JOURNAL

Steward and Co-creator of Elizabeth Street Garden (209 Elizabeth Street) 

Joseph Reiver was not born at the Elizabeth Street Garden, but he might as well have been. It was Joseph’s father, Allan Reiver, who turned the vacant lot on Elizabeth Street into the foundation for the community center it is today. Allan owned the gallery next door and slowly moved statues and artworks into the space, creating an oasis in the middle of one of the densest neighborhoods in the city. Joseph now stands watch over the hallowed space. 

In 2024, the garden faced eviction when the City attempted to sell the property to a developer. Joseph and the community rallied and proposed alternative sites in the neighborhood, larger and better suited to solve the housing shortage crisis.

Be it an impromptu performance by Patti Smith or a New York Fashion Week show, you’re never quite sure what you will see when you explore the Elizabeth Street Garden.

To learn more follow @elizabethstreetgarden.

Joseph Reiver is wearing Beggars Run’s Rust Wool Suit

Photo Credit: Dos Más En La Mesa