that is worth a visit.
    

West Side Community Garden

Entrances on West 89th and 90th streets, between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues, Upper West Side
Hours: most days, dawn to dusk, unless there is garden maintenance or a special event going on

This popular garden with unique amphitheater design was built in 1987 on the site of a garbage filled lot. It includes impressive flowerbeds, vegetable beds, herb beds, and school beds. The West Side Community Garden hosts many events, such as the famous tulip festival in May, which showcases the 15,000 tulip bulbs that are planted in November. The garden also hosts theater shows, movie nights, arts and crafts, and a ticketed member benefit.
    

Ford Foundation Atrium

320 E. 43rd St., between First and Second avenues, Midtown East
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm

Hidden in an office building near the United Nations is a lush, indoor garden, perfect for escaping bad weather. It sits inside a glass paneled, climate-controlled atrium that is more than 160 feet tall.
    

Alice’s Garden

10th Avenue, between 34th and 35th streets, Hell’s Kitchen
212-736-4536

This small garden is nestled between busy streets and the Hudson Yards construction site. It’s named after Alice Parsekian, a local woman who took care of the garden until her death in 2010. You now need a key to access it, which also grants access to a number of other community plots in the area. You must be a New York resident to purchase a key: $2 each from Community Board 4: 330 W. 42nd St., #2601.
    

Jefferson Market Garden

Greenwich Avenue, between Sixth Avenue and West 10th Street, West Village
Hours: April-October: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-dusk; weather permitting

This triangle shaped garden sits on the site of a former woman’s prison that served the Jefferson Market Court House next door (now the Jefferson Market Library, a National Historic Landmark). Legend has it that Mae West once spent some time in the prison in 1927, after being arrested for her scandalous Broadway show Sex. The garden has well-tended flowerbeds, rose bushes, a fountain, a fishpond, and a circular path that my kids loved running around. Volunteers staff the front gate, and the garden hosts music concerts, kids’ festivals, and even weddings.