The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, and nowhere is this more apparent than on Amsterdam Avenue and 119th Street, where metal lattice and barbed wire section off nearly half a block of weeds, dead plants, and a pump house.
James Lenzi, owner of Haakon’s Hall restaurant—which is scheduled to open in mid-April—is organizing a transformation of this city-owned plot that sits adjacent to his business.
Lenzi has a threefold plan for the land. He envisions it as a space for greenery, community service, and outdoor dining. He aims to convert the lifeless lot into a seating area for his restaurant and a garden that would be accessible to the public, conducive to elementary school service projects.
“Instead of sitting around and watching television, students can come here after school,” Lenzi said. He suggested that they use the space to plant and harvest fruits and vegetables that would then be donated to area food banks. “It is definitely a win-win situation,” he said. “It will help underprivileged children in the city gain a sense of community service and it will make the area more green.”
Other residents agreed that the block’s condition begs for an improvement. “It looks drab, creepy, and weird,” said Carl Jones, a superintendant at another building on 119th Street.
Marc Mitchell, manager of Village Copier—the only open business on the block—said, “It is a waste to have it just sit there.”
Lenzi said that last summer, when bar Radio Perfecto sold him the space that will soon house his restaurant, he was under the impression that the land next door was part of the deal, and had made plans to use it. He was later disappointed to find that the shriveled field was city-owned, falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Protection. “The city owns it and doesn’t take care of it,” he said. “It remains an eyesore for the community.”
Lenzi voiced his frustration with city bureaucracy. “I must have called the city 25 times,” Lenzi said. “Scott Stringer never got back to me. They are just sending me from one agency to another.”
Anthony Borelli, Director of Land Use for the Manhattan Borough President, said that he had no knowledge of these efforts, and regardless, all that they could do is “point him [Lenzi] in the right direction,” to the DEP.
Lenzi has had difficulties getting the project on its feet as he devotes much of his time to preparing for his restaurant’s opening. Much of his energy is going into oversight of construction. “It is not the right time to be opening a business, and we are behind,” he said.
To address the challenges of building and developing his restaurant space around the pump house, Lenzi has integrated it into his vision for the land by suggesting that its walls be used as a screen for movie projections in the summer.
A Morningside resident since 1977, Lenzi reminisced on the state of the land when his son was a child. “My son grew up in this garden. We used to play Frisbee, maybe plant some seeds on a Sunday morning.”
Jones shared in Lenzi’s nostalgia, saying, “I remember when kids used to go in there in the spring.”
Mitchell was hopeful about the impact the project could have on the block’s energy. “It could create a new dynamic for this street if it attracted people from the sidewalk to take a seat,” he said.
Lenzi was also optimistic about the inclusive, community hangout he intends to create. “This will be a place for everyone,” he said.