The park prides itself as being the “The Handsomest Square in the City.” It is no surprise that it brings in more traffic per square foot than any other park in New York. The park has a long and colorful history of riots, rebellions, and political protests which continues to this day. Many may not know that Washington Square Park once had cars running through it. The Greenwich Village community rallied for years to remove traffic from the park and finally won against Robert Moses’ plan to build a highway through the park.

In April 1860, the New York state legislature passed a bill punishing an act, or omission of an act, that caused pain to animals “unjustifiably” and chartered the the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. One of the organization’s early projects was to provide water for tired horses hauling carts and carriages. One example of that — the fountain in Washington Square! The fountain has transformed a few times since then, but it remains a beloved (and still much needed) amenity in our neighborhood. During the summer you are sure to see many people taking a dip in the fountain to cool off.

Chess tables have been a staple of New York City public parks for decades. While the first ones appeared in parks during the 1940s, the popularity of “street chess” as it is known, came about beginning in the 1960s when a man named Bobby Hayward set up a chess set on top of a garbage can at 43rd Street and 8th Avenue. By the late 1960s, chess tables peppered Washington Square Park, occupying the park’s southwest corner. The Washington Square Park chess tables have even been featured in several movies including the 1993 film Searching for Bobby Fischer and 1994’s Fresh.

The Washington Square Arch is something that many people who live in the neighborhood can easily take for granted. It’s a part of the landscape that’s passed frequently and not given a second thought. But the structure is more than just a large picturesque arch of Tuckahoe marble — let’s look up and unpack some of the meaning behind the details that can be easily overlooked. The arch that stands at the northern end of the park is actually a permanent version of a temporary wood and plaster arch constructed for the 1889 centennial of Washington’s first inauguration at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan, which took place on April 30, 1789. The current permanent arch, dedicated in 1895, actually holds two representations of George Washington. The one to the east pier has Washington flanked by representations of Fame and Valor with his hands resting atop a sword (sculpted by Hermon MacNeil) to commemorate his time as general during the War of Independence. The sculpture on the west pier has him accompanied by Wisdom and Justice (by Alexander Stirling Calder), noting his time as president of the United States. These sculptures, frequently referred to as Washington At War and Washington At Peace, were not placed on the arch until 1916 and 1918.

On November 1, 1967, an 8′ x 8′ x 8′ 1,800-pound giant black cube was installed in Astor Place as one of 25 temporary public artworks by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. However, it was so popular that local residents petitioned the City to keep it, and except for its absences for restorations over the past few years, it has stood there ever since. Bernard “Tony” Rosenthal’s sculpture was originally named “Sculpture and the Environment,” but was eventually renamed The Alamo by his wife, Cynthia Rosenthal, because its size and mass reminded her of the famous Alamo Mission in San Antonio.

If you’ve ever walked up 2nd Avenue in the East Village you’ve undoubtedly passed this charming, triangular plot of land which occupies the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue and East 10th Street. It was originally acquired by the city in 1799 for street-pattern reasons and was developed into a sitting area in 1938 by the WPA and called St. Mark’s Park. By the 70’s it had become filthy and full of drugs. Marilyn Appleberg, President of the 10th and Stuyvesant Streets Block Association, did her homework and found that this land was actually under the Parks Department auspices and they were responsible for its upkeep. In 1980 she, along with Beth Flusser and Abe Lebewohl, began a petition to save the park. On March 4, 1996, Abe Lebewohl was shot and killed while handling a bank transaction at a neighborhood bank. More than 1,500 people attended his funeral service at the East 6th Street Community Synagogue. That same year the park underwent a long-awaited renovation by the Parks Department. Appleberg fought to have the name of the park changed to honor Mr. Lebewohl and she again won. It is now hard to imagine the East Village without this thriving neighborhood gem.

Grab a slice togo at Stromboli Pizza, a decades-old pizzeria at the iconic corner of St. Marks and 1st Ave in the East Village.

This green oasis in the heart of the East Village has changed over the years. Originally located on land belonging to Petrus Stuyvesant, this site was eventually acquired by Daniel D. Tompkins (1774-1825), who served as Governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and as Vice President of the United States under James Monroe from 1817 to 1825. The park is named for Tompkins. The land was bought by the City in 1834, at which point it was drained, planted, and turned into a public square. The park served as a parade ground for several decades, and in 1878 The New York State Legislature designated the square as a public park. It was redesigned the following year by Parks Department architect Julius Munckwitz with open lawn, shade trees, and curving paths. Approximately 450 trees were planted and many remain in the park to this day. The park has acted as a meeting place for social change like many of the parks in the Village: The Young Lords announced the founding of their New York Chapter in Tompkins Square Park on July 26, 1969. Police brutality, class warfare, gentrification — today these are hot button topics, both nationally and in New York City. But on August 6, 1988, frustrations over these issues converged in the form of protest and riots in Tompkins Square Park. In 1984, a group of drag queens stumbled, drunk and delighted, out of the Pyramid Club to walk across the street for an after-hours celebration in Tompkins Square Park. Their adventure became a spontaneous drag performance, witnessed by just a few homeless people. This performance inspired Lady Bunny, the now-famous drag queen, to create a pubic drag festival, Wigstock, in Tompkins Square Park during daytime hours.

Ray’s Candy Store has been a staple of East Village life since 1974, and Ray Alvarez, who works every night shift at the store, is at its helm. It is the perfect place to get a ice cream on a hot summer day.