Patti Smith performed at a New York City rally Tuesday as part of an effort to prevent a downtown park from being converted into affordable housing.
The Elizabeth Street Garden, located between between Spring and Prince streets, has long been a community gathering place for artists and city dwellers. However, the city — which owns the land — announced plans to transform the space into an “urban oasis,” a move that longtime SoHo icons like Smith, Robert De Niro, and Martin Scorsese have previously lobbied against.
On Tuesday, a rally was held by those trying to preserve the garden, with Smith staging a performance that included a rendition of “Peaceable Kingdom”:
“The Elizabeth Street Garden is an entirely unique public sanctuary, where art, nature, literature and activism peacefully…
