Overview

This 16-acre park served as a military parade ground at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, it is an integral part of the East Village's daily life. In 1988, riots occurred in the park as a result of attempts to clear it of homeless people and empty nearby buildings of squatters. Shades of its past remain, but it is now predominantly a peaceful place, where people come to play basketball, rollerblade, sit on the grass, or just take a walk.