From the time Washington Square Park opens for the day to its close, there’s always something going on. For Ruth, a longtime neighbor who is proud to support the park, you can find her walking in and around the park as the city wakes up. Let’s hear more from one of the park’s biggest fans!

What is your connection to Washington Square Park?

I’m here every morning before six o’clock, I’ve been doing it for years, I used to run, now I walk: I do laps, about four miles or so a day. I start on the outside of the park, and then I loop a couple times around the fountain.

I’ve developed this whole group of people, walkers and runners, and we say hi to each other. So that somebody will say, ‘I haven’t seen you. Everything okay?’ Or one time this person said, ‘look, I’m gonna be away for a month, just want you to know.’ Even though all I’ve ever said is hi!

And from that, I made real friends that I see outside of the park, all because of walking. It’s that kind of a place!

What do you love about Washington Square Park?

To me, this is my park, and I bet there’s a lot of people who feel that way! I like the feeling that it gives you such vitality.

It’s got all these different lives. And to me, it’s a park for everybody. You have young people, little kids playing, you have older people, people with walkers that come to sit in the park. And it’s one of those places where you can sit down all by yourself but not feel alone.

Really, if you want to wake up to something beautiful, you should come here. Just as the city’s waking up, you’re waking up with it. This is the place you want to do it.

What’s your favorite park memory?

I remember the nesting of these red-tailed hawks when they were giving birth. Everybody was gathered at a tree and kept looking at this little bird that had done its first flight. That was a pretty amazing memory.

When people think New York isn’t friendly, they should come here. You’ll feel differently. Everybody belongs here, and you’re never going to feel out of place. You can be whoever you are.

Why should folks support the Washington Square Park Conservancy?

In the city, you want to have some kind of outdoor space. You may have a little with your apartment, you may have one in your building, but the park is like your backyard. And I have the Washington Square Park Conservancy and NYC Parks taking care of it for me. 

This is a park for everybody. And you want to not just be a part of it, but be a part of making sure it stays with you. You want programs for little kids,  for adults, for anybody. And I think you want to be a part of something that you’re going to not just use, but cherish.

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Washington Square Park is a vibrant place enjoyed by so many people, for so many reasons! And the Washington Square Park Conservancy is dedicated to keeping the park thriving for those early morning walks and then some.

None of this work is possible without donor support from park lovers like you.

The Conservancy funds the talented staff who make the park better each day, including gardeners, maintenance workers, and Parks Enforcement Patrol officers. We tackle the essential maintenance and horticultural work that keeps the park running each day, whether it’s overhauling the plumbing in the bathrooms or planting thousands of new climate-adapted plants in the park’s garden beds. And we are committed to ensuring the park is clean and safe for all who love and use it, year-round.

Will you make a gift today to ensure the park remains a beloved place for all visitors, including everyone who comes through the park each day like Ruth?

These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.