Columbus Park

Columbus Park is a 3.14-acre public park in the heart of Chinatown, bounded by Baxter, Mulberry, Bayard, and Worth Streets. The park sits on what was once the most notorious block of the Five Points neighborhood, the densely packed 19th-century slum that became synonymous with urban poverty, crime, and disease in America.

The area surrounding the park was once the location of the Old Brewery, a former commercial brewery converted into housing that by the 1840s was considered the most dangerous building in New York, home to hundreds of people living in squalid conditions. Social reformer Jacob Riis documented the area's conditions in his landmark 1890 work, helping build momentum for clearance and park creation.

The park was opened in 1897, part of a broader effort to demolish the worst of the Five Points tenements and create open space in one of the most congested neighborhoods in the world. Its creation represented one of the first major urban renewal projects in American history.

Today Columbus Park is the primary outdoor gathering space for the surrounding Chinatown community. On any given morning, the park fills with residents practicing tai chi, playing Chinese chess, performing traditional music, and socializing. Card games, mahjong, and group exercise routines animate the space throughout the day.

The park includes a covered pavilion, basketball and handball courts, a playground, and open paved areas that serve as flexible social space. Columbus Park is one of the most culturally vibrant parks in Manhattan, a living reflection of the Chinatown community's daily rhythms and traditions.