NYC don't care 'bout no liability issues

Community gardens have been a part of New York City since 1978 -- to the tune of between 500 gardens and 1,500 gardens, depending on your source.

Either way, that's a lot of years and a lot of gardens. Until last year, the city required the gardens to carry liability insurance ... to protect the city from damages. Two years ago last month, it dropped the requirement. New York City covers the gardens as it would any other piece of city land.

That's a lot of gardens and a lot of people (in the thousands, the head of parks and recreation for the city, Adrian Benepe, said at the time of the announcement). Surely, the city is taking a huge risk.

Not exactly.

According to the Neighborhood Open Space Coalition, which served as an umbrella under which the gardens got their insurance, there have been just seven claims filed against the 500 gardens in the last 30 years. And, four of those were dropped.