Author: Leslie Adatto

Leslie Adatto, the Urban Roof Explorer, is a small business owner, avid garden lover, and contributor to Magill’s Cinema Annual and Great Athletes. She left Southern California to fulfill her dream of living in Manhattan in July 2010. A world traveler and scuba diver, she has sought out public and private gardens in 23 countries. Leslie now spends her days LOOKING UP in New York City, discovering and sharing fascinating uses of NYC roof tops.

Kingsland Wildflowers Project Completes Its First Green Roof!

September 30, 2016

Another Brooklyn green roof is born! Predicted to encompass over 20,000 square feet of rooftop gardens and greenery by the end of 2017, the first phase of construction at 520 Kingsland Avenue is complete.  It was a perfectly sunny afternoon to celebrate the new roof! Partnerships with Broadway Stages, Alive Structures, NYC Audubon, and The Greenpoint Community … More Kingsland Wildflowers Project Completes Its First Green Roof!

Long Island City Community Rooftop Garden

September 6, 2016

Summer is near the end, but new rooftops are still popping up! I’d like to share some exciting news about recent buildings with communal gardens, particularly the Long Island City affordable housing development mentioned in this New York Times article. The LIC rooftop garden is run by GrowNYC and has about 100 members right now. Way to grow LIC! … More Long Island City Community Rooftop Garden

Lori and Greg Glasglow Hit a Record Number of NYC Rooftops in Record Time

August 17, 2015

(Note: This guest blog is written by Lori Glasgow from San Diego, CA) This past spring Greg Glasgow and I set off for a long weekend getaway in NYC. The plan was to visit friends we haven’t seen in a while, see a play, and view the city from as many rooftops as possible. I … More Lori and Greg Glasglow Hit a Record Number of NYC Rooftops in Record Time

Guest Blogger: Heather Shimmin, architectural photographer

June 3, 2015

Roof Garden Commission at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Pierre Huyghe Every summer, the Metropolitan Museum of Art commissions an artist to create an installation for the roof garden.  This year, the commission went to Pierre Huyghe (pronounced hweeg). The Parisian has also created a nineteen minute film, (Untitled) Human Mask, that can be viewed … More Guest Blogger: Heather Shimmin, architectural photographer

New Year’s Eve Rooftop Tip for great FIREWORKS Views

December 10, 2014

I love fireworks. And I love Central Park. For most of the past several New Year’s Eves, I have walked-jogged-run-hung out at the Midnight Run in Central Park. Thousands show up for this annual event. There is a fabulous, free dance party with live music before the run (starting at 10 PM), and FIREWORKS as … More New Year’s Eve Rooftop Tip for great FIREWORKS Views

How I Found Laura Rosen – a NYC (true) Tale of Magical Mystery

September 24, 2014

New York City is magic. That’s why we live in small spaces with large rent bills. That’s why we drag our laundry to the scale at the fluff and fold. That’s why we pay $7 for a loaf of bread at D’Agostino. We aren’t really paying for rent or laundry or bread. We’re paying for … More How I Found Laura Rosen – a NYC (true) Tale of Magical Mystery