6BC Botanical Garden

Why '6BC'?
Our name --6BC--tells you where we are: on 6th Street in Manhattan's lively East Village, between Avenues B and C. But there's more to it:

'B' for Botanical
We call it a botanical garden because that's the traditional name for a garden where visitors come to learn about lots of plants from lots of places. Our garden includes hundreds of plants, native plants as well as many that were immigrants to New York-- and that makes our garden a lot like our community.

'C' for Community
Unlike many other botanical gardens, 6BC is also a community garden: East Villagers, all volunteers, started building it on a rubble-strewn empty lot in the early 1980s.

Since then, our garden's story, like our neighborhood's, has been one of constant challenge and change.

Today, after a period in which 6BC's survival, like that of other New York community gardens, was threatened by the city's exploding development, our garden's land has been permanently set aside for public use as part of the New York City Parks system.

Even so, the garden is still completely cared for and run by community members, all volunteers. We are a Green Thumb garden, and we work with a variety of community garden coalitions and enviromental groups to ensure the continued health of all community gardens--and a greener future for all of us.

We invite you to join us and to support 6BC financially as well as with your time and talents.

Entry is FREE & open to the public.

RULES
No drugs or alcohol
Stay on paths (People and pets)
Keep back from pond and pools
Do not pick or break plants
Do not run or shout
No bikes, skates or skateboards
No fires or barbeques
Take your garbage out with you

HOURS
May through October
Monday-Friday: 6pm - 8pm (or dusk)
Weekends: 12pm - 6pm
Whenever the gate is open you are welcome to come on in & explore the garden.