Tompkins Square Park

It’s very true that most of us who have eyes to appreciate nature also like the varied cultures and folklores of places. One such place with such a dramatic blend is in the ever-growing city of New York. It’s called The Tompkins Square Park. Opened in 1834, the square shaped park is spread over a massive 10.5 acre space in the Alphabet City of East Village neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in NYC, TSP is located on a land near the East River, originally consisted of salt marsh and open tidal meadows.


The park is mostly visited in evenings by families for its lush green playgrounds and inbuilt chess tables and by students from the New York University for its basketball courts and handball courts and even tourists and senior citizens from all across the world for its events. The major events that takes place in the park include the famous Outdoor Drag festival Wigstock, held in the park, is now also a part of the Howl Festival. The Food Not Bombs Manhattan chapter serves every Sunday in the park, no matter what. The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is a musical tribute to the famous former residents of Avenue B.

The most distinguishing feature of the park is its generous growth of venerable American Elm (Ulmus americana) trees. A large amount of tourists visit the park because of a particular elm tree, located next to the semi-circular arrangement of benches in the park's center. It attracts major groups because of its history known to the adherents of the Hare Krishna religion. It was beneath this very tree, on October 9, 1966, that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON), held the first recorded outdoor chanting session of the Hare Krishna mantra outside of the Indian subcontinent; participants in the ceremony included names like Allen Ginsberg and is seen as the founding of the Hare Krishna religion in the United States.

So if you are planning to visit the Manhattan area of the city, Tompkins Square Park is a must visit. Also, Vacation apartment and flats are available at a walking distance from the park in the name of East Village Apartment, providing you with an ease of access like that of a king.