Note: Located below the Brooklyn Bridge, pretty close to Pace. I would recommend going to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and walking from there, but you can also go to Confucius Plaza and walk that way.
While this is technically a new park that has only been open since 2021, I used to pass by here pretty often when I was going between Pace University and Chinatown. It used to be filthy and full of trash, with mostly skaters and rollerbladers there and the occasional homeless person, but not much else. Regardless of who was there, it felt decently safe with One Police Plaza nearby. Anyway, that was the old, and now it is nice. Since being assisted by a nonprofit, this spot has expanded and gotten cleaner. It now feels like a proper park, so kudos to that organization.
I recently stopped here for the Mid-Autumn Festival, held over this weekend (if you're reading this review later, it was from October 2nd to the 4th). It celebrates/celebrated, as per the name, a mix of pan-Asian cultures. This ranged from performances to kids' stuff to a wide mix of food and drinks. While it is apparently Chinatown-related, I would say that the majority of things are Southeast Asian, or rather, really the Chinese diaspora in those countries.
I tried some excellent Vietnamese tea and got some Bánh Khọt from Bà Thảo's Kitchen (5 for $6) along with a Pandan Coconut Ma Lai Go (I believe it was $4) from Ipoh Corner Store. While leaving, I got a print from Kintsugi Print Studio, which makes wonderful hand-cut linocuts. There were also some other Japanese things, another Vietnamese cart, an Asian ice cream place, bubble tea/Thai iced tea, and many lanterns, among other offerings. It was nice, and I would recommend checking it out tomorrow or next year. read more