Sunday's opening shot

A morning view of Temperance Fountain in Tompkins Square Park. 

Read some history of the fountain, which dates to 1888, here.

Saturday's opening shot

Early morning walk through Tompkins Square Park on this 11/9/24...

Fall classic

Late afternoon in Tompkins Square Park...

Noted

Photos by Steven 

The chess tables inside the Seventh and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park remain behind barricades since the fatal double shooting on July 12. 

And we couldn't help but notice a new barricade on the scene...

And likely not where Gov. Hochul is planning the new pool project for Tompkins.

Feeling fenced in at the 9th and B entrance to Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Stacie Joy 

H/T Steven 

Questions abound over the new temp fencing that arrived yesterday at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park on Avenue B and Ninth Street. 

We are waiting for the official word, but the unofficial word is that in the days ahead, the Parks Department will be paving the walkway from Avenue B to the under-construction field house. 

We are about 17 months into the renovations. The Parks website says work is 90% complete.

Noted

Photo by Jackflashnyc 

Seeing this warning sign in Tompkins Square Park — "Lisa Cheats at Cornhole" — reminds us just how safe this neighborhood used to be, when things like this (and pickleball players taking more than 10 seconds to serve) didn't happen.😔

Endless summer in Tompkins Square Park on the brink of fall

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy 

It's skating as usual on the recenly painted multipurpose courts in Tompkins Square Park ... now with a discarded couch...

As the Times noted: "It's still summer today, but fall arrives tomorrow. Take a minute to pause on the threshold."

Reader report: Trash bags are starting to pile up in Tompkins Square Park

Updated 5 p.m.: Someone removed the bags... 

EVG regular Salim notes that bags of trash have accumulated at several locations in Tompkins Square Park since Sunday. 

He reported the garbage to the city via 311 on Monday and again today. 

Meanwhile, the piles are growing...

A 3-day festival to celebrate Tompkins Square Park and the Tompkins Square Library

EVG photo from last November

This year marks the 120th Anniversary of the Tompkins Square Library branch, " and for each year of its existence, the library's closest and most beautiful neighbor has been Tompkins Square Park, located just across the street." 

To celebrate that milestone and pay tribute to the Park, the library is hosting several events in the days ahead curated by East Village photographer Robin McMillan and Laura Sewell, executive director of the East Village Community Coalition. 

The events occur on Thursday evening, Saturday afternoon, and Sept. 24. This NYPL link has more details and registration info. 

The library is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

2 men indicted for fatal Tompkins Square Park shooting

Photo from July by Stacie Joy

Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the indictment of Rafael Macias and Angel Sardina for the fatal shooting of 74-year-old Fermin Brito and the wounding of a 44-year-old man in Tompkins Square Park this past July. 

Both men face charges including Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. 

The indictment follows an investigation into the July 12 shooting, where Macias and Sardina allegedly planned and executed the attack in a drug-related dispute. According to court documents, Sardina scouted the park around 8:25 a.m. by 9:50 a.m., and after identifying the victims, Macias pointed them out to Sardina. 

Sardina then fired multiple shots at the chess tables inside the Avenue A and Seventh Street entrance, fatally wounding Brito and seriously injuring the other man. Brito was struck in the torso and died at the hospital. The second victim, struck four times, collapsed inside Avenue A Deli and Grill between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place after attempting to flee. 

Per the D.A.'s office, the suspects fled toward Stuyvesant Town, changing their clothes to avoid detection. They were arrested on July 25. 

The two men, both 63, were arraigned in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday. 

"Our city's parks should be safe spaces for all Manhattanites, and we will hold those accountable who endanger them with gun violence and illegal conduct," Bragg said in a statement. 

This was the third shooting in Tompkins Square Park this year. This past March, there were two daytime shootings (by the same suspect who was later arrested) in the Park. In the first shooting on March 16, a bullet struck an innocent bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, in her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced. 

As for the July shooting, the chess tables remain closed behind barricades, and the NYPD has been on patrol in and around the Park — both on foot and in vehicles. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Two men shot, 1 fatally, at the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park this morning, police say

A morning view from Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Deborah Kadetsky

A misty early morning view of the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park... per the EVGcast™, the area will remain under clouds for the day, with a chance of rain starting around 5 p.m.

Saturday's opening shot

Someone welcomed the freshly painted multipurpose courts/TF last night in Tompkins Square Park ... previously.

The multipurpose courts/TF reopen in Tompkins Square Park in living color

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The multipurpose courts/TF reopened yesterday along 10th Street and Avenue A after a 10-plus-day closure so workers could repaint the surface. (More background is available here and here.) 

The Parks Department added color to the asphalt, including a walking track on the perimeter and markings for the basketball hoops at the eastern end. And the majority of the asphalt is painted green (no markings for kickball, though!).

The skaters also returned to this seminal, decades-long skate spot, and the various ramps and rails that were here previously are also back.

And the mood? "Elevated chill."

Inside the paint: A look at the color-coded multipurpose courts in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy (top one via EVG) 

Updated 6 p.m. Still closed.

---

Workers were racing to wrap up painting the multipurpose courts/TF in Tompkins Square Park last evening. 

One of the workers said they thought they'd be ready to unveil today, though it could have to wait until tomorrow. 

This space along Avenue A and 10th Street has been closed for repainting since Aug. 26. After the resurfacing last fall, the Parks Department added color to the asphalt, including a walking track on the perimeter and markings for the basketball hoops...

As previously noted, we'll see how everyone co-exists in this new configuration. The court has been a skating hotspot for decades.

huupe dreams

Photo by Stacie Joy 

The "smart basketball hoop" installed last Thursday in Tompkins Square Park is currently out of commission. 

"It's not broken. It needs to be hard-wired into the city's system," said a technician on the scene. "[It] may be back online tomorrow sometime and will then be good for 24/7."

A company called huupe is behind the technology that provides feedback on your game. Per the city: "Its waterproof backboard functions as a video screen, delivering expert training content, live TV, and interactive elements to enrich the playing experience." 

The high-tech hoop will be here until early October.

A repainted multipurpose court comes into view in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The multi-purpose courts/TF will reopen on Tuesday... after workers complete repainting the surface of the space along Avenue A and 10th Street. 

The crew will apparently be working on Labor Day to get this done.

 Here's how it's looking now...

The walking track around the perimeter seems to be taking shape. (Does anyone with an aerial view of the courts along 10th Street have any photos to share?)

The asphalt was just getting broken in again after renovations from Oct. 16 to Dec. 1. In addition to new asphalt, Parks added benches, fountains and three basketball backstops. 

We'll see how everyone co-exists in this new configuration. The court has been a skating hotspot for decades. 

So far, "suburban" is the word we're hearing about the new look.

As Quartersnacks noted in June 2023 about the repainted surface: "It will be a shock to the system in terms of the park's Feng Shui, but skateboarders have adjusted to way worse changes."

Gov. Hochul makes a splash with funding for new in-ground swimming pool at Tompkins Square Park

Say so long to to Tompkins Square Park mini pool. (And yes, Tompkins Square Park has a mini pool.) 

On Wednesday, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants to fund 37 projects "as part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative — New York's biggest investment in swimming since the New Deal." 

Here's more from Hochul's office: 

The program provides grants between $50,000 and $10 million to help municipalities design, construct, rehabilitate, or modernize public swimming facilities, focusing on supporting disadvantaged and underserved communities that lack access to safe swimming and outdoor recreation opportunities. Applications were evaluated on characteristics of project need, impact and viability. 

Tompkins Square Park will receive $6.1 million for the new pool project. Specifics: 

The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation will reconstruct and expand the mini pool at Tompkins Square Park by removing the existing above-ground mini pool and replacing it with an in-ground pool, doubling the current capacity. 

Additionally, they will replace the filtration system, expand the pool decks, replace the perimeter fencing and gates, and add outdoor pool showers and a new lifeguard chair. 

And nearby on Houston and Pitt, the Hamilton Fish Recreation Center Pool is getting $10 million: 

This project will reconstruct the recreation center, outdoor terraces, pool, and pool filter plant at Hamilton Fish Park. The architectural renovation will transform this historic site by bringing it up to today’s safety and accessibility standards for the benefit of the community. 

There is no word on the timing or timeline for the local pool projects. The Tompkins mini pool was closed for the second consecutive summer while the field house underwent renovations. 

If this project gets underway next year, the pool could be closed for a third summer. However, given the design and procurement phases, that's an ambitious timeline.

A lot of hoop-la for this high-tech basketball backboard in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Derek Berg 

Tompkins Square Park is the temporary recipient of a "smart basketball hoop." 

A company called huupe is behind the technology that provides a lot of feedback on your game. 

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, huupe CEO Paul Anton, local elected officials, CB3 members, and several TV news crews were on hand yesterday to unveil the basketball courts along 10th Street near Avenue B. 

Here's more from the Parks Department: 

The new basketball hoop technology offers a range of advanced features designed to elevate the game. Its waterproof backboard functions as a video screen, delivering expert training content, live TV, and interactive elements to enrich the playing experience. 

Equipped with advanced sensors and an integrated webcam, the hoop provides real-time feedback on shot accuracy, trajectory, and court positioning, allowing players to refine their skills with precision. Additionally, huupe facilitates global gaming by enabling real-time shooting contests with players from around the world, boasting 99% accuracy in tracking remote competitions and fostering a competitive, international community. 

The concept for huupe originated from a remote game of 'PIG' played via Snapchat between lifelong friends Paul Anton and Lyth Saeed. Their experience highlighted a gap in remote sports interactions, sparking the creation of huupe ... Now, Anton and Saeed are dedicated to extending its benefits to underserved communities.

The hoop was installed on Tuesday and will be up until early October. (No word on whether the huupe has a built-in alarm to deter it from being stolen.)

If you want to recreate this at home, the Huupe Mini is $599, while the outdoor Huupe Pro costs $9,995.

We've come a long way from the bottomless milk crate. 

Earlier this summer, the courts were closed for several weeks to resurface, install new rims and backboards, and paint a new mural.

Painting it black on the TF in Tompkins Square Park

Here's a look at the multi-purpose courts (aka TF) in Tompkins Square Park after Day 2 of painting...

There are barrels of Acrylic Resurfacer 4200 around the perimeter as well...

This space along Avenue A and 10th Street has been a skating hotspot for decades and will reopen on Tuesday. The surface is looking a little slick at the moment. The asphalt was just getting broken in again after renovations from Oct. 16 to Dec. 1. Aside from new asphalt, Parks added benches, fountains and three basketball backstops.

The courts reopened without any markings — save for around the basketball area. 

As you may recall, the original reconstruction diagrams included a walking track marked by blue paint and painted lines for kickball. It's still unclear if the Parks Department will add those in the days ahead.

The space hadn't been redone since the early 1990s. And speaking of 1990...

 

The multipurpose courts in Tompkins Square Park are closed for painting

The multipurpose courts in Tompkins Square Park are closed starting today... through next Tuesday, Sept. 3. 

Posted signage notes this is to accommodate — gulp — painting... (and H/T to @tf_report!)

This area along Avenue A and 10th Street was closed from Oct. 16 to Dec. 1 for renovations, which included new asphalt and amenities, including a high-low fountain that kids and adults can use simultaneously, three new basketball backstops, and benches.

The courts reopened without any markings — save for around the basketball area. 

As you may recall, the original reconstruction diagrams included a walking track marked by blue paint and painted lines for kickball.

We learned about all this over the weekend, and there wasn't anyone available at Parks HQ to ask. 

So, with this painting, we may see the arrival of a marked walking path and kickball court, something that likely couldn't have been added during the more unpredictable winter weather months. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Big changes are coming to the iconic skate spot in Tompkins Square Park