The magical “What You See Here Is Open” at Hunter East Harlem Gallery was delight enough to remove the taint of national news from my consciousness for a half hour. It is an exhibition of objects collected by a retired sanitation worker for three decades and pulses with history, life, and loss. Turns out one woman discovered a portrait of her mother among the treasures. Another visitor swears he found a photo of his dentist and her mother hanging on the wall.

That show and the streets reminded me that East Harlem throbs with the life and  heart that are draining from the rest of Manhattan.  Then on East 119^thStreet another sign of grace appeared – La Casita Community Garden, funded by the trust of the late Geraldine Stutz, who was the fashion genius behind Henri Bendel in its heyday when it itself was a gallery of the art of fashion. Please add your comments to the box below.

Here’s what is to be seen in this near-secret garden:

A installation of objects by local artist Dominique Duroseau

La Casita Community Garden Gate

Sign above a Second Avenue store front