Tompkins Square Park: New York’s Quirky East Village Park
Tompkins Square Park sits in the heart of the East Village, in Manhattan's Alphabet City. A popular, eclectic, multicultural park with plenty of character.
What to Know About Tompkins Square Park
- Tompkins Square Park sits in the heart of Alphabet City, the East Village neighborhood where avenues are labeled with letters instead of numbers. The park is bounded by Avenue A on the west and Avenue B on the east.
- The park is named after Daniel D. Tompkins, Governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and Vice President under James Monroe from 1817 to 1825. Tompkins owned the land before New York City purchased it in 1834. Interestingly, the original owner was Peter Stuyvesant, the director general of the New Amsterdam colony. Tompkins Square Park opened in 1850.
- The Hare Krishna movement was founded here in 1966 by spiritual leader Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. You may spot followers near the elm tree where the first ceremony took place.
What to See in Tompkins Square Park
- Tompkins Square Park is a true neighborhood gathering place where you’ll find local residents escaping the city noise. Children fill the playground, and the basketball courts and ping-pong tables stay busy. Early mornings sometimes bring tai chi classes. The atmosphere can feel like a park in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Don’t miss the Tompkins Square Dog Run, a dedicated space for dogs. Opened in 1990, it was New York’s first dog run of its kind, complete with three pools.
- The park offers a peaceful setting with beautiful trees, including sycamores that predate the park’s opening. You’ll spot squirrels throughout.
- Tompkins Square Park also draws creative and unconventional crowds who embrace bold ideas. Each year on Labor Day, the first Monday in September, the park hosts a vibrant Drag Queen parade. It’s worth a visit to experience authentic New York life.
Tompkins Square Park in Photos
