The Elizabeth Street Garden is Officially Saved

It took Odysseus only ten years to get home from the Trojan War—it took thirteen to save the Elizabeth Street Garden. And while the latter’s saga was not as epic (no whirlpool and we’re not aware of a cyclops, though this being New York City, we can’t be certain), it was filled with just as many twists and turns and peculiar characters.

The beloved one-acre site in lower Manhattan, home to an idiosyncratic assortment of sculpture and salvaged architectural fixtures, was created by the equally idiosyncratic Allan Reiver who leased the city-owned site beginning in 1991. In a video The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) produced in 2019, Reiver said of the long vacant lot full of overgrown grass, and a couple of old cars: “I thought I could make something beautiful out of it.”

The Elizabeth Street Garden became a distinct icon in the family of community gardens scattered throughout the city’s five boroughs—intimate and very personal communal spaces within the colossal metropolis— and attracted its own family of supporters and devotees, from neighboring apartments to international visitors. However, pressure to create more affordable housing in the neighborhood (and throughout the city) led to a years-long series of battles, court cases, public hearings, city council resolutions, and other skirmishes. Since 2018 TCLF has advocated on the site’s behalf, which was enrolled in the Landslide program, and chronicled its ups-and-downs in dozens of articles.

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As TCLF reported the garden became a cause célèbre during the 2025 mayoral race; The New York Times queried each candidate about the garden’s future. As former mayor Eric Adams’ term was nearing its end in 2025, the mayor, who had supported housing on the site, reversed course and endorsed saving the garden and making it part of the New York City park system. The developers were blindsided and sued. Adams’ move also hobbled plans by then-mayor-elect and now mayor Zohran Mamdani to redevelop the site. Nevertheless, on Thursday, August 13, the developers dropped their suit and alternative sites nearby have been selected for the construction of substantially more affordable housing than could have been built at the garden site.

Sadly, Allan Reiver passed away on May 17, 2021. As his New York Times obituary noted:

Well before Mr. Reiver became the long-white-haired steward of the Elizabeth Street Garden, he was known for having an eye that saw things others couldn’t.

In the 1970s, he was an antiques dealer in Denver who specialized in collecting artifacts like gargoyles and stained glass windows from historic buildings that were set to be demolished. He then became a real estate developer and made a name for himself for his ability to spot opportunities in run-down neighborhoods.  In his 40s, Mr. Reiver … headed to New York to open an antiques gallery, and he started salvaging treasures from abandoned Gold Coast mansions on Long Island. In 1989, he moved into a loft on Elizabeth Street.

Since Allan Reiver’s death, the garden has been stewarded, defended, and championed by his son Joseph, insuring that Allan’s legacy continues. On Friday, August 14, Joseph shared this news with the garden’s many supporters: 

To learn more about the Elizabeth Street Garden, the extensive year-round programming, and more, visit the garden’s website and sign up to receive their newsletter. And, most importantly, visit the Elizabeth Steet Garden to experience the magical allure of this intimate oasis.