The Parks Department has backed off from a law introduced in the fall that bans performers from practicing their craft within 5 feet of a bench or 50 feet of a monument, a rule that would have all but cleared Washington Square Park of its superb buskers. “Generally, expressive matter vending rules do not apply to buskers and entertainers,” a spokesperson for the Parks Department told DNAinfo. Unfortunately, taking your shoes off on a hot day while sitting next to someone who is eating is still 100% legal. more ›

On most days, over on the western edge of Washington Square Park, you'll find Paul, a man with a few dozen pigeons and a storied past. He's known by most as simply The Birdman, a name which he does not mind, and his pigeon post is an unusual sight, even for NYC. Last week we took some time to get to know Paul and his friends, who frequently come to hang out with him, feed the animals, and see the simple and special connection he has with one of the city's most ubiquitous birds. more ›

Some people aspire to be like Jeremy Lin, while others aspire to be Henry Earl—and it seems Herman Wayne decidedly falls into the latter category. The 55-year-old Washington Square Park mainstay was arrested last weekend for the 81st time. He makes 74-time arrestee Johnny Morgan look like a real Padawan. more ›

Some sad news to end this week: Violet, the matriarch of a family of red-tailed hawks in Washington Square Park and beloved star of the Times's "hawk-cam", has died following surgery to amputate her injured foot. She was believed to be about five years old. more ›

New Yorkers don't just love parks for their serenity or greenspace, but for the excitement of possibly breaking an arcane law while enjoying them. Eating a donut in a public playground without a minor? Enjoying a widely-sold, heavily taxed carcinogenic product? You're breaking the law! Add a new statute to the mix: it's illegal for buskers to perform within 50 feet of a monument or landmark. Finally, unobstructed views of the World Famous Garibaldi statue. more ›

As the NYPD cleared Washington Square Park of demonstrators on Saturday night, there were reports that some of the officers had a new toy at their disposal: some kind of strobe light flashlight to point at protesters. Is the device seen in this video intended to neutralize cameras during beatdowns? Or is it part the NYPD's effort to get demonstrators to "dance" without shooting at their feet? Unclear! But if the intent is to render cameras useless, it doesn't seem to be working: more ›

"Is this the end of the line for the anarchists' buffet?" We nodded at the smiling, silver-bearded man as he took his place at the very end of the Occupy Wall Street chow line in Zuccotti Park. A few hours earlier, demonstrators had marched from Washington Square Park to Lower Manhattan without incident—a peaceful result that had eluded the last three major Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. A blue-shirted sergeant strolled through the crowded park, sipping a Slurpee-like beverage. One man asked where he had purchased it, and in the ensuing exchange we snapped a photo. The sergeant leaned into our ear and peered down through his aviators: "You're not gonna post that on YouTube, right?" more ›

This afternoon, a contingent of Occupy Wall Street protesters will march to Washington Square Park for a massive general assembly at 3 p.m. They describe it as an opportunity to recruit new supporters: "The Washington Square Park thing is a great way to bring us to the next level," said Michael Fix, an organizer of the demonstration. Already, a flock of skateboarders have started making their way down Broadway. At the same time, the band Anti-Flag will perform an acoustic set at Zuccotti Park for protesters there. Below, you can watch the stream of this afternoon's events. [Updates Below] more ›

A 51-year-old man from Brooklyn got in a nasty altercation in Washington Square Park this afternoon that sent two young men to the the hospital. A Walk in the Park reports that Charles Graham "removed a broken bottle from a sock and slashed two males, ages 22 and 27" in a dispute around 1:15 p.m. around Washington Square North and Fifth Avenue. It is unclear if the slashing was in any way provoked. more ›

Today street musician Colin Huggins's Kickstarter dream will become a reality as he pushes his brand new (to him) baby grand piano out onto the streets of Manhattan. more ›

So: sometime in late March (around March 24), some folks noticed that a red-tailed hawk had been tending three eggs, white with brown speckles, in a nest on the 12th-floor ledge outside the office of the president of NYU by Washington Square Park. So naturally, the Times went and set up a webcam of the action. Violet and her partner Bobby took turns watching over the eggs, which would take 32-36 days to hatch—suffice it to say, City Room was enthralled with the saga. On Tuesday, they wrote that it was too late for the little critters: "barring some kind of record-setting miracle, there will be no fuzzy ones in the nest this year." But they were wrong! more ›

While the Parks Department's Phil Abramson told us on Wednesday he was "not familiar with any regulations about killing rats" in city parks, NYC the Blog has heard from PETA, and they seem more in the know. To recap: a video emerged recently of a dog hunting rats for sport in Washington Square Park, killing nearly 15 in one night. But is that legal, even if the city does have a rat problem? more ›

The only thing that would make us feel okay about this video is if the rats were replaced with bed bugs... but as it is, this is pretty disturbing. NYC the Blog posted the below video today (though it was filmed a few months ago), showing an energetic little pup chasing after rats in Washington Square Park. Once he gets a hold of one the sound of its squeaks will haunt you forever. more ›

About 100 Greenwich Village residents, as well as Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, took to Washington Square Park yesterday to protect their parks, playgrounds and community gardens from NYU's plan to turn the neighborhood into a private Ultimate Frisbee quad. Stringer said, "We believe very strongly that NYU must finally learn to coexist, not overwhelm this community." And risk corrupting these young scholars with the local riffraff? more ›

As many have said before, squirrels are just rats with bushy tails. Which makes them so much cuter, and thus worthy of our love and protection! After a series of squirrel maulings in Washington Square park by one woman's two dogs, squirrel fans are saying people need to stand up for the critters' rights. One Brooklyn resident said, "[The squirrels] are so friendly compared to France. And they pose for pictures. You can't just come and kill them." Think of the pictures! more ›

Undercover Parks Enforcement officers have been dispatched to Washington Square Park after a series of squirrel killings left all paws pointing to a pair of violent pups. One woman has been issued a summons for letting her dogs run without a leash, but squirrel lovers are crying blood. "They were being little squirrels, just scampering about and minding their own little squirrel business," Jane Rosen told the Daily News. "Then the four-legged terror approached and the woman did absolutely nothing. The dog was biting them, killing them." more ›