Photos by Peter Slattery, courtesy of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
A lush stretch of Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights has been named Brooklyn’s greenest block. On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) awarded the title to the block between Franklin and Bedford Avenues as part of its free annual Greenest Block competition. The block—the first winner in the residential category to be made up primarily of apartment buildings—was praised for creating a “remarkable community space centered around plants and urban gardening.”
BBG launched the contest in the 1990s to promote block beautification and community building, as 6sqft previously reported. Unique among gardening competitions, it’s tied to a major botanical garden and emphasizes public greening, ecological stewardship, and block-wide participation—making it as much about civic participation as beautification.
Winners receive cash prizes and certificates to display on their block, while all participants are eligible for a fall bulb gift and a certificate of participation.
This year’s entries hail from a wide stretch of Brooklyn, including Downtown Brooklyn, Flatlands, East New York, Flatbush, Bay Ridge, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Park Slope, and more. Winners were chosen by an expert panel of judges, including BBG staff, trustees, and local horticulture professionals.
According to the judges, Eastern Parkway—maintained by the Crown Heights Keepers block association—stands out for its colorful benches, free communal herb gardens, and educational labeling. They noted how the busy public block invites visitors to linger, engage with the plants around them, and learn something new.
The Crown Heights Keepers are familiar with the competition. Last year, the group’s Eastern Parkway block won second place in the residential category and first place in the media darling award.
“Winning the Greenest Block in Brooklyn is a significant honor for our community since our block consists mostly of rental apartments,” Kara Lesondak, founder of the Crown Heights Keepers, said. “We’re so happy the block is beautiful, but the true gift is how people stop to talk when you’re gardening—including some residents who have been here for more than 60 years.”
She continued: “This summer there has been an amazing collective effort with greening, painting, personalizing the seating areas, and even a huge mural. The focus on nature, providing habitat for endangered insects and for nurturing the human inhabitants of the block, is part of why people feel happy here.”
Second place went to Jefferson Avenue between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues in Bed-Stuy, while third place was a tie between Ridge Boulevard from 71st Street and Ovington Avenue—which also won Best Street Beds—and MacDougal Street from Thomas S. Boyland Street to Rockaway Avenue in Ocean Hill.
The competition also includes additional categories. Best Community Garden Streetscape went to Lincoln Road between Rogers and Nostrand Avenues in Lefferts Garden, while Greenest Storefront was awarded to Sugar’d, located at 2614 Newkirk Avenue in Flatbush.
Additionally, the Rookie of the Year—a new category introduced last year—went to Stuyvesant Avenue between Bainbridge and Chauncey Streets in Bed-Stuy.
Last year’s Greenest Block was Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues in Crown Heights, which also won the contest in 2022 and 2019.
“Greenest Block in Brooklyn is a powerful example of grassroots activism in action. It’s about neighbors coming together to invest in each other and build stronger, greener communities,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said.
“This year’s winners and participants remind us that real change starts at our doorsteps, and every window box, tree bed, and stoop garden shows how community pride can grow into something greater—a Brooklyn where sustainability can thrive. A huge thank you to Brooklyn Botanic Garden for their continued partnership and the incredible work they do to support this project.”
View the full list of winners here.
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