An Urban Hideaway in Stuyvesant Square
Photo credit: Varsha Suresh/SPNA
By Max Lockwood, SPNA
An urban hideaway—that’s how I think of Stuyvesant Square Park. Its gardens, trees, birds, and squirrels offer a welcome pause amid New York’s concrete and noise. Sometimes, all it takes to begin noticing them is a seat on a park bench.
As a former U.S. park ranger and someone long committed to urban parks, I value these places for the refuge they offer. For me, sitting among trees and listening to birds can be a spiritual experience: a chance to quiet my thoughts and feel connected to the living world around me. Others may describe that experience as relaxation, a clearer head, or a sense of belonging.
Conversations with three visitors to Stuyvesant Square revealed some of the ways people find that connection.
Sarah, visiting from England, appreciated the welcome she had found in New York—and the places to sit.
“New York is a wonderful space. The people seem exceptionally friendly and, like yourself, will talk to you with a smile and warmth that is unique and refreshing,” she said. “Your parks, and this one in particular, are littered with these wonderful benches so that all people might have a nice place to sit.”
For Steve, who works at a hospital across the street, the park offers a break from the demands of his day.
“I am on my feet, and it can be stressful,” he said. “The park offers a respite and relaxing break from all of that. The nature and quiet calm me down.”
Stephanie, who lives around the corner, described a feeling of familiarity in a city that can sometimes overwhelm her.
“I am originally from a vibrant and close-knit family from New Jersey. New York can be intense and competitive and altogether overwhelming at times,” she said. “The park is fantastic. I feel at home here.”
She also values the opportunity to move and spend time among neighbors.
“People are friendly, I can do my stretching exercises and just feel more natural and all clear-headed here. It is a bit of a homey feeling.”
These conversations reminded me that a park’s value includes the ordinary moments people make there: a break from work, a friendly exchange, a place to feel at home. We may describe those experiences differently, but each gives us a reason to appreciate this shared green space.
So take a jaunt down to Stuyvesant Square. Meet a tree, talk to a neighbor, smile at a squirrel, or simply sit on a bench and see what you notice.
Max Lockwood is an SPNA volunteer, writer, and social entrepreneur focused on natural public health and public land stewardship. He previously served as a U.S. park ranger, an analyst for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and a communications and marketing consultant for the running and outdoor recreation industry. He spends his time in New York City, Northeast Vermont, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.