Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park
1 Washington Square EastNew York, NY 10011
The history of the Village’s favorite park involved an attack on Native Americans, slave land ownership and a burial ground for the city’s destitute. It sounds like an urban legend, but Washington Square Park, adored for its arch monument, towering water fountain, chess games, live performances, children’s playground and lively dog run, was originally Native American marshland given to slaves and later developed as a public park that now sits on top of a 19th-century cemetery. Tumultuous history aside, this park, named in honor of George Washington, has played an important role in the neighborhood’s bohemian culture since folksingers staged the first protest here in the late 1940s. To this day, Washington Square Park continues to serve as the backdrop of counterculture demonstrations and live music and theater performances enjoyed by all.