Union Square Park

Union Square has been a gathering area for about 170 years—for trade, entertainment, labor and political rallies, and relaxation. The park gets its name from its location at the crossroads of two important New York City thoroughfares, Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway) and Bowery Road (now Fourth Avenue). Union Square first opened to the public on July 19, 1839. Its paths, which wind through lushly landscaped lawns, were inspired by London's affluent residential squares. The design concentrated on a big central fountain, which was constructed for the completion of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842, and accentuated the park's oval shape (contained by an iron picket fence). Union Square became a significant commercial and residential area as New York City's downtown extended northward. The grounds of Union Square have hosted a variety of public gatherings, including parades, labor protests, political rallies, and official events such as the United States Sanitary Commission's Great Metropolitan Fair in 1864. Because of its significance in American labor history, the United States Department of the Interior designated Union Square Park as a National Historic Landmark in 1997. The park line will be extended south 14th Street, and the traffic island on which the Gandhi statue now sits will be incorporated into the park.