Pic of Day: But April Flowers likely for a final time. Pictured is Elizabeth Street Garden in Lower Manhattan on April 1. The city of New York is not fooling when it says it intends to close the garden and replace most of its single acre with affordable housing. Supporters point to a number of alternative sites for such housing. The garden, according to an online posting, is an "L-shaped space located on Elizabeth Street in the Nolita neighborhood, between Prince and Spring Streets. The garden is a public green space that's been a recreational and educational resource for the community since the 1800s. It's the only public green space in Little Italy and SoHo. The garden is known for its sculpture garden, leafy hedges, and whimsical features like pear trees, cement lions, and black-eyed Susans." The neighborhood also has a rich Irish heritage. Saint Patrick's Old Basilica is only a few minutes walk from the garden. The Ancient Order of Hibernians once patrolled these streets on the watch for Nativists and Know Nothings while the Irish Brigade set out for the Civil War hereabouts. Irish Echo photo.
