The Quintessential landmarks in New York City – Tompkins Square Park

While you enjoy your comfortable stay at East Village Apartments, make sure to experience some sweet leisure time at the Tompkins Square Park, one of the most popular destinations in New York City.  The park is named after Daniel D. Tompkins (1774–1825), Vice President of the United States.

The square shaped park is located in the East Village neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is spread over 10.5 acre (42,000 m²). Just like most of the landmark locations in NY, Tompkins Park also has a rich history behind it, and is associated with various events, though some of them not very positive.

On January 13, 1874, the Tompkins Square witnessed a major riot as the police clashed with labor protestors numbering in thousands. This incident was a major event in area of labor conflict. In a similar incident in 1877, around 5000 people clashed with the National Guard as they amassed to hear communist revolutionary speeches in this very park.

By the 1980s, Tompkins Park became a centre-point for New Yorkers’ social problems. The park was frequented by many homeless people and even became a hub for drug-use and various other illegal activities. This led to a riot in August 1988, when the city police attempted to free the park of such elements.

During the 1990s and 2000s, however, Tompkins Park went through a major facelift and witnessed a gradual gentrification of its surroundings. With its many playgrounds, basketball courts, handball courts and built-in outdoor chess tables, the park today attracts youngsters and decent family crowd from across the globe.

Among the major landmarks in the East Village neighborhood, Tompkins Square Park is today home to various events such as Howl Festival, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival and Tompkins Square Dog Run.