Murray Hill Unites for Earth Day: A Celebration of Community and Green Space Advocacy

Murray Hill — In a vibrant show of community spirit and environmental advocacy, St. Vartan Park in Murray Hill honored Earth Day with a celebration that doubled as a call to action. The event, organized by the President Kevin O’Keefe of the St. Vartan Park Conservancy, drew local government officials, City Council candidates Faith Bondy and Benjamin D. Wetzler, Manhattan Borough Commissioner Trisha Shimamura, and neighborhood advocates, all united in a celebration of public green spaces.

The morning began with breakfast, sponsored by Faith Bondy, fueling volunteers for a successful block-wide cleanup that made an immediate and visible impact on the neighborhood.

A special appearance by author and illustrator Julia Mills of Robinson’s New Thing, charmed families and children with her Earth Day storytelling and book signing.

A highlight of the event featured leaders Jerry Nadler, Kristen Gonzalez, Harvey Epstein, and Alex Bores rallying for the MTA to open the adjacent fenced-off green space to the public — a long-awaited goal for residents who crave more access to nature in the urban landscape.

Maya Caballero, Chair of the Green & Clean Committee, along with President Jon Harari of the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, advocated for the critical need for more community green spaces. One site that has drawn sustained community interest is the decades-long vacant lot at First Avenue, between 38th and 41st Streets, which residents hope to see transformed into a public green space.

Throughout the day, long-time neighborhood resident April Sandmeyer captured the spirit of the event in a series of photographs, documenting a community united by a shared vision: a greener, more inclusive future for all.

As Earth Day 2025 drew to a close at St. Vartan’s Park, the message was loud and clear: the Murray Hill community is ready to reclaim and rejuvenate its green spaces — one block, one tree, and one voice at a time.