Columbus Park
New York · United States
We briefly walk through this park on the edge of Chinatown and talk about what used to be here: the notorious neighborhood of the Five Points. We discuss the Irish immigration and show photos of what the neighborhood used to look like.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Columbus Park. As you step onto the paved walkways and look across the bustling athletic fields and shaded seating areas, you are entering the vibrant, beating heart of modern Chinatown. …
Listen in the app2The Ghosts of the Five Points and the Criminal Gangs
Walk slightly north into the interior of the park. Imagine, if you can, erasing the open sky and replacing it with a claustrophobic canyon of rotting wooden tenements. …
Listen in the app3Jacob Riis and the Power of the Flash Photograph
Move further along the pathway toward the center of the park. The eradication of the Five Points slum and the creation of this very park is largely owed to the efforts of one incredibly influential individual, a Danish immigrant…
Listen in the app4The Creation of the Park and Social Engineering
As you stand in the wide open space of the park, consider the massive logistical and social effort required to build it. The park was officially opened in eighteen ninety seven, originally named Mulberry Bend Park, designed by…
Listen in the app5A New Demography, The Chinese Community
Walk toward the northern end of the park, where you will notice the distinctive, elegant pavilion structure. In the latter half of the twentieth century, following changes to the notoriously restrictive federal immigration laws,…
Listen in the app6The Pavilion of Music and Strategy
Approach the large, open air pavilion and the clusters of stone tables nearby. This specific area of Columbus Park is famous for its intense, daily displays of traditional music and strategic gaming. …
Listen in the app7The Athletic Fields and Civic Assimilation
Walk toward the southern section of the park, where the landscape transitions from shaded seating areas to expansive athletic fields and basketball courts. This is the domain of the neighborhood's youth. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As you prepare to leave Columbus Park, take a moment to reflect on the staggering historical journey of this small piece of Manhattan real estate. We have traced its evolution from the pristine Collect Pond, through its descent…
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What is Columbus Park?
Columbus Park is a place in New York · United States with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | New York · United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 40.7158, -73.9995 |
| Last updated |
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