Garden
Before he founded St. Vartan Park Conservancy, Kevin O’Keefe led an advocacy campaign that successfully opened the park’s city-owned garden and lawn to the general public after decades of closure. In 2024, NYC Parks designated the Conservancy the official steward of the green oasis.
Following a fall 2021 trial period tor public use, then a winter of daily stewardship by O’Keefe, the garden was opened for perpetual use starting in the spring of 2022 in coordination with the launch of the Conservancy.
The ongoing garden-improvement plan accentuates such benefits as inclusion and mental health. The first step — implementation of a Conservancy recommendation to NYC Parks to remove the garden’s inner wire fencing — opened more publicly accessible green space. The barrier had blocked public entry to a significant part of the garden.
Location
The garden entrance is on the west side of First Avenue between East 35th Street and East 36th Street east of the park building.
Hours
Wildlife
Please visit the Conservancy’s Wildlife page to view some of the animal species spotted in the garden.
Retrospection
A journey through the park’s history is presented through images and publication excerpts on this page and this site’s History, About, Events, Playground, Field, Basketball, Handball, Pickleball, Permits, Building, Wildlife, Swish and Posts pages.