Union Square

Town square for an eclectic crowd, this park hosts loungers and local workers catching some fresh air, throngs of young skateboarders doing tricks on the southeastern stairs and frequent anti-war or general anti-­government protestors. Opened in 1831, this park soon became the central gathering place for surrounding mansions and grand concert halls and eventually an explosion of high-end shops along Broadway, which became known as the Ladies’ Mile. Then, from the start of the Civil War until well into the 20th century, this became the site for protests of all kinds – for everyone from union workers to political activists. By the time of WWI, the area had become neglected and depressed, but eventually was home to all sorts of working-class headquarters, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Communist and Socialist Parties and the Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. The 1960s ushered in an era of lounging hippiedom in the park, spurred on by the fact that Andy Warhol opened his famous Factory on Union Sq West (in a building that, in a perfect sign of the times, now houses a Puma sportswear store). Its latest transformation has been that of $20-million redesign that is going on in stages, bringing with it an expanded playground, additional landscaping with Japanese Pagoda trees, better lighting and new bathrooms – as well as a new as-yet-to-be-named restaurant, to the chagrin of a local-resident organization, which filed suit to stop that project, claiming the space was better suited for community, rather than for-profit, use. It was dismissed, and now the development marches on. It’s all brought a lot of upheaval to the weekly greenmarket, which has been temporarily displaced to other corners of Union Square, but which still remains one of the most popular farmers markets in the city (and redevelopment plans promise plenty of nice, shady new space for vendors). The yearly Christmas-­holiday bazaar here, with all manner of crafts hawked at festive booths, is also a fun shopping experience (although its annual expansion leaves less and less room for people who simply want to hang out). And all can take solace in a very special bronze statue near the park’s southwest edge immortalizing Mohandas K Gandhi, created by Kantilal Patel and dedicated in 1986 on the peacemaker’s 117th birthday.