The view of the city for any pedestrian is always one where the sun or the moon and stars are obscured by buildings and the city lights. There are also the other hundred thousand visual distractions that come into view for any visitor to the city every moment, on any block. But the view from above, the way the birds see it, is another story. Lots of buildings means lots of rooftops, and there's a lot of empty space as far as the eye can see.

However, a new trend is starting to give the birds something to be excited about, and it also brings good news for the human dwellers as well. In an era where sustainability is in the public consciousness, there are rooftop gardens cropping up in big cities all over the world. It seems that wherever there is an urban population with any kind of eco-consciousness, or a scarcity of food, rooftop gardens are becoming something of a fad. This kind of fad, however, isn't merely cosmetic, but is something that can be very useful, and tasty, for the creatures that inhabit these cities. New York is still an urban center more than a center for agriculture, and will probably always be this way, but it's starting to happen.

In Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, there are gardens cropping up wherever there are ample spaces of open roof, and it's catching on. It won't take too much to convince the residents that it's a good idea. Restaurants like Vesta, the Italian eatery and wine bar in Astoria, or Anella's, a trattoria-style French and Italian place in Brooklyn, are offering their guests delicious cuisine that is fresher than ever, making good use of the produce that's growing locally.

In a city that's continually battling against its own space limitations, making use of spaces for their horizontal as well as vertical potentials simply makes good sense. There are also plenty of benefits to be gained for everyone when the food is grown locally. Berlin, another great city with its own population committed to an urban lifestyle, has been developing its own rooftop gardens as well, with a great deal of success. Both cities have great farmlands in the surrounding areas, and the bulk of the produce can be gotten there, but for special ingredients, herbs, and some of the more commonly-requested vegetables, rooftop gardens will keep things rolling along, and evolving to meet the needs of a new century.

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