Men playing bocce in James J. Walker Park near Hudson and Leroy Streets, ca. 1950.

The park is named for the colorful and corrupt Mayor Jimmy Walker, who held office between 1926-1932. The park was still known as St. John's Cemetery when Walker's family moved into a townhouse on Leroy Street (also known as St. Luke's Place). In 1895, the land was acquired by the city and converted for recreation. After Walker's death in 1946, the park was re-named in his honor.

Across Hudson Street, behind the bocce players, is the Printing House, a 1911 structure build for the Schweinler Press. At the time, the Hudson Square neighborhood was a hub of the city's printing trade.

Today, those businesses have been replaced by contemporary media and publishing companies. The Printing House was converted to condos in the early 2000s and is today creatively marketed as..."The Printing House."