Toyota Children's Learning Garden

Martin Celic NYFD perished here in the line of duty on July 10, 1977. This garden was dedicated to him in 1988.

Without a doubt, one of our favorite gardens, this "self contained eco-system" has been offering a serene environment for people in the neighborhood since 1982. Unlike other gardens we have visited, Creative Little Garden allows each member gardener to work the entire land, rather than just their own individual plot. We encourage all to wander down the birch-chip path to appreciate the waterfall, the flowers and greenery, or to just relax on the iron swing and watch the birds peeking in one of the many birdhouses. We know that everyone will appreciate how creative the people have been who have contributed to this special place.

Gardeners living between Avenue D and the Bowery (14th Street to Delancey) can apply for a plot. The day we were here, we met a young man who was organizing an event called "Under the Stars and Out of the Bars. " He spoke at length about his love for his plot and this garden space. We were amazed at how much they have to offer. There is a community compost, neighborhood yoga, storytelling, a stage for performances, poetry, art and local singer songwriter events. And to feast your eyes, there is a goldfish pond and turtles!

The ice cream at Alphabet Scoop is refreshing in more ways than one: Managed by Robbie Vedral, Alphabet Scoop is an extension of Father’s Heart Ministry, which has been focused on empowering the neighborhood youth in the Lower East Side since 2005. Robbie, for his part, has always believed that if you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of you—in this case, those employees just so happen to be high schoolers from the East Village. Under the wishes of his parents, who are still pastors of the church next door, Robbie has taken it upon himself to hold Alphabet Scoop to an uncompromising standard, always ensuring that things are done right. From a background of 25 years in retail, Robbie has found that he can learn from anyone’s mistakes - including his own. He has, in this vein, adjusted the shop’s schedule to keep it open all year; previously it was just a summer stop, but Robbie found that being a seasonal location made it more difficult for customers to anticipate when Alphabet Scoop would be in business. So, now, rather than seasonal hours, Alphabet Scoop boasts seasonal flavors. Pistachio flavor, a summer 2019 special, comes highly recommended by the Manhattan Sideways team. Alphabet Scoop is also constantly experimenting with new flavors suggested to them by customers, so if you’ve been saving up that million-dollar ice cream flavor idea, Alphabet Scoop might just be the place to make it a reality. The “sweet n’ salty” flavor is proof of the potential here, as it was suggested by one of the shop’s  younger customers. While the spritely New Yorkers that work in the shop are paid for their work, Alphabet Scoop is also a non-profit. The mission, transparently, is as stated on the walls: “Justice & Sprinkles for all. ” The kids, typically between the ages of 14 and 16, learn all aspects of the business, from hands on skills such as making ice cream to managerial skills like taking inventory. The goal of Alphabet Scoop is to encourage maximum involvement from its employees, so they are invited to help make decisions about the business. Robbie told us a story of a young woman, for example, who has worked in the shop for close to two years, and who was initially quite difficult to work with - but with patience and persistence from Robbie and other employees, the young woman grew to better understand the mission of Alphabet Scoop, and now even has keys to the shop. Robbie’s work at Alphabet Scoop shows the importance of creating strong foundations for young people, as well as how truly influential small businesses can be in their communities. Stop by the shop - any time of year - to help Robbie make his impact.