From The Peopling of New York City
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Parks
Sara D. Roosevelt Park
The Sara Roosevelt Park is located in lower Manhattan. The park has recently been undergoing renovations. The park is located from Hester Street to Canal Street and stretches 7.85 acres. The park features a brand new synthetic turf field, basketball court, roller skating rink, soccer field and play area for children. The redevelopment of this park provides a safer and more aesthetically pleasing place for families and friends. The park's renovations were funded by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.[2]
In the Beginning
Initially, the park's space was acquired in 1929 to lengthen Chrystie and Forsythe Streets; In the space there was plans to add cheap housing. Later, the plans changed to encompass playgrounds and places for mothers and children to relax.
In 1934, the construction of the park became one of the largest construction projects for a park on the Lower East Side, only mirroring the Tompkins Square Park project a century earlier.
The park is named after Sara, the mother of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1934. In Sara Roosevelt's lifetime, she participated in many philanthropic activities. Some of her activities included volunteering at the Laura Delano Free Hospital for Children of New York City, teaching sewing classes to young girls and serving on the board of the Fallaudet home for the deaf.
Sara Roosevelt was highly esteemed in society, the park was dedicated to her on September 14, 1934.
Today
Over the years the park has suffered and become sunken in. As a result, in 1996, the park was elevated to street level. Security has also increased in order to ensure a safer place for families. [3]
Another new addition to the park is The Golden Age Center, a place for Senior Citizens.
One part of the park that is not yet complete is the Hester Street Playground. The Hester Street Playground features a beautiful oriental inspired swing set, club house, and monkey bars. Also to be included in the playground is a spray shower, plentiful benches, water fountains, trees, plants and restrooms.
The Hester Street Playground has a tentative completion date set for this Summer. [4]
Chatham Square/Kimlau Square
Chatham square is a .09 acre park located on the major intersection of Chinatown linking seven main streets: Bowery Street, East Broadway, St. James Place, Mott Street, Oliver Street, Worth Street and Park Row.
In the 18th and early 19th Century Chatham Square was an open marketplace, filled with food and other goods as well as livestock. In the mid-1800’s the square became a very seedy area. It paved the way for numerous tattoo parlors, saloons, and flophouses (or cheap hotels). Fortunately, After the Great Depression and Prohibition of the twenties and thirties the square was greatly reformed.
Chatham Square was named for William Pitt who was the first Earl of Chatham. Park Row was also once named Chatham Street.[5]
The square is now rededicated to the 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau. Still, many people still call this area Chatham Square.
Foley Square
Foley Square is a large open green space at the southern end of Chinatown. The area is bordered by Worth Street to the north, Centre Street to the east, Lafayette Street to the west, and Duane Street to the south.
Foley Square was named after Thomas F. “Big Tom” Foley, who was an important Democratic Party leader from the Lower East Side. The area today is surrounded by many court buildings, such as the United States Court of Appeals and the New York County Supreme Court, making it an important part of both New York’s and the United States’ justice systems.
At the corner of Centre Street, between Worth and Pearl Streets, is the Foley Square Greenmarket, which operates throughout the year, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as baked goods. Similar to Columbus Park, many Chinese people can be seen practicing Tai Chi in the mornings in Foley Square. [6]
Columbus Park
Columbus Park is one of the main outdoor attractions in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The park is bounded by Bayard Street to the north, Baxter Street to the west, Mulberry Street to the east, and Worth Street to the south.
The area was historically known as Mulberry Bend, a terrible slum area that was brought to the attention of the community by photographer Jacob Riis in the 1890s. From then on, the park was renamed to its current name and has been growing as one of the main areas that people of all ages can relax and be with friends. For children, there is a large playground; for teenagers, there are basketball courts and volleyball nets, and synthetic turf to play football and soccer on; for adults and seniors, there are plenty of tables to play Chinese checkers, chess, card games of all sorts, and a space to talk to friends in the open. If one were to visit the park early in the morning, one would witness many people participating in Tai Chi, the Chinese martial art usually used for health reasons.
What began as an area labeled as a slum, Columbus Park has been able to shed its dark past and become an important part of Chinatown. The park has been given many donations to help it become the park that it is today. For example, Joseph Temeczko, a Polish immigrant, donated $900,000 to the park to help build the field used by teenagers for basketball, volleyball, football, and soccer. The field employed a unique design: half of the field was concrete with basketball hoops and volleyball nets, while the other half was synthetic turf for football and soccer. Such attempts to renovate Columbus Park have allowed it to become the popular destination among residents that it currently is. [7][8]
Monuments
The Statue of Confucius
Confucius, or Master K’ung, is one of the most important philosophers in Chinese culture. His teachings about morality and politics have become staples in traditional Chinese life. Additionally, during the Han Dynasty of China, Confucian teachings became the official moral and political doctrines of the state. Some of his teachings include being righteous, honoring your parents, and having good manners.[9]
The statue of Confucius, which stands today, was first erected in 1984. It can be found at the intersection of Bowery and Division Streets. The statue consists of a figure of Confucius himself, standing on top of a base with Chinese and English engravings. The statue stands directly in front of Confucius Plaza, a very large housing complex. Money for the statue was donated by Taiwan’s Nationalist Government, and the marble base of the statue was mined in Taiwan. Confucius stands at 16 feet tall and faces towards the south, in the direction of Mott Street and Chinatown in general.[10]
Statue of Lin Zexu
The statue is of the Qing Dynasty official who was sent to Canton to stop imperialist from forcing opium onto China in 1839.[11] Zexu is seen as a hero to the Chinese people.
Lin Zexu throughout his lifetime consistently fought against the opium trade in Guangzhou. In the 1830's China was becoming greatly affected by the huge imports of opium from British traders based in the city. Lin Zexu took a strong stance against the moral and social ideals the opium trade was attacking. Zexu's strong moral stance is said to have been the main means for the First Opium War of 1839-1842. It was with this strong stance that the Chinese people found a role model in Zexu.
Kimlau Memorial Arch
Height: 18 feet 9 inches x 16 feet wide
Inscription: “In Memory of the Americans of Chinese Ancestry who lost their Lives in Defense of Freedom and Democracy.”
Located in Kimlau Square. The Kimlau Memorial Arch is dedicated to Chinese Americans who fought and died in the name of freedom and democracy during World War II. The arch like Kimlau Square is named after second lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau, a World War II aircraft commander of the 530th Squadron.
References
- ↑ http://www.wix.com
- ↑ http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/lmr/html/sara_d_roosevelt.html
- ↑ http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=6524
- ↑ http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/05/hester-street-playground-nearing-completion.html
- ↑ http://www.nychinatown.org/chatham.html
- ↑ http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=11247
- ↑ http://www.explorechinatown.com/Gui/Content-16.aspx.htm
- ↑ http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/park_of_the_month/2007_03/index.html
- ↑ http://www.friesian.com/confuci.htm
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/20/nyregion/chinatown-s-fujianese-get-a-statue.html
- ↑ http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/M246/