Tucked behind 165 Turk, between three housing complexes in the Tenderloin, sits a secret oasis. Ferns, palm trees and budding branches break through the brick courtyard providing peace and shade from the concrete city.
The transformation is entirely through the hands of TNDC resident gardener, Dung Trang. A 30-year resident, Trang said the garden is for “anyone and everyone” who wishes to visit.
Everywhere one looks, there are signs of life—a celebratory birthday decoration sparkles among unfurling fern leaves, two clean benches sit underneath the shade of palm trees linked together by English ivy and Spanish moss, and lining each pathway are seedlings sprouting in fresh soil.
We used a translator app to speak with the Vietnamese resident who said he enjoys when neighbors appreciate his work, so he provided a table with chairs to welcome the TNDC residents. Trang added that he’s committed to making sure the fragile ecosystem thrives in all kinds of weather—from the blistering heat that hit the city this summer to the upcoming cooler weather.
165 Turk Street is a six-story apartment built in 1923 and consists of 100% Section 8 senior housing. Both Turk and Eddy apartments were at risk of being converted to market rate units upon the expiration of the Section 8 subsidy, which would have displaced its population of long-term when residents when TNDC acquired the project in January 2007.
