The people of Washington Square Park

A photographer captures people in and around the center of NYU’s campus.

October 8, 2022

The back of a girl wearing a black shirt and jeans, standing next to another girl wearing a blue shirt and white jeans. Behind them is the marble arch of Washington Square Park, and the park fountain.

As a timeless, personal and sensible addition to WSN’s comprehensive collection of park stories, this work presents a visual inquiry into our beloved campus quad — a gathering spot for avant-garde artists, chess enthusiasts, students, residents, dogs and children. After talking with new and familiar faces alike, this series presents photos of the broad, eclectic and iconic constituency of Washington Square Park-goers.

A little girl with blonde hair wears a sleeveless white dress and sits on a concrete sidewalk with her legs crossed.

August 2022. Lillian, 4, waits on the sidewalk of the Washington Mews while her parents browse a collection of free books.

A man wearing a white shirt with an orange car cartoon, black shorts and a tote bag. He is holding a pink bottle of bubbles with one hand and blowing bubbles with his other hand. Behind him is water from a fountain.

August 2022. Lucas, 22, sits blowing bubbles by the fountain.

A woman wearing a black shirt, black shorts and a green hat sits on the knee-level concrete structure surrounding the Washington Square Park fountain. To her left is a blue-and-red bicycle.

September 2022. Shannon, 31, rests by the fountain after a bike ride with her friend along the West Side Highway.

A man in a black shirt records an iPhone video of a man in a red-and-blue Spiderman costume in front of him. To the left, a man with a white shirt and tattoos on his neck, face and arms.

September 2022. Best known for his guest appearances hosting SideTalk and his iconic bottle of Hennessy, Spider Cuz, the aspiring satirical rapper, poses for a photo. This real-life New York City superhero spends his time in Washington Square Park to build a brand to support himself and his daughter.

A man wearing a red shirt and a man wearing a black shirt sit facing each other. Between them on a black table is a brown-and-tan wooden chess board. Next to them on a foldable chair sits a man with gray hair, no shirt and blue jean shorts.

July 2022. Arthur and Demitri fist bump before their chess match while Pardy watches. Arthur plays chess regularly in the park to donate funds to Autism research.

A man wearing a gray suit and a khaki hat does tricks on a bicycle as two girls both wearing jean shorts — one with a black top, and the other with a floral camisole and teal cardigan — pose for a photo together.

September 2022. A man on a bike balances on one wheel while visitors take photos with him. In a plaid suit and patriotic tie, Landon accepts tips and advertises CC Cyclery, a bike shop on East 13th Street.

A white ice cream truck with a sign that reads “New York Ice Cream”. Inside the truck a man wearing a black sleeveless shirt holds out his phone to another man wearing a green cap and a blue sleeveless shirt.

August 2022. Grant Smith, 19, buys a popsicle from a New York Ice Cream truck parked on the northeast corner of the park.

On concrete, a yellow chalk drawing of a circle that reads “Good Luck Spot” inside. The feet of people who are standing in the circle are visible.

September 2022. Chalk artist Felix Morelo designates public spots for good luck, kissing, screaming, hugging and more.

A white paper with sketches and messily written words in purple, blue, black and orange. On the right, a hand drawing on the paper drawn with a purple marker.

August 2022. Producer and art organizer Ray Hands encourages parkgoers to “tag up” a 10-foot sheet of paper displayed in the park.

A woman stands alongside the Washington Square Arch at night. She is wearing a long-sleeved black top and brown shorts.

August 2022. A group of friends take pictures in the lights under the Washington Square Arch.

A blonde-haired toddler wearing a blue long-sleeved dress stands in front of a black grand piano that reads in small gold imprint, “This Machine Kills Fascists”.

September 2022. Colin Huggins, locally known as “The Piano Guy,” plays a grand piano in the park. The famous inscription on the park piano is a nod to the message Woody Guthrie put on his guitar in the mid-1940s: “This machine kills fascists.”

The marble Washington Square Arch illuminated by lights at night. To the left, a black lamp post, and at the bottom of the arch, a woman walking while wearing a brown long-sleeved shirt and black pants.

July 2022. A passerby and a skater create a nighttime tableau under the Washington Square Arch.

Contact Sheridan Smith at [email protected].

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