Sometimes it’s nice to find a little green spot to take a break from the city. Chinatown has several parks where you can park yourself for a little R&R:
 Columbus ParkThe largest park in central Chinatown, Columbus Park runs north from Worth Street between Baxter and Mulberry Streets. There are often musicians playing Asian and Western instruments, people performing Tai Chi exercises, soccer and basketball games. There are public restrooms in the Pavilion at the park’s north side. It’s a great place to take a load off. |
 Collect Pond ParkFound on Leonard Street between Lafayette and Centre Streets, Collect Pond Park has gone through many transformations over the years. Originally just a small body of water north of the Dutch settlements, the pond was a favorite of ice skaters and picnickers through the 1600s and 1700s. By the early nineteenth century however, the waters had become polluted, and the city made an attempt to fill it in. The area remained a swamp, literally and figuratively, with crime and gangs centered in the area until the early twentieth century, when it was cleared of tenements. All this is in the past – the park is now a quiet space with trees, benches and flowers, where workers in the surrounding Court buildings can take a break. |
 Foley Square and the Wedding GardensOfficially known as Thomas Paine Park, Foley Square was named for Thomas Foley, a Democratic Party leader during the early twentieth century. It is located just south of Worth Street, between Lafayette and Centre Streets. Flanked by a number of City, State and Federal office buildings, park is home to the Foley Square Greenmarket. One nice feature of the park is the Wedding Garden, where couples can pose for photos after visiting the City’s Marriage Bureau just across the street. |
 Allen and Pike Street GreenwayThere’s a nice greenway running up Pike Street to Allen Street from FDR Drive all the way up to East Houston Street. Featuring landscaping, trees, benches, a bike path and pedestrian walkway, it’s a great way to head uptown or downtown, or just to stop along the way. |
 Sara D. Roosevelt ParkNamed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's mother, the part runs from Canal to East Houston Street between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets. You can play soccer, handball, basketball and volleyball on the park's courts and fields, plus there's a large kid's playground that features a spray area during the summer season. There are public restrooms here as well. |
 Seward ParkNamed for William H. Seward (Secretary of State during the Civil War and the one who purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867), the park houses landscaped flower beds, a great kids playground, tennis courts and an historic branch of the New York Public Library system. |
© 2015 Chinatown Business Improvement District