Tag Archives: garden

A Harlem rooftop garden is a one-man greenmarket

The real-estate signs that scream LUXURY CO-OPS! have been ubiquitous for so long now, they barely register. Another glass box? Who cares. But perhaps that’s just lack of imagination. A lot can be made of an innocuous, low-ceilinged, soulless new space—at least, if you’re Nobu Otsu, who made a virtual Eden from a rather personality-free, new-construction apartment in Harlem.

Otsu didn’t set out to change the world with his terrace. He’s not a budding lifestyle guru or an eco-activist/blogger with a spade to grind. “This isn’t a political statement,” he says cheerfully, showing a visitor around the lush plantings. Continue reading →