Fresh sod and DanceFest crowds come together in Tompkins Square Park

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Just days before one of the biggest events of the year in Tompkins Square Park, the Parks Department started re-sodded parts of the main lawn — only for the area to be walked on by festivalgoers and other parkgoers during Saturday's DanceFest, the celebration that follows the annual Dance Parade. 

Despite signs and barriers indicating the lawn was off-limits, the area quickly started filling up with people on one of the spring's summeriest days.

"It was locked earlier today and people don't listen — they hopped the fence," Amy Taylor, the crew chief at Tompkins Square Park, said on Saturday. "The hose is still out there, equipment and the sod too." 

When told the gate was open and the lawn was filling up, Amy reiterated that the area was "technically and officially closed" and said she did not know who had unlocked it. 

Workers had spent three days seeding and laying sod ahead of the weekend. As for why the work was scheduled so close to a major event: "I don't know. No one told me anything." 

Now, the question lingers: Will the newly sodded lawn survive the summer — or will the Parks Department be back to square one? 

And a look yesterday at the lawn, now with caution tape on the freshly sodded areas...

A soggy day for new sod

Photos by Steven 

If you were in Tompkins Square Park earlier today, you likely noticed the stacks of sod near the field house. (Thanks to everyone who emailed about this.)

Apparently, some of the sod didn't grow in behind the renovated building, so the reinforcements have arrived...

Updated: Looks like Park workers will be putting sod on the main lawn too (though maybe they should wait until after DanceFest on Saturday).

Saturday's opening shot

Photo from Tompkins by James Chambers 

Partly sunny and breezy with a high of 75 today, per local weather sources. Tomorrow, Mother's Day, looks to be the same but maybe even nicer. 

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

Reps from PETA gathered in Tompkins Square Park today, urging the public to respect the area's pigeons. 

The appeal comes in the wake of an arrest last week tied to alleged pigeon poaching (for target practice) on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place.

Community Board 3 to discuss new entrance to Tompkins Square Park on 10th Street

Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee meeting tonight includes this agenda item: Support to create an entrance to Tompkins Square Park on 10th Street.

The meeting notice doesn't mention where the entrance might be. Given that you can enter Tompkins on 10th Street from the basketball courts near B and the multi-purpose courts/TF near A, it seems logical that the proposed entrance would be mid-block behind the recently renovated field house.

This is a topic that will likely merit further conversation. 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30 at the BRC Senior Services Center at 30 Delancey St. (between Chrystie and Forsyth streets).

Saturday's parting shots

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Maypole dancers, please report to Tompkins Square Park...

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

On the right, meet Moony — a rescue spending her first few minutes in Tompkins Square Park today with Jen Shorr, owner of Joyface and HiLot on Avenue C. 

Moony likely already became fast friends with Mellow on the left — one of the coolest, sweetest pups around.

Last splash? Getting the Tompkins Square Park mini pool prepped for 1 more summer

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

After an extended closure, the Tompkins Square Park mini pool (yes, Tompkins has a mini pool) is finally expected to reopen for the 2025 summer season, New York City Parks officials said. 

The pool initially closed during the pandemic and has remained out of service due to a lack of bathroom access while the park's field house was under renovation the past two summers. 

Now that the all-new field house is in operation, the pool is being prepared for use. Some scraping and leveling work has been done to address tilting issues, and a test run will be conducted to ensure it is safe for swimmers, according to Tricia Shimamura, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for NYC Parks & Recreation, during the April 14 field house ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The pool for children and their guardians is anticipated to remain open through Labor Day.

Looking ahead, Tompkins Square Park is also slated for a significant upgrade. Last August, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants through the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative. 

As part of that, Tompkins Square Park was awarded $6.1 million for a new in-ground pool, which will double the capacity of the current above-ground trailer park model. 

A start date for construction on the new pool has not been announced yet.

In Tompkins Square Park, a creative pushback against tech's reach

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday afternoon, a coalition of NYC-based groups gathered in Tompkins Square Park to question the growing influence of technology on daily life.

The event combined performance, protest, and community activities, with participants wearing gnome hats inspired by the Orange Alternative and Kabouters. Highlights included a Luddite tribunal, a cellphone "hours wasted" vigil, a cardboard iPhone display, open soapbox speeches, and chalk art, all aimed at pushing back against Big Tech's dominance in politics, culture, and personal life.

Some scenes from the afternoon...

According to the organizers: "As New York City continues to evolve as a hub for innovation and tech development, the event serves as a timely opportunity to critically examine the implications of technology on the daily lives of its residents." 

"This isn't a one-off protest — it's part of a larger movement in New York City demanding accountability and alternatives," Bucky Baldwin, a coalition organizer, said in a statement shared before the event. "As residents feel increasingly alienated by algorithmic systems, automated decision-making, and corporate surveillance, these groups are coming together to imagine a more human, more just city."

Wednesday's parting shot

A day ender from Tompkins Square Park...

A barricade-free chess experience in Tompkins Square Park now possible

The area around the chess tables inside the 7th and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park is now barricade free. 

EVG reader Joann Falkenburg noted this scene yesterday...

The tables had been (mostly) behind barricades since the fatal double shooting here last July. In September, D.A. Bragg's office anounced the indictment of two men for their alleged role in the shooting that 74-year-old Fermin Frito. A second man was also shot in the ambush that erupted over a reported drug turf war. 

Hopefully this spot — sometimes referred to as the "crime corner," at least in the EVG comments — can remain barricade-free moving forward.

With the barricades removed and field house renovations finished, Tompkins Square Park is now fully open to the public.

So long — smell ya later!

This morning, we bid farewell to the porta-potties that bravely served Tompkins Square Park during the closure of the field house for renovations... they're off now to head to the second weekend of Coachella 2025...

You can read some of the past portable potty posts here. 

Thanks to our friends at DeColores Community Yard for the top pic and Joann Falkenburg for the second photo!

Tompkins Square Park Field House officially reopens after renovations (and you won't recognize the restrooms)

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After more than 18 months of renovations, the field house and restrooms at Tompkins Square Park officially reopened yesterday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on an actual spring-like day.

Susan Donoghue, NYC Department of Parks commissioner, along with other Parks officials, local elected officials, and Community Board reps, did the honors...

The reconstruction of the field house that serves the 10.5-acre park included a complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, upgrading all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements feature reconfigured layouts, new entryways, ADA-compliant ramps, and renovated restrooms and maintenance areas. The mayor's office funded the $5.6 million renovations.

The newly ADA-compliant bathrooms were spotless (for how long?). Each came stocked with amenities like — what? — soap and toilet paper...

Posted hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (There seemed to be confusion over the restroom hours — we received several different answers.)

While the ceremony was still wrapping up, neighborhood kids were already making themselves at home near the Slocum Memorial Fountain, and visitors wasted no time enjoying the newly accessible space.

Overall, the mood was upbeat and even celebratory. After a long stretch of construction and closed-off areas, residents seemed pleased to reclaim one of the East Village's most active public spaces.

And now, join us in a moment of silence... we appreciated your service...