East 86th Street Buried In Plants, Trees

If you haven't been to East 86th Street in the past week, you may be amazed at what you see the next time you do. Nearly a decade in the making, the Streetscape makeover is nearly complete, and during the past week, there was some major icing on top of the cake- a dozen new trees and hundreds of new plants. East 86th between Second Avenue and Park Avenue has been transformed! Tree pits son the thoroughfare once marked by wooden construction boxes and sagging orange mesh have been replaced by inkberry bushes, sea grass, and a variety of other green goodies. Tree pits have been enlarged. Empty tree pits have new trees. Bus stops now feature small gardens, benches, and lean bars. 

The process still continues. In June, 63 tree pits will receive attractive "type B" tree guards and we expect the corridor to be repaved this summer. It has been a long process, but we are delighted that East 86th Street is now one of the greenest streets in Manhattan! The East 86th Street Association, our donors, sponsors, and volunteers will be maintaining these tree pits with continued tree feeding, maintenance, mulching, cleaning, and seasonal planting. We welcome you to join our effort!