Smiling Hogshead Ranch

Smiling Hogshead Ranch is a community garden built on former railroad tracks in Long Island City, featuring planted beds, composting stations, and spaces dedicated to urban farming. The site contains distinct areas for growing vegetables and managing organic waste through composting systems.

In 2011, neighborhood residents converted abandoned railroad tracks into a garden and later secured official approval from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This transformation turned an unused industrial site into an active community space.

The garden serves as a gathering place where neighbors share knowledge about sustainable growing methods and environmental care through regular workshops. You can observe how the community works together and learns from one another in this shared space.

The garden is open daily from dawn until dusk for its composting program, which accepts food scraps. Visitors should chop organic materials into small pieces before dropping them off.

The space transforms after sunset into a social gathering point where the community comes together for evening events and environmental programs. This dual function shows how farming and community life can happen in the same location.

Location: Queens

Inception: 2011

Part of: Community gardens in New York City

Address: 49th Avenue

Website: https://smilinghogsheadranch.org

GPS coordinates: 40.74305,-73.94322

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:22