Voices from the park
From park users and petition signers, in their own words. Read the petition.
World famous, and a neighborhood gathering place
“Tompkins Square Park is a beacon of fitness and community in New York City. People of all backgrounds and walks of life all use the fitness area to get stronger, fitter and more resilient. Over the past decade or so, with the rise of social media, the iconic bars of TSP have become world famous to an international audience of calisthenics athletes and fitness practitioners. It would be a tremendous disservice to the community (as well as to public health) to make any changes to this historic playground.”
Danny Kavadlo, one of the world's leading authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and personal training
“As you get older, you see less of your friends. This is the happiest, healthiest way to catch up on gossip and life.”
Jack Greer, who organizes a group that meets at the bars three to seven days a week, in the New York Times T Magazine, March 2026
“There's no reason to change this particular fitness area because we love it the way it is.”
Danny Kavadlo, to Gothamist, October 2026
“People are doing handstands on the bars. People are hanging. There's music… There was guys of all different races, ages, doesn't really matter. I was like, ‘This place is awesome,’ and it's what made me wanna move here.”
Jonathan Fodi, to Gothamist, October 2026
“There's a certain energy that these bars have and a certain type of people that it attracts. The biggest thing about this place is the people.”
Jonathan Fodi, to Gothamist, October 2026
Said to CB3, October 15
“Basketball isn't just recreation, it's exercise. It's friendship, it's community. It's how I met one of my best friends… I counted 65 people there on my way here. We should be improving what needs improvement, not disrupting what already works. Regular users want better nighttime lighting, water fountains, hoop padding and basic maintenance, not a complete redesign.”
Gino
“As far as the fitness area is concerned, you've presented one option. The second option is a phased version of the first option and the third option is not doing anything… And I'm supposed to believe you can overhaul the whole thing but can't replace one bolt.”
Joe
“I will be 72 years old next month. I'm by no means the oldest person who uses the equipment there… You mentioned the safety surface and that it was falling apart. It was installed two years ago… The Parks Department years ago would come by, weld them, and that was a permanent solution.”
Rob
“There's something magical about working out under mature trees in a park, outside.”
Robert
“The equipment that's there now is choose your own adventure, in the same way that playgrounds are. When you start being overly prescriptive with your equipment, you're limiting what it's available to be used for.”
Thea
A community open to all
“This jungle gym has become a great spot where men and women gather to engage in fitness as a community. It isn't fancy but that's the charm of the place. It does not acknowledge class and all are welcome… The bars are exactly the kind of organically developed communal meeting ground that Jane Jacobs would have insisted make a neighborhood vibrant.”
Cappi
“The calisthenics community in Tompkins Square Park is the most ethnically diverse community you will find anywhere in NYC, and the bars are enjoyed by women and girls too, especially little girls who can't seem to get enough of the challenge of climbing and swinging.”
Rob
“It is used by a diverse array of New Yorkers who consider it an indispensable part of their daily life. While some sections of the park will benefit from renovation, this is not one of them.”
Julia
“People actively use this area in the way it is to exercise and gather with community. LEAVE IT ALONE.”
Jayleen
“Parks is presenting this as some necessary improvement the neighborhood has been requesting, when it's the opposite. The public has made it very clear that what is there is what they like, want and USE. Shutting down and overhauling such a vibrant public space just because there's adjacent funding is absolutely ridiculous.”
Mark
Free, for people who can't pay for a gym
“These monkey bars have been the neighborhood gym for many Loisaida residents who couldn't/can't afford the high prices of fitness centers… They've also been a place where community members of all walks got to know each other over the years, forming long lasting friendships and strengthening this neighborhood.”
Maya
“This area is accessible to people of all backgrounds to get a good body-weight based workout without having to join a commercial gym.”
Tom
“I don't think there's anywhere else nearby for the public to access free exercise equipment. This influx of funding could be devastating to the community.”
Joe
“Most of the time, people are asking for money, often for unnecessary bells and whistles. Here, the regular users of the park are asking for the city to NOT spend additional money beyond the routine maintenance of the outdoor gym.”
Rose
Health and wellbeing
“I've been coming to these bars as a mental health exercise since I was a kid… Keep it as it is.”
Emmanuel
“I learned how to use my own body weight to get incredibly fit, and along with that, managed depression and other issues through the benefits of exercise… We need places like this, just as they are.”
Ethan
“This fitness area is a welcomed third space in a fast-paced area of the city. Not everyone has the means to exercise at a commercial gym or at their home.”
Ray
Repair it, don't replace it
“Parks were the ones that just installed the flooring. The paint is also their doing over the years. And that's the bulk of their grievances. The bars are completely functional, and loose or missing bolts are easily and cheaply fixed. I don't want to interfere with upgrading the pool, but there's no reason why that needs to interfere with the opposite side of the park.”
Mark
“The equipment is worn but absolutely functional and its familiarity fosters the community that has grown around it. Newer equipment is designed poorly and aesthetically sterile… They could rebuild the park exactly as it is or even just change the rubber matting underneath.”
Tyler
“I suspect any renovation will block access for a lot of people for a while and the end result might end up being worse than the current state (judging by some other exercise areas in the city).”
Pavel
“Parks dept & the design firm heard this requested over and over at the January public input parks meeting. And they confirmed then that they hear us. Let's hope they keep their promises… If you need to enlarge the pool, so be it but pls don't change the rest.”
Sarah
Unique in New York
“NYC used to have three such olympic parallel bars, one on 104th & Amsterdam and another behind the Asser Levy Recreation Center, but the city destroyed both of them. The Parks Dept's preferred low, wide bars are not a replacement for high, narrow bars.”
Rob
← What you can do“After the removal of the calisthenics bars from John Lindsay East River Park, this area of the park remains one of the only viable options in the area for calisthenics.”
Sammy