Studio: "Tompkins Square Park"

Eighty years ago, The Lower East Side, my home now, was home to immigrants. This area received Tompkins Square, Union Square, Madison and Stuyvestant Parks, that became a spot for organizations to rally up and discuss or march pertaining to social issues. It was unsure whether the ground was "private, police or public". From playgrounds to sport facilities to grass fields for hippies, the constant transformation reflected the counterculture in the Lower East Side from year to year. Law enforcement of  a 1am curfew and no littering policy in the park was enforced in 1988 after continuous complaints from surrounding residents. (The curfew was revoked shortly after). Squatters resided to anywhere they could many using Tompkins Square Park to set up their tents for the Winter and Spring. This article refers to 1990, when the Mayor allowed for the homeless to sleep in parks, which is now illegal. However, we still do see demonstrations, protests and local organizations on a smaller scale, fighting for rights they want just like back then. These public spaces were designed for engagement and these "parks might fulfill a number of critical social functions, providing a locale for demonstrations of civic pride..." (208).