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Central Park has frequently been called 'the people's park," but we think\xa0Tompkins Square Park\xa0may have a better claim to that title. \xa0From its inception, this East Village recreational spot -- named for Vice President Daniel D Tompkins -- has catered to those who might not have felt welcome in other New York parks.\n\nCarved from the marshy area of Peter Stuyvesant's old farm, Tompkins Square immediately reflected the personality of German immigrants who moved here, calling it\xa0Der Weisse Garten. \xa0With large immgratns groups came rallies and demands for improved working conditions, leading to more than a number of altercations with the police in the 19th century.\n\nProgressives introduced playgrounds here, and Robert Moses changed the very shape of Tompkins Square. \xa0But the most radical transformation here took place starting in the late 1950s, with the introduction of 'hippie' culture and infusion of youth and music. By the 1980s, the park became known not only for embodying the spirit of the East Village through punk music and drag shows, but also as a haven for the homeless. \xa0Clashes with police echoed the altercation that happened here one century before. \xa0The park still maintains a curfew left over from the strife of the late 1980s.\n\nFEATURING: \xa0Lillian Wald, the Grateful Dead, Charlie Parker, Lady Bunny ... and Chevy Chase?\n\nSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys