Brooklyn Botanic Garden Announces Winners of the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest
Lincoln Place between New York Avenue and Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights is named Greenest Residential Block.
Annual contest promotes city greening and community building.
Release Date: August 6, 2024.
Photos of the winning blocks available here.
Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Botanic Garden today announced the winners of the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest at a press conference held on the winning residential block, Lincoln Place between New York Avenue and Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Botanic Garden president Adrian Benepe, representatives from the winning residential and commercial blocks, and other participants, community members, and other elected officials were in attendance.
This year’s entrants represented more than 100 blocks, covering a wide swath of Brooklyn, from Williamsburg to Fort Hamilton and DUMBO to Canarsie with many other neighborhoods in between including Flatbush, Prospect Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, New Lots, and Park Slope, among others. Winners were selected by a panel of judges, including Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff, local horticulture professionals, and a cohort of New York City reporters.
The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is unique in the field of gardening competitions in its connection to a major botanic garden, its focus on public greening and ecological stewardship, and its emphasis on block-wide gardening, making the contest as much about civic participation as it is about beautification.
New award categories this year include Rookie of the Year, welcoming 21 first-time entrants to this three-decade-long tradition in New York City’s largest borough; and Media Darling, this year selected by guest judges including the New York Post’s Brooke Kato.
In addition to neighborhood pride and bragging rights, winners receive cash prizes and winner-recognition certificates that can be displayed on the block. All Greenest Block participants may also receive a fall bulb gift and participation certificate.
In celebration of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 2024 summer theme, Natural Attractions—celebrating the plant-pollinator love story—special consideration was given to plantings that support native insect pollinators.
For nearly 30 years, the contest has been a cornerstone of BBG’s community greening initiatives, promoting not only streetscape greening but also social cohesion and neighborly connectivity. The contest supports communities in coming together to address issues unique to living in a densely populated urban environment.
The residents of this year’s winning residential block, Lincoln Place between New York Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, also took home first-place wins in 2022 and 2019. Lincoln Place is stewarded by P.L.A.N.T., a gardening committee formed in support of their gardening endeavors. Since their first-place win in 2022, Lincoln Place has worked to mentor groups and individuals who want to learn more about gardening in their communities, including tree bed care.
At the press conference, winners were also announced for other categories including the National Grid Leadership in Sustainable Practices Award, Best Community Garden Streetscape, and Best Street Tree Beds.
“It’s summer in Brooklyn and you know what that means: The Greenest Block in Brooklyn winners are out! I’m so grateful to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for year after year challenging our neighbors to fill our blocks with healthy plants, beautiful flowers, and innovative approaches to public greening,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m beyond proud of the more than 100 blocks of Brooklynites who rose to the occasion this year and made it clear yet again: Brooklyn does it best. Congratulations to this year’s top block in Crown Heights and the many other participants who helped beautify our streetscapes and support native insect pollinators all at the same time.”
Adrian Benepe, president and CEO of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, said: “The Greenest Block in Brooklyn is a nearly 30-year tradition that continues to bring neighbors together, encourage sustainable gardening, and educate new generations of plant lovers throughout this great borough. We are delighted to see blocks from so many corners of Brooklyn make a commitment to beautifying our borough and the city at large. It’s an honorable pursuit, and it a joy to see all the hard work come to fruition. Lincoln Place is now a three-time overall winner and has continued to exemplify the spirit the Greenest Block in Brooklyn was founded upon, mentoring younger blocks and sharing their skills. Congratulations to Lincoln Place and to all the winners in this year’s contest!”
"We are incredibly proud of our block (P.L.A.N.T) for winning Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest for the third time. Even if we hadn't won First Place, we still would've won because of the connections we built with our neighbors and the community around us throughout the process. We hope to meet more of you out at Lincoln Place, and we look forward to competing again in 2026!" said Perri Edwards and Althea Joseph, P.L.A.N.T. leadership
“It’s with great pleasure that I join Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Borough President Antonio Reynoso in celebrating this year’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn winner, Lincoln Place between Nostrand and New York Avenues! Earning this honor in 2019 and 2022, the neighbors of Lincoln Place exemplify our shared ability to care for the communities we call home, and doing so with a spirit of collaboration,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson.
“The Greenest Block contest celebrates the benefits of gardening by beautifying our neighborhoods with abundant ecological landscapes, gathering our communities together, and preserving and uniting our borough and our planet” said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. “Especially in an urban environment as dense as ours, New York City now can breathe a little easier thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of New Yorkers who participated in this annual event. Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest!”
“Congratulations to this year’s winners for creating the Greenest Block in Brooklyn! It is always wonderful to see the residents of our community come together to spread joy and promote unity with the Greenest Block in Brooklyn project. New York needs more community greening programs such as this one to ensure that our future generation knows the endless possibilities of green environments, gardening, and green blocks throughout the city. The innovative project with Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso invites communities into that work, gets New Yorkers involved in nature, and cultivates a love for planting and gardening. In City Hall, I’ve worked to pass legislation to promote a more environmentally responsible city, and the work on (and in!) the ground that neighbors are taking on shows the ways in which we can all create a greener, healthier city,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is free and open to all residential blocks, commercial blocks, and community gardens in Brooklyn. The contest promotes city greening, streetscape gardening, street tree stewardship, and community building. For more information, visit bbg.org/greenestblock.
Full list of Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2024 winners:
Residential Category
1st Place
P.L.A.N.T.
Lincoln Place between New York Avenue & Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
2nd Place
Crown Heights Keepers
Eastern Parkway between Bedford Avenue & Franklin Avenue
Crown Heights
3rd Place
Bay Ridge Blooms
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street & Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge
Residential Honorable Mentions
200 Decatur Street/Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association
Decatur Street between Lewis Avenue & Stuyvesant Avenue
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Sterling Street B&W Block Association, Inc.
Sterling Street between Bedford Avenue & Washington Avenue
Lefferts Gardens
The New East 26th Street Block Association
East 26th Street between Avenue D & Clarendon Road
Flatbush
Hampton, Sterling, Virginia Place & Kingston Avenue Block Association, Inc.
Hampton Place between Park Place & Sterling Place
Crown Heights
Fresh Creek Civic Association
Flatlands 7th Street between East 108th Street & Fresh Creek
Canarsie
Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association (SABA)
Stuyvesant Ave between Bainbridge Street & Chauncey Street
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Macon MacDonough Stuyvesant Lewis Block Association
MacDonough Street between Lewis Avenue & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Lefferts Alliance Community Togetherness
Lefferts Avenue between Bedford Avenue & Rogers Avenue
Lefferts Gardens
HER/King Atlantic Block Association
Agate Court between Atlantic Avenue & Dead End
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Ovington Avenue Historic District
Ovington Avenue between Ridge Boulevard & Third Avenue
Bay Ridge
Bridge Plaza Association
Concord Street between Duffield Street & Gold Street
Bridge Plaza
Vanderveer Place Block Association
Vanderveer Place between East 23rd Street & Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush
10th Street Block Association
10th Street between 6th Avenue & 7th Avenue
Park Slope
National Grid Leadership in Sustainable Practices Award
Maple Street Community Garden
Maple Street Between Rogers Avenue & Nostrand Avenue
Lefferts Gardens
Rookie of the Year
HER/King Atlantic Block Association
Agate Court between Atlantic Avenue & Dead End
Bedford Stuyvesant
Media Darling Award
Crown Heights Keepers
Eastern Parkway between Bedford Avenue & Franklin Avenue
Crown Heights
Greenest Storefront
1st Place
Muse Cafe
497 6th Avenue
Entered by 12th Street Block Association
Park Slope
2nd Place
Kos Kaffe
251 5th Avenue
Entered by Garfield Block Association 5th and 6th
Park Slope
3rd Place
Hilary Finn Gardens
553 Henry Street
Entered by President Street
Carroll Gardens
Best Street Tree Beds
1st Place
Bay Ridge Blooms
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street & Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge
2nd Place
Hampton, Sterling, Virginia Place & Kingston Avenue Block Association, Inc.
Hampton Place between Park Place & Sterling Place
Crown Heights
3rd Place
Cleveland-Pitkin Block Association
Cleveland Street between Belmont Avenue & Pitkin Avenue
East New York
Honorable Mention
500 Block MacDonough Street Association
MacDonough Street between Patchen Avenue & Ralph Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Best Community Garden Streetscape
1st Place
Greene Acres Community Garden
Franklin Ave between Clifton Place & Greene Avenue
Bedford-Stuyvesant
2nd Place
Lincoln Road Garden
Lincoln Road between Nostrand Avenue & Rogers Avenue
Lefferts Gardens
3rd Place (TIE)
Union Street Garden and Community Development
Union Street between Classon Avenue & Franklin Avenue
Crown Heights
Santos Community Garden
Mermaid Avenue between West 21st Street & West 22nd Street
Coney Island
Best Window Box
1st Place
365 East 46th Street
East 46th Linden-Church Block Association
2nd Place
177 Madison Street
Entered by Madison Street #3 Block Association
3rd Place
30A Hampton Place
Entered by Hampton, Sterling, Virginia Place & Kingston Avenue Block Association, Inc.
4th Place
1201 Union Street
Entered By Union Street Block and Civic Association
Support
Brooklyn Botanic Garden gratefully acknowledges support for its Community Greening programs from Brooklyn Community Foundation, National Grid, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the NYS Assembly and NYS Senate, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the NYC Department of Sanitation, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and the NY City Council.
Leadership Support, Community Greening Programs
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Major Sponsor, Community Greening Programs
National Grid
About Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an urban botanic garden that connects people to the world of plants, fostering delight and curiosity while inspiring an appreciation and sense of stewardship of the environment. Situated on 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn and open year-round, the Garden is home to over 12,000 kinds of plants and more than 30 specialty gardens.
For hours, directions, and admission information, see bbg.org. Visitor entrances are at 990 Washington Avenue, 150 Eastern Parkway, and 455 Flatbush Avenue. Find out what’s in bloom at bbg.org/bloom, read the Garden’s blog at bbg.org/news, and learn what’s happening at bbg.org/events. Follow @brooklynbotanic on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and join the conversation using #BrooklynBotanicGarden.