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Brooklyn has spoken—or, more accurately, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has—and crowned the 2025 Greenest Block in Brooklyn. That picturesque title officially goes to Eastern Parkway between Franklin and Bedford Avenues, where flower-filled sidewalks, lush street tree beds and a whole lot of neighborly TLC have created an urban oasis worthy of borough-wide bragging rights.
Announced at a press conference held today along the winning stretch, the award marks a first in the contest’s nearly 30-year history: A block built predominantly of apartment buildings has taken home top honors. Translation? You don’t need a brownstone stoop or sprawling front yard to go green—you just need committed residents and a knack for turning concrete into paradise.
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The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, a project of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (with National Grid as major sponsor), is more than a beauty pageant for plants. It’s about sustainable gardening, street tree stewardship and good old-fashioned community spirit. This year, more than 100 blocks threw their trowels into the ring, representing neighborhoods from Downtown Brooklyn to Flatlands and Bay Ridge to East New York, with stops in Flatbush, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Park Slope along the way.
An expert panel of judges—BBG staff, trustees and local horticulture pros—fanned out across the borough, taking in window boxes bursting with blooms, storefronts dripping in greenery and community garden streetscapes so verdant you’d swear you’d stumbled into the countryside. Beyond the big win, other 2025 honorifics include Greenest Storefront, Best Street Tree Beds, Best Community Garden Streetscape, Best Window Box and Rookie of the Year.
It’s no small feat: In a city where space is at a premium and summer heat can scorch even the hardiest petunia, winning takes serious coordination. On Eastern Parkway’s winning block, we can only assume that meant synchronized planting days and vigilant street-tree care through July heat waves. It turns out the payoff isn’t just prettier sidewalks—it’s also stronger bonds with your neighbors.