Recovery + Regeneration: NYC's Lower East Side and East Village

A historic and multi-cultural community, the Lower East Side is known for its resiliency, creativity and community spirit. Hard hit by the Pandemic of 2020, diverse participants from many backgrounds have come together to help meet urgent needs and plan for the future of this frontline community.

Proposing a site? You can use Green Map's new set of Recovery Icons - these include Public Health, Recuperation and Regeneration - or select from the Green Map Icons to highlight nature, culture, social justice and green living places.

This is Green Map System's neighborhood, and it has been a hotbed of mutual aid and pandemic recovery activities! With 165,000 residents here, there is great potential for a more equitable, inclusive and ecological way forward.

The Recovery Icons were developed in this neighborhood by Green Map System, which has been based in Manhattan's Lower East Side since inception.

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6BC Botanical Garden

This is a remarkable community garden where solar powered electricity catches the sun and powers the waterfall, tools and lighting for the shed. This community garden is maintained by local residents...

Siempre Verde Community Garden

Siempre Verde Community Garden The relatively new Lower East Side community garden, Siempre Verde, serves as a local space for community get togethers, including performances, yoga practice, community...

Central Park Conservancy

The Conservancy takes care of Central Park, which delights visitors and locals alike. As of 2020, there is finally a statue depicting real women in the park, marking 100 years after women gain the rig...

Loisaida Community Fridge

Loisaida Community Fridge East Village Location: 602 E 9th St Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran ParishThis parish has had a popular soup kitchen serving people in need for many years, and recently open...

Avenue A L Train Station

One of many Metro Stations along 14th Street, this is the newest and it has an elevator! The MTA offers one of the fastest and convenient systems in the US. The L train crosses 14th Street and goes ac...

4th Street Food Co-op

A treasured place in the community - anyone can shop at this Co-op and other co-op cards are honored. Working a shift a month saves 25% on organic food! While concentrating on selling organic and loc...

The Earth School

The curriculum is centered on sustainability at the Earth School. Outdoor bins in this primary school's garden for yard waste and for students' food waste. Awesome raised bed garden on the roof. The E...

Stuyvesant Cove Park

This is an amazing park, planted especially to provide food for wildlife throughout the seasons. They have turned this into a native plant food forest and its one of the few places to forage in Manhat...

6B Community Garden

A beautiful community garden with an epic performance and gathering area. Often open during the evening. Fabulous fireflies! And what a great variety of plants, many of which are labeled. Check out th...

Green Map System

Green Map System promotes inclusive participation in sustainable community development around the world, using mapmaking as our medium. This organization created this Open Green Map platform, OGM2, wi...

University Place Open Street

This Village street will become even more village-like in late 2021, as it will soon become a permanent open street, where cars are guests and slow down for people. Check out a 2019 plan for more det...

Orchard Street Open Street Intersections

This area's open streets are a bit fragmented around Orchard Street's 'spine'. You'll see many open dining areas, too.

Orchard Street Open Street

Orchard Street has been car-free every Sunday for decades, originally so it can become an open air bargain district. With the Pandemic, the open street was extended to 8 am to 8pm daily.

Avenue B Open Street

8AM to 8 PM daily! see @Loisaida_OSCC for updates and events

Wildlife Watching

This is a squirrel lookout tree! There is a well-placed knothole where they can assess ground conditions before getting out of bed. This tree was probably planted in the 1930's! How many generations ...

Squirrel-friends

This tree has stayed strong through many storms. It looks a bit battered but it's home to a lively squirrel family and probably other species, too.

Solar One

2021- temporarily programming elsewhere while construction of the East Side Coastal Resilience project is underway nearby. Now in the process of relocating for the massive East Side Coast Resilie...

Community Fridge

East Village Community Fridge Neighborhood: Location: 197 First Avenue at 12th Street, by Smac Notes: open 24/7 - we empty out very fast so all donations of healthy, unopened, uneaten food welcom...

Community Fridge at Sixth Street Community Center

Sixth Street Community Center Fridge Neighborhood: Alphabet City Location: 638 E 6th St between Aves B and CNotes: Open 11-4 during WeekdaysThis wonderful place has also supported between 100 and 400 ...

Community Fridge at Abroms Art Center

LES Community Fridge at Henry Street Playhouse/ Abroms Art CenterNeighborhood: Lower East Side Location: 466 Grand Stinstagram.com/les_communityfridge Thanks to the good people at nycfridge.com&n...

Overthrow Community Fridge

Overthrow Community Fridge Neighborhood: East Village Location: 9 Bleecker Street near Bowery This is a plant-based fridge! instagram.com/overthrowcommunityfridge "We will be having our first info se...

Chelsea Community Fridge & Cupboard

Chelsea Community Fridge & Cupboard Neighborhood: Chelsea Location: 55 West 15th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenue) instagram.com/thechelseafridgeThanks to the good people at nycfridge.com/ who h...

Stuyvesant Park

Though small, this park is usually not crowded and full of blossoms, making it a pleasure to chill out in. Fountains, concerts, picnic tables etc. but no sports facilities.

Dog Run

Let the dogs run and play in this convivial section of the park. Big dogs and little dogs each have their own fenced in runs.