Feet First Philly recently partnered with Neighborhood Garden Trust, Clean Air Council, and AARP Philadelphia to host a community garden tour in Point Breeze, Philadelphia. It was a beautiful day and roughly 15 residents from around the city joined for the tour. Having walkable community greenspace is important to Feet First Philly, and community gardens are a type of greenspace that has helped to improve the health of communities across the city. The group explored five different gardens in the area and learned about their rich history and the benefits these spaces provide to the community. 

The tour started at the 15th Street Garden. This garden has existed for over 20 years on the lot of a collapsed house. They grow a variety of crops, and the garden is open to the public.

The second stop was the Bouvier Garden. This is a vegetable and flower garden, and residents can rent a garden bed for the growing season. 

The Concert Garden was the third garden visited during the tour. This is a flower garden with tables and chairs for residents to relax and enjoy. There were a few musical instruments within the garden and they plan to install a stage so the community can host concerts. A beautiful mural is displayed in the garden.

The Keith Haring Garden, a flower garden and community space to relax, was the fourth garden on the tour. This garden has a mural and benches for residents to sit and enjoy the space.

To finish the tour, the group visited the 22nd Street Garden. This was one of the smallest gardens. The volunteers at the garden highlighted the work they have been doing. This flower garden has red flowers and plants to establish a red garden theme. There will be decorations, playful art, and toys for children to enjoy.

Throughout the tour, participants were prompted to think about walkability and identify if there were any issues while walking to the gardens. Broken and uneven sidewalks, abandoned buildings, and blocked sidewalks were spotted throughout the tour along with other issues affecting walkability.

Overall, it was a good experience. The tour was relaxing. It allowed residents to tour different gardens and make connections. Feet First Philly will continue to host walks in different areas of the city and highlight the wonderful gems distributed throughout. Follow us for upcoming walk information and opportunities.