Thomkins Square

One of the things i love about living in this area of Manhattan are the many parks. 4 within a five minute walk. And not little parks either... each has a toddler area, sprinklers, areas sectioned off for big swings and little swings. The entire area is gated with a sign that says adults only allowed when accompanied by a child--each morning when we are out we see park staff cleaning debris left there.

Thursday we went to Tompkins Square Park... i read the history; it is amazing. In the past, home of riots and homeless, now home to a dog run, jazz festival and drag show. What intrigued me most was the monument to the General Slocum boating disaster, June 15, 1904. Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Slocum

It was the biggest lost of life on USA soil before Sept. 11, 2001. This area used to be called little Germany. A boat was rented ($350) to take the residents to a picnic. Because most of the men had to work, the majority of people were women, children, and upper class persons. 1300 people drowned when a fire started—children couldn’t swim, women wore fabulous but heavy clothes that prevented swimming. And little Germany was no more--wiped out from the loss.

Can you imagine?