Rooted in the Hood

Book excerpt: Rooted in the Hood is a photo essay celebrating the community gardens of New York City and the people who create, cultivate, and enjoy them. The late '60s and '70s witnessed the devastation of New York City, with many buildings in low-income areas left unattended, burned, and reduced to rubble. Drug dealers, gangs, and junkies soon moved in making those neighborhoods unsafe to live. This is a book about ordinary people, dreamers, and visionaries rising against these unsafe conditions by clearing empty lots, planting trees and vegetables, and slowly creating small havens for the community. By drawing attention to these local gardens, the book wishes to provide awareness of the importance of green spaces, not only in our great New York City, but across the country and around the world. There is an urgent need to protect these unique enclaves from further development.