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THE GREENEST BLOCK IN BROOKLYN IS IN BEDFORD STUYVESANT!

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk
	In photo: left to right - BBG President Judith Zuk, Borough President Markowitz, Independence Community Foundation President Marilyn Gelber and MacDonough Street Block President Wilma Atwell, which was awarded the Greenest Residential Block.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn Botanic Garden President Judith Zuk announced MacDonough Street, between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues, in Bedford Stuyvesant and MetroTech BID for Bridge Street, between Willoughby and Fulton Streets, as the winners of the ninth annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. They were joined by Independence Community Foundation President Marilyn Gelber, MetroTech BID Executive Director Michael Weiss, MacDonough Street Block President Wilma Atwell, and residents of the winning residential and commercial blocks.

"Our spring and summer soaking was a blessing in disguise for all Brooklyn gardeners - Brooklyn is blooming all over!” Borough President Markowitz said. “Brooklynites are never bashful, but there are communities and commercial districts throughout the borough that should be incredibly proud of all of their hard work and dedication to these incredible gardens. I congratulate the winners, and everyone who competed. Thanks for making Brooklyn even more beautiful!"

An extremely wet spring couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 200 blocks that competed in the contest, the largest number of entries for the contest to date, which is coordinated by BBG’s community horticulture program, Brooklyn GreenBridge. Planters full of petunias, window boxes brimming with begonias and tree pits beautified with colorful groundcovers and mulch added splashes of color in neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn. Thirty judges, including BBG President Judith Zuk, traveled throughout the borough over a month long period, carefully evaluating each block for color and total visual effect, citizen participation, variety and suitability of plants, soil condition, conservation techniques and use of mulch and other good horticultural practices.

The winning residential block was MacDonough Street, between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues, in Bedford Stuyvesant for its exuberant, colorful plantings and overall green visual impact. Of 40 commercial blocks that entered the contest this year, MetroTech BID won the title of Greenest Business Block for Bridge Street, between Willoughby and Fulton Streets.

“As always, it is such a pleasure to see the hard work and care Brooklyn residents put into the streets where they live, and a special congratulations goes to Flatbush as the neighborhood with the greatest number of entries,” said BBG President Judith Zuk. “It reinforced how important Brooklyn GreenBridge and the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest are to helping build a feeling of community in our neighborhoods.

Brooklyn GreenBridge, the community horticulture program of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, is designed to share the knowledge and resources of BBG with the neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn. Working with block associations, community gardens, community centers, and other groups, Brooklyn GreenBridge promotes conservation and community through gardening activities.

For a full list of winners and for more information about the contest, visit www.bbg.org/greenbridge. A ceremony recognizing the winners and entrants, hosted by BBG and contest sponsors Borough President Markowitz and the Independence Community Foundation, will take place in the fall.

The Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest is a project of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Brooklyn GreenBridge Program and Borough President Markowitz, and is sponsored by Independence Community Foundation.