Elizabeth Street Garden
Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG) is an independent, community lead, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. We are committed to exploring every option available to preserve and protect the Garden and save our much needed Community green space in Little Italy. United by the desire to change the way we save the garden, former members of the Garden’s previous organization, active garden volunteers, and advocates for community gardens came together and formed ESG.
ESG filed their nonprofit Certificate of Incorporation with New York State in October 2016. On January 26 2017, Elizabeth Street Garden Inc. received federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS.
Our Mission:
Our Mission: To protect & preserve the magic of Elizabeth Street Garden as a public community green space and to determine how the city of new york together with the community can protect this space for generations to enjoy.
Directors
The board of directors comprises five voting members.
Renee Green, chair
Elected mayor of Livingston, New Jersey, in 2006
Elected to Livingston Town Council from 2003 to 2006
Former Livingston town clerk from 1976 to 2001
Active in community affairs since moving to Livingston in 1958
Retired to Little Italy in 2007 in home purchased in 1985
Initial organizer and volunteer at the garden since 2013
yin kong
Community-based designer, curator, and urbanist living and working in Manhattan’s Chinatown
Director/Co-Founder of Think!Chinatown, an intergenerational non-profit working at the intersection of neighborhood engagement, storytelling & the arts
A neighbor and frequent visitor to the Garden
Barry Ranganathan
Finance & Economics expert
Volunteer at Pioneers Go East, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, and Read Ahead
Treasurer for Elizabeth Street Garden
Born and raised New Yorker and former long time resident of lower Manhattan
Lifelong New York Yankees, Giants, Knicks, and Rangers fan
Joseph Reiver
Co-creator of Elizabeth Street Garden with founder, Allan Reiver
Initial organizer of efforts to preserve Elizabeth Street Garden in 2013
Initial organizer of programming for Elizabeth Street Garden, including on-going program curator for Live Music Sunday events, Poetry readings, and Movie Nights since 2013
General manager/caretaker of Elizabeth Street Garden
Born and raised Brooklynite and long-time resident of Little Italy
jesse Paris smith
Musician/composer, writer, & event producer
Co-founder of climate action organization, Pathway to Paris, founded in 2014
Founding Ambassador of the NY International Antiquarian Book Fair
Active member of the movement to save Elizabeth Street Garden since 2022
Co-organizer/ producer of special ESG events and performances
Working from Elizabeth Street since 2024
Resident of lower Manhattan for 29 years
Click HERE to read the Elizabeth Street Garden, Inc. Bylaws.
For more info on the history of Elizabeth Street Garden and our community’s efforts, please visit our introduction and historical timeline page here: