Abe Lebewohl Park

Abe Lebewohl Park is a public park in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, in front of the St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery where East 12th Street, Second Avenue, and Stuyvesant Street meet. The park is named after Abe Lebewohl, a local who owned the Second Avenue Deli, which was formerly located across the street from the park. It contains a small seating area as well as a Ukrainian-American World War II memorial.

Abe Lebewohl Park
Lion statue in Abe Lebewohl Park
Type	Urban park
Location	In front of the St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery at 2nd Ave and East 12th St, East Village, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates	40.7300°N 73.9870°W / 40.7300; -73.9870
Area	0.16 acres
Operated by	New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Website	https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/abe-lebewohl-park

History

Abe Lebewohl Park, along with nearby Abe Lebewohl Triangle, were originally bought by the city in 1799 for street-grid purposes. In 1938 it was redeveloped into a seating area and became known as St. Mark’s Park, after the church directly behind it.^[1] In 1980 a petition was started for the city to save the park after it had deteriorated throughout the 1970s. This led to the creation of a weekly summertime concert series, now called "Music at Abe Lebewohl Park", in conjunction with the Third Street Music School.^[2] On March 4, 1996, Abe Lebewohl, a local who had helped to organize the petition to save the park and was well known for owning the Second Avenue Deli, which was at the time located just across the street from the park, was murdered while making his daily run to the bank.^[3] After the park was renovated later that year, it was renamed to Abe Lebewohl Park in his honor.^[4]

Gallery

Photos of Abe Lebewohl Park

• 
  Ukrainian-American WWII Memorial at Abe Lebewohl Park
• 
  Abe Lebewohl Park as seen from Stuyvesant Street
• 
  Lion statue in Abe Lebewohl Park

References

1. "History of Abe Lebewohl Park". Official Website of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Accessed February 28 2024
2. "Summer Lunchtime Concerts". www.thirdstreet.nyc. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
3. Swarns, Rachel L. (March 5, 1996). "Owner of Second Avenue Deli Is Shot and Killed in Robbery". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
4. "Abe Lebewohl & His Park - Village Preservation". www.villagepreservation.org. May 17, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2024.