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Seward Park

Seward Park is a public park and playground located north of East Broadway and east of Essex Street. The playground is named after William Henry Seward, a U.S Senator from New York who later became the Secretary of State during the Abraham Lincoln administration. The park was created by the Outdoor Recreation League, a playground and recreation advocacy group, and was the first municipally built playground in the United States. ^[1]

The park is hidden in the heart of the Lower East Side. It is covered by an umbrella of trees and has a lot of natural shade in the summer, which makes it a perfect location to read a book or to have a nice quiet lunch. Also, there are tennis courts on the Essex Street side of the park where both children and adults play tennis. Usually, there is a large crowd of Chinese men and women doing tai chi in the morning, and Chinese American children playing in the playground or riding their bicycles. The park is a popular after-school getaway for many children because it is located next to the Seward Park Library.

The park was opened on October 17, 1903 and became a model for future playground architecture.

Columbus Park

Columbus Park was named after Christopher Columbus. Throughout its history, the park has also been called the Mulberry Bend Park, Five Points Park and Paradise Park. It is located within the boundaries of Baxter, Worth, Bayard and Mulberry Streets. ^[2]

Columbus Park was planned by Calbert Vaux, the famous co-designer of Central Park, in the 1880s. Vaux saw an opportunity to bring positive energy and life into the otherwise despondent neighborhood. In order to build the park, decaying slum houses were taken down while grass, trees, and flowers were planted in their place. In 1897, the park was officially opened to the public, bringing new life into the area. ^[3]

Over the past century, Columbus Park has been home to various events, such as the inter-park Playground Basketball challenge for children in the neighborhood. Today, the area continues to be a gathering place for people from different backgrounds for a variety of events, assemblies, and family outings. Walking through the park on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the summer resembles walking through a miniature version of a local square in a small village in China. The park has jewelry repairmen, artisans, fortune tellers, cobblers, and card gamblers. From time to time, a group of senior citizens can be seen playing traditional Chinese musical instruments. Sometimes, there are also retired Cantonese opera singers performing nearby as well. You might even catch a glimpse of people practicing martial arts and tai chi.

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References

1. ↑ "Seward Park." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward_Park_%28Manhattan%29>.
2. ↑ NYC Gov Parks. Web. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/pd_proj_month_mar_04.html>.
3. ↑ NYC Gov Parks. Web. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/pd_proj_month_mar_04.html>.

"Seward Park." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward_Park_%28Manhattan%29>.

NYC Gov Parks. Web. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/pd_proj_month_mar_04.html>.