Elizabeth Street Garden Hosts Pet Parade, Despite Impending Eviction Notice
“We’re here to stay,” said Joseph Reiver, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Street Garden Inc. nonprofit.
Lobsters, lions, gumball machines, zombies, pumpkins, and ewoks walked around Elizabeth Street Garden — or, at least dogs dressed up like them did. On Sunday, approximately 300 people viewed the second annual Halloween pet parade hosted by the outdoor statue garden. Opening the contest, a tan french Mastiff dressed like the Garden’s signature lion walked down the central gravel path, followed by over 80 dogs in costumes, including Wrigley Wayne, Broome Street’s resident black and white Shih Tzu dressed as Batman.
Each contestant paid a $20 entrance fee to support a legal fund to “save the garden.” The Nolita garden has been at the center of a legal battle since March of 2019 when two separate lawsuits were filed against the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for their plans to build 123 units of affordable housing for seniors on the lot. The new building development, called Haven Green, is still waiting for the rulings from Judge Debra James from the New York Supreme Court.
Pending the rulings, building Haven Green at the site of the garden has sparked ongoing debate in the community, as access to green space and affordable housing for seniors are both essential — and competing — uses for the city-owned lot.
“Too many seniors are unable to age in their communities due to a lack of affordable housing across the city,” Allison Nickerson, Executive Director at LiveOn NY, an organization that supports older New Yorkers to safely age in their communities, said in a press release. “This opportunity for 123 units of senior housing, as well as a significant amount of public space, will invigorate the community.”
The Garden is run and maintained by volunteers at Elizabeth Street Garden Inc., a 501 c(3) nonprofit that has leased the land month-to-month from the city since 2016. Before that, the lot was leased by Allan Reiver, a local gallerist who spent nearly 30 years transforming the empty rubble lot into a Nolita staple. Reiver passed away in July, but the debate over the fate of the garden continues as the nonprofit was served with an eviction notice to evacuate the garden’s sculptures and benches by Oct. 31, 2021.
“We have said no to that. I think everyone standing in this space has said no to that,” said Joseph Reiver, pet parade emcee and the executive director of the Garden’s nonprofit. Wearing a black and gold lion mask and an ochre three-piece suit to match the festive spirit at the garden, Reiver announced the decision to stay. “We’re still here, we’re not going anywhere. We’re here to stay,” he said.
Now nearly 30 years old, the garden has become a haven for many New Yorkers, including NYU students who live in the area. Helen Yu, a Gallatin senior who lives in Broome Street, attended the parade to celebrate Halloween at one of her favorite spots in the city.
“I went to show support for the garden, since the city is trying to evict them. It’s truly a magical place and going there always makes me happy, so I’m doing what I can to help with its preservation,” she said. “And of course, I was also there to see cute animals dressed up like people.”
For other students, the garden is part of their daily routine. Ariana Calderón (Tisch ’23) lives in the neighborhood and makes a point of walking by the garden every day on her way to class. Calderón misses her 9-year-old Yorkie, who she left in California when she returned to school this fall, and goes to the park to watch the dogs.
“I journal a lot while taking in the sounds and watching dogs meet each other,” she said. “There’s definitely a community of dogs and dog owners that I always see. It’s really sweet. It just feels like a little gem. I’ve never been anywhere else in the city like it.”
Studies have found that pet ownership and access to green space contribute to improved mental health, and some students have found a sense of peace and have been able to re-charge while sitting in the garden.
“It’s a respite from the hecticness of the city,” said Consi Faling, a Gallatin senior who lives in the East Village. “Plus, there’s a statue of a lion,” they said.
With the impending eviction and the ruling decision unclear, the future of the Garden is still uncertain. While the Garden waits for the decision for the New York Supreme Court, it is fitting for a dog dressed like late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to have won the parade.
“Thank you for coming,” Reiver said to conclude the pet parade. “Hope to see you next year.”
