Bay Ridge Blooms at Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street and Ovington Avenue and Ovington Avenue Historic District at Ovington Avenue between 3rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard win 2025 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest
BAY RIDGE – Beautified Bay Ridge.
Two Bay Ridge areas were winners in the 2025 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest Aug. 5.
The announcement was made by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) during a press conference held on the winning residential block, Eastern Parkway between Franklin and Bedford Avenues in Crown Heights.
Bay Ridge Blooms at Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street and Ovington Avenue received third-place tie honors in the residential category and first place in Best Street Beds.
Winners have been selected by an expert panel of judges, including BBG staff, trustees, and local horticulture professionals.
“Bay Ridge Blooms is a remarkable collaborative effort between super Cindy, supportive landlords, and a host of green thumb neighbors,” Brooklyn Botanic Garden wrote on its Facebook page. “The group takes excellent care of street tree beds, front beds, and planters, as well as makes innovative use of courtyard space. Neighbors Cindy, Susan, Lucia, Mia, Mary, Kristin, Mary, Susan and Zac were kind enough to show us around the block to talk about how they got started greening their community and how they entered the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest.”
Cindy Aredini, the superintendent of the apartment building, spoke to BBG about beautifying the area.
“In the beginning, this used to look like a dumpster,” she said of the area which showed the freshly grown plants. “Chairs, bottles, diapers, everything. All these bricks, all these things, we put in.”
One of the contributors suggested to Aredini they enter the all-season garden in the contest about five years ago, just to see what would happen – and the decision has paid off.
One of the popular activities is the kids’ garden they do for the neighborhood each year to encourage youngsters to get involved in the craft.
The area receives donations from the church and BBG. One contributor rescued a sweet pea plant from a parking lot in Clinton Hill and placed it in the garden. It has been growing there for six years.
“It is a rent-stabilized apartment building, and even though it’s not a co-op and it’s not an enclave with private houses, you could still beautify your neighborhood,” said the contributor.
In addition, Ovington Avenue Historic District, Ovington Avenue between Third Avenue and Ridge Boulevard, won the Sustainable Practices Award. BBG stated it won the award for consistent use of insect hotels throughout the block in support of local pollinator populations.
Adrian Benepe, President and CEO of BBG, was at the conference with elected officials and explained the importance of the awards.
“For nearly 30 years, the Greenest Block in Brooklyn has united our neighbors and inspired generations of plant lovers across our borough,” he said. “Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in collaboration with the Borough President’s office, has championed this event, watching the program grow into a beloved summer milestone. It has been an honor to witness so much hard work bloom into living masterpieces.”
“Greenest Block in Brooklyn is a powerful example of grassroots activism in action,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “It’s about neighbors coming together to invest in each other and build stronger, greener communities. This year’s winners and participants remind us that real change starts at our doorsteps, and every window box, tree bed, and stoop garden shows how community pride can grow into something greater — a Brooklyn where sustainability can thrive.”
A list of all the winners can be seen on BBG’s website.
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