Taking a Bike-Riding Tour of Oak Cliff's Community Gardens, No Permits Necessary

Andrea Grimes

The St. Cecilia's Community Garden was on yesterday's tour

​Sunday afternoon, a horde of be-SPF'd cyclists gathered outside Eno's in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District to launch an extremely polite two-wheeled assault on Oak Cliff. The "Spring Has Sprung Garden Ride" was more of a summer-is-in-your-face ride, but it didn't stop the pack of riders (and their kids) from biking to five different community gardens, co-ops and beautification projects.

Led by Jason Roberts (of Happy Bullets fame, music fans take note -- get it, NOTE) and a very handsome sandy-haired man on a red bike whose name I don't remember (I'm just a reporter, after all), the bike ride took us from Bishop Arts to the Oak Cliff Temple community garden -- where we saw their first fruit, an adorable lil' tomato -- then the Methodist Hospital community garden, then the St. Cecilia's school garden (kids rigging rainwater-catching systems, pretty awesome), then to the Jefferson Median Project and, lastly, to the Urban Acres Farm Store.

At each stop, reps from the various gardens talked about their projects, all of which add a little bit of home-grown beauty and earnest community service to empty patches of South Dallas land. (Attn: Ron Natinsky, City of Dallas, etc.) Keep an eye on Bike Friendly Oak Cliff and Oak Cliff Community Gardens for upcoming events.