Garden Grows in Beverwyck: Community Gardens opens new site on Bradford

Want to grow your own vegetables? All you need is a little plot of land, and Capital District Community Gardens can help with that. The local non-profit organization provides area residents with parcels of land to grow their own food and they have just opened a brand-new garden in Beverwyck.

Community gardens are large plots of land, divided into smaller parcels and assigned to people so they can plant gardens. Often, the gardens are given to people who live in apartments and may not have a space of their own to garden with. The community gardens are often located in vacant lots, and help to transform blighted areas into urban oasises.

Capital District Community Gardens (CDCG) has a grant to open nine more sites in the next five years, and based on the success of this latest spot in Beverwyck, they may decide to put several more in the area, says Sharon DiLorenzo, Program Manager for Capital District Community Gardens.

In fact, the spots in the new garden at 462 Bradford Street filled up so fast that the organization is actively looking for new property in the immediate vicinity, DiLorenzo says. "We could use more land in any of the Albany neighborhoods," she says. The organization currently has 47 gardens scattered across the capital district, and provides gardening space to hundreds of families and individuals.

The Beverwyck site was donated by a couple whose house burnt down. "They took what was a tragedy and turned it into such a good thing," DiLorenzo says. The site measures approximately 3,800 square feet, and will provide between 9 and 10 new plots.

CDCG began work on site improvement earlier this year. After a soil test came back negative, the organization excavated the entire area, removing 1-2 feet of soil and all the hard surfaces, including the old driveway and sidewalks. Then they brought in new soil, layering the entire area with sandy loam and organic matter.

DiLorenzo says the importance of good soil can't be understated. "It's all about the soil," she says. Especially when gardeners are growing produce organically, she says.

The organization will complete the garden by adding a toolshed, fence, and water spigot and should be finished with the new garden by mid-May--just in time for gardeners to get to work planting, she says. While this particular garden is nearly filled, sign-ups are still going on, and DiLorenzo encourages anyone who may be interested in having a plot in the new community garden to contact the organization. Even if they are not able to assign the person a plot, it will help them get an accurate measurement of the number of plots they will need, which will help with future site planning, she says.

To find out more about getting a garden plot, contact the Capital District Community Gardens at 274-8685 or email them at info@cdcg.org

To your health: Kitsu restaurant opens

Kitsu is hard to ignore. It's the new restaurant on Central Avenue with the giant setting sun in the style of the Japanese flag painted on the front.

"You definitely won't miss it," says owner James Chen with a laugh. Kitsu's door is the center of the flaming sun, and when you enter, more murals greet you. Birds and Japanese symbols decorate the walls alongside large abstract canvases. The paintings are the work of Tommy Watkins, a local artist. Kitsu owner James Chen collaborated with him on the restaurant remodel. It is the fourth restaurant the two have worked on; Chen also owns Mr. Wasabi, Shogun, and Edo.

Kitsu, which means "health," opened last month. Kitsu is the third Asian restaurant to open on this strip this year, but insted of being intimidated, Chen believes the competition will help. The area has become a destination for people looking for good international cuisine, he says. Central is a high traffic area, another advantage for this new business, he says.

Kitsu offers a full Japanese menu, but specializes in sushi with a number of custom-made rolls. The restaurant also serves a number of Hibachi entrees, including salmon, filet mignon and lobster tail. "A lot of people, they don't just want to stick with a plain California roll or tuna roll," Chen says. He maintains a white board of lunch and dinner specials at the newly remodeled sushi counter.

Located at the site of the former Saso's Noodle House, the restaurant has undergone an extensive update, including the addition of sleek modern tables and chairs and new countertops. The upscale restaurant is also in the process of obtaining their liquor license, and expects to be able to serve alcohol by the end of this month, says Chen.

A veteran restauranteur, Chen says the secret of running a successful restaurant is good food, good service and quality atmosphere. With that in mind, it looks like Kitsu is off to a healthy start.