In the heart of Old Westbury, a dedicated group of volunteers is beautifying our surroundings by transforming our public spaces into vibrant, flourishing havens. Friends of Old Westbury, through their efforts in planting flowers, trees, and shrubs, is creating a unified and sophisticated look that elevates the charm of our village. 

In many communities, shared open spaces are used for events and activities that are not commonplace in our Village. Accordingly, not much priority had been given to beautifying the shared spaces we do have in Old Westbury resulting in these spaces looking overgrown or neglected. Resident Carolyn Turk noticed the stark contrast between Old Westbury and the well-kept spaces she encountered during her travels across Long Island and beyond. 

"My job takes me all across Long Island, and my personal life takes me across the world in travel. I often noticed other communities making small but visible investments in their communal spaces," Carolyn recalls. "Yet, our own hometown of Old Westbury, made no apparent effort to enhance our views. We don't have Village Parks or a downtown space, but we do have roadsides and triangles and common green areas. They were brown!”

Inspired by the care and pride other communities exhibited, she helped to initiate a movement to revitalize Old Westbury's communal areas, resulting in the creation of Friends of Old Westbury (FOW) in 2017. Together with a handful of her neighbors, FOW was established as a non-profit foundation. This model allowed them to use tax-deductible donations to decide independently where and how to improve public spaces without burdening the village budget. "Our hope is that all Village residents will participate, but we never wanted to require participation by asking the Village to pay for this level of beautification in its annual budget. We all pay enough taxes! Through a non-profit, everyone can give whatever they can.”

When asked why the Village itself doesn’t fund these beautification projects, Carolyn clarifies, "The Village, of course, does have crews for maintenance and tree care, but our Foundation's work goes beyond the scope of any municipal budget. We want to keep it that way, so that no taxes are raised for this purpose."

Improving public spaces transcends mere aesthetics for the FOW group. "This is our home. These are our everyday views,” says Carolyn. “This goes beyond our property values—although that's important too! It's our state of mind every day as we venture out. And it's our responsibility to leave the world better than we found it, right?” That sentiment is echoed among the volunteers who are dedicated to carrying out the Foundation’s mission. As Committee member Alicia Nussdorf sums it up so perfectly, “We are all passionate about improving the place we call home.”

FOW began its journey with a humble yet impactful vision. "We started small and have been growing each year," Carolyn explains. Recognizing the overgrown and unsightly state of Village Hall/Police HQ, one of FOW’s inaugural projects was providing the Village with a plan for new plantings that currently adorn the centrally-located Village hub. The group then began planting in road triangles and gradually expanding to more areas.

The Foundation now maintains eight locations across the Village, including road triangles, entry signs, and the large beautifully planted 'mound' area adjacent to the Post Road Pond. Committee member Lauren Steinberg adds, “When looking into new locations to plant we take into consideration the amount of people who will drive by daily that will get to appreciate the beauty of the flowers and hopefully make them smile. Why not brighten people's day as they drive through our village?!”

Each location presents unique challenges, however, primarily the need for water access for irrigation. The most cost-effective locations for plantings already have a fire hydrant nearby, but that’s not always the case. “One of the main challenges we face is funding and resources,” notes FOW Treasurer Julie Solomon. “In addition to making sure there is water access for the plantings, we need the funding to maintain the improvements and replant as needed due to weather changes.” 

A notable success of FOW is the introduction of the Rutgers Venus dogwood tree, known for its large white flowers that bloom for over six weeks. Foundation Chairman Stephen Nussdorf recalls consulting with experts from the Planting Fields Foundation and arborists from across New York State who guided the Foundation to dogwoods, particularly the Rutgers Venus variety due to its disease-resistant nature. “We have planted many of them across the Village. They are rare and somewhat difficult to procure but the Village is gorgeous when they are all in bloom in June,” notes Carolyn.

Other favorite flowers of the Committee you will see planted around our Village include stunning daylilies and both the oakleaf and endless summer varieties of hydrangea, known for their huge and colorful blooms.

The Committee’s vision for the future of FOW is one of inclusivity and community participation. According to Committee member Robert Lemle, “My hope is that we will inspire our fellow Old Westbury residents to join us in beautifying our Village and the roads we drive on every day, through their advice, personal efforts, and donations.” It is this combined effort that will allow the Foundation to continue to thrive and take on additional projects, including planting around more shared spaces as well as addressing areas of potential concern to residents. “I look forward to working with our Village and County government officials to repair the broken fences along the LIE Service Road and to remove the fallen trees inside and on top of the fences that are real eyesores in the winter,” Robert said.

But continuing the work that the Foundation started eight seasons ago will, as they say, take a Village! FOW has grown and flourished thanks to its many generous donors and now is the time to join your neighbors to help continue to make Old Westbury bloom. The Foundation fundraises once a year during the summer, so this is the time to get involved. “This is a community effort. There is no minimum donation,” Carolyn reminds. “If every resident gave us a simple vote of confidence with even a small donation, it would go a long way!” To get involved or to support the Foundation’s ongoing efforts, please visit www.friendsofoldwestbury.org.