Hi there, welcome to the Bowry Boys, and today I'm reintroducing you to a show that

Tom and I recorded in 2014, the history of Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.

Now since the last show was about Central Park with the theme of who gets to use the

park, I thought I'd share this story of a very different park.

But the real surprise here is that this show ties right into an all new two-part episode

coming in September, the first part coming at you next week.

Tompkins Square Park is the heart and soul of the East Village.

This was not a park designed for the service of the upper classes in the mid-19th century.

And for many decades, this was the largest outdoor space in the Lower East Side.

And because of that, it's not only been a place of relaxation, it's also been a place

for people to voice their dissent.

It's become a most rebellious little place over the decades, and this story is a tale

of vice presidents and labor unions and drag queens and punks.

And since we recorded this show in 2014, the park has seen some additional clashes, particularly

in the post-COVID pandemic era.

Clashes, which you'll hear, parallel to those older conflicts.

Now for updates on other news and recent history about Tompkins Square Park, I suggest

you visit the blog's Evie Grieve in Vanishing, New York.

And now enjoy the show, and I'll see you next week with a direct tie-in to this subject.

Wow, that's really dreamy, Greg, it's sort of

groovy, right?

And it blasts us right into Tompkins Square of the 1960s, I'm taking it?

...