The Story of the McDonald's Roses on 125th St
In times of upheaval and uncertainty we all could use an extra large dose of positivity. Today, we have just the feel-good story to hopefully lift your spirits. Enter Seren Page-Bailey. Yes, our Seren. Perhaps you weren’t aware, but Seren is a keen gardener. As such, she had often admired the roses and flowering shrubs outside the local drive-thru McDonalds on 125th street. Standing out as a patch of lively color in an otherwise urban landscape on the west side of Broadway, they brought a smile to anyone stopping by for a tasty meal-deal or welcome coffee break. Something in bloom could be found there from the start of summer to the first winter frosts.
Then, last Fall, it was announced that the McDonalds site was to be redeveloped as part of Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion, the restaurant’s last day being Sept 9th, 2019. While the McDonalds would be missed during reconstruction, the neighborhood welcomed that the restaurant would be returned to the ground floor of the redeveloped plot. But a very important question remained- what would become of the beautiful roses?
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After speaking with Greg, her husband, who is an alum of CU (OR class of 1982), they came up with a bright idea. As you may know, if you follow our blog or partnerships, Sovereign partners with CU through brokering off-campus housing and employing students as Interns in their business, in addition to being official sponsors of Columbia University Athletics.
Greg was able to connect with Administrators at CU and networked to reach Nasry Joseph, part of the Construction Project Management Team for the Manhattanville redevelopment. In the spirit of Reuse and Recycle, Greg asked if CU would permit Seren to come to the McDonalds site and lift the best of the plants in the restaurant’s garden. Seren manages a community garden space in Hudson Heights (at 185th street) and this seemed the perfect destination for the plants to be saved. After some weeks of scheduling and planning, Seren was able to meet Nasry and other members of the team on site at the end of February, and over 2 afternoons of hard work, several large roses, hydrangeas, evergreen shrubs and herbaceous perennials were dug up. Two large carloads (full to the brim with plants wrapped in black sacks) were transported up to the community space and re-planted with love and care.
They have been well-watered in, fertilized and nurtured! We have every hope that, with the coming spring weather, they will bounce back into full health and vigor, bringing life and joy to all who see them. We will be sure to check-in in a few months with photos of them in all their summer glory! May McDonalds and Columbia know how much pleasure they will bring to Hudson Heights residents, through sharing these resources.
Now more than ever we could all do with practicing kindness, thoughtfulness, and of course, social distancing. We hope you find moments of happiness and laughter during these challenging times. From all of us at Sovereign Associates, stay positive, stay connected, and stay healthy.
