From Violence to Veggies - Kings Cross and Potts Point residents are reclaiming their much-maligned suburb by showcasing how humble urban vegetable gardens are helping to strengthen their community. And acting superstar Claudia Karvan has thrown her weight behind the initiative.

After a spate of negative headlines about crime and alcohol-fuelled violence in the area, residents recently staged an 'Urban Food Safari' as part of the 2012 CRAVE food festival, to celebrate the strong local spirit of co-operation.

The public and local residents visited three of the suburb's most famous veggie patches - one on the apartment balcony of former news broadcaster Indira Naidoo, one the roof of the Wayside Chapel and the other in the courtyard of local dining institution Café DOV. The fresh produce harvested along the way was then prepared into a sumptuous champagne afternoon tea at Café DOV. Delights on the menu include homemade scones with local strawberry jam, herb quiches, lemon curd tartlets and egg and lettuce pinwheel sandwiches. All profits from the day went to the Wayside Chapel.

In her best-selling book The Edible Balcony, Indira documents how she grew 70 kg of produce on her tiny 20 square metre balcony. She shares her produce with other residents and several neighbours are now also growing veggies on their balconies. Indira will be serving CRAVE visitors her homemade balcony pesto and lemonade.

Indira is also an ambassador for the Wayside Chapel where she and several volunteers help run weekly gardening classes for the Wayside's homeless clients. The Wayside's 200 square metre roof-top garden, is filled with over 50 different varieties of fruit, herbs and vegetables. The garden - boasting sweeping views across the parklands and the CBD - features the latest in sustainable design and architecture. It has two rainwater tanks, solar panels, two worm farms, a compost system and a recently installed bee-hive. Produce from the garden is used in the Wayside Chapel's café. Actor and Wayside Chapel ambassador Claudia Karvan will be in the garden on the day from 2.30pm to welcome CRAVE visitors.

According to The Wayside Chapel's Wendy Suma the rooftop garden is a much-needed green space where disadvantaged people and local residents can work together sharing skills and supporting each other.

"Our garden is so much more than a space to grow veggies and herbs, it's  a place where we grow community and give people the opportunity to gain confidence and skills by nurturing the vast array of plants that are blossoming on the rooftop," says Wendy.

Tim Petersen, the owner of Café DOV, says there is an extraordinary community spirit in the Cross that tends to get drowned out by all the negative media coverage. "I've never worked or lived anywhere that is so co-operative and co-ordinating as the Cross. Most of the problems we endure are caused by the blow-ins who come to the Cross on Friday and Saturday nights," says Tim.

'Given that