A Brief Chronicle of the Characters of Washington Square Park

Photos by Laura Lu, Text by Kaela Aalto

 
The Washington Square arch surrounded by nearly-bare fall trees.
 

Washington Square Park has a consistent hum radiating from somewhere deep within its tree-covered walkways. No matter the hour of the day or the type of weather, it is always pulsating with life. From the New York University students languidly reading in the winter sunlight to the skaters criss-crossing across pedestrians' paths to the artists selling canvases with splashes of vibrant colors, there is no singular identity in the Park. Rather, the Park is a collection of unique characters who gather each day to color the square as we know it, to create the familiar hum that emanates from the Park. In this photo essay, we set out to capture that hum. Although perhaps this was in vain as the Park is not a stagnant thing—it resists a singular box or defining trait, and thus, too, it resists the 5 by 8 frame of the photograph. Nevertheless, we captured the Park as it was on December 4th, at 3:30 in the afternoon.

A man wearing a brown fur coat over a black hoodie strums a black guitar. He is wearing sunglass and black leather pants. He looks down at the guitar, his mouth open in song.

We first spoke with Tariq. In a fur coat and rocking leather pants, Tariq’s energy was unavoidable. Belting out “One” by U2 and strumming along on his guitar, he captivated those who walked by him, causing them to stop in their tracks and listen to his melody for a brief moment. Tariq, who is a percussionist by training, has been playing guitar for 20 years. Do not let the fact that this is not his primary instrument fool you—Tariq can strum like there’s no tomorrow. As we were leaving Tariq’s mini-concert, he beckoned us back for one final word of wisdom: “Your generation are the leaders of tomorrow, we are trusting you. Don’t mess it up.”

 
 

Sticking with the theme of musicality, we then were drawn to the pulsating beat coming from Alan’s drum set. His captivating rhythm echoed throughout the park. With the Washington Square Arch behind him, Alan pounded out fast-paced beats. Fully in the zone with his sunglasses and headphones on, Alan seemed to be in another world, hitting the drums on each beat perfectly as if he could do this in his sleep. Soon, Alan’s beats and captivating energy drew a crowd, and along with the crowd came someone with a giant speaker. The man with the speaker blasted a techno-pop rhythm, and Alan improvised alongside it, creating a dynamic hybrid of tech and percussion that caused people to rise from their seats and dance.

A red-haired man dressed in black and wearing sunglasses plays the drums in front of the Washington Square arch. A man in a hoodie with a large speaker hanging from his neck dances to the right of the drummer. The sun is setting.
 
A brunette young man wearing a blue baseball hat and hoodie sits on a set of stone steps. His arms wrap around a girl who sits between his legs wearing a purple and black dress with spider webs painted beneath her eyes. They both look at the camera.

Washington Square Park is not fully complete without its skaters. Whether they are skirting around the empty fountain, doing tricks off the statues, or simply flying within an inch of pedestrians as they glide around the park, the skateboarders exude a level of cool that captivates the entire park. Today, they were skating in dizzying circles around the empty fountain bowl, making their complex tricks seem effortless. Pictured here are Spencer and Skunk, resident Washington Square Park skaters, taking a break from the action to relax in the icy evening air. 

 

Washington Square Park is also populated by a rotating cast of vendors selling their creations. Whether it be extravagant jewelry, unique canvases, handmade clothing, or even baked goods, there is always something to be bought in the Park. We spoke with Sarah, who is utilizing the coming holiday season to amplify her sales. She caters to NYU students, with everything at her table being under $20. Whether rain or snow or freezing cold, Sarah can be found selling her crystal necklaces and rope bracelets. 

A woman with long black curly hair sits at a fold-out table. Laid out in front of her are bracelets and necklaces made of beads and string. She smiles at the camera.
 
A man sits at a chess table, his hand resting on a white chess piece. His hair is tied up in a bandana, and he looks down in concentration. The sun is setting.

The chess boards gathered in the South West corner of the park have their own cast of characters. Raul and B sat in a heated game of chess as the sun was setting, both dedicated to the game despite the fading daylight.

 

What is Washington Square Park without its influencers? In the past few years, New York has seen a rise in influencers who make a name for themselves on apps like Tik Tok and Instagram. We spoke with Davis Burleson, of the “What’s Poppin?” Tik Tok series fame. With 1.7 million followers on the app, Burleson has become quite the personality in the park. He is unique to Washington Square Park, though, as his show is known for going up to random people in the park and asking them questions about their style or life. The questions usually brew up an air of awkwardness, nostalgia, or chaos, with pressing queries like “What colleges rejected you?” or “What’s the kindest thing someone ever said to you?” Nothing is off-limits to Burleson, and his targets are usually brutally honest as they confess their stories into his famous microphone.  It is every NYU student's dream (or perhaps nightmare?) to be approached by Burleson in Washington Square Park and enjoy a few moments of Tik Tok fame. 

A young man with blonde hair wearing a denim jacket and white pants smiles at the camera. He is holding a microphone. Behind him are fall trees and people walking around the park.
 
A young woman with brown hair sits reading on a park bench. She wears a white coat, green gloves, brown pin-stripe pants, and pink socks under black shoes.

At the heart of NYU’s campus is Washington Square Park, and thus it is somewhat of a home base for the thousands of students who attend NYU. The Arch is the poster child of the University, and acts like a beacon of light, calling students home and giving them something to hold on to despite NYU’s lack of campus. Because of this, the park is a frequent hangout spot for students. Isabel, a freshman in Liberal Studies, came to the park to read Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney.

The fleeting and amorphous landscape of Washington Square park resists structure and rigidity, and while this essay in no way claims to capture the spirit of Washington Square Park, as that would be impossible, we hope that this essay gives a sampling of just a few of the unique characters of the Park. While we have only just dipped into the vibrancy and energy of the park, we hope our documentation encompasses some of the hum we experience every day as we walk through on our way to class.

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