Famous Ankles

One part of Tompkins Square Park that the locals are very proud of is the dog run.  From what I understand, Dog Fancy magazine has rated it very high on their list of dog runs.  If the concept is a little alien:  NYC has very strict leash laws and virtually no open areas where you can let your dog be free.  In answer to that, many parks have set aside enclosed areas where dogs can run wild and free.  Well, at least to the extent that the owners are there with them.  You can’t just drop off the dog and wander away.

Actually, the rules are pretty extensive:  no dogs without people (and vice versa), no dog toys, neutered dogs only (puppies can be intact), you’ve gotta clean up after ’em, no barking/digging, no aggression, no dogs in heat, must be properly licensed, collars must be unspiked, and under 23 pounds.

I’ve see runs with few dogs and with lots of dogs.  I’ve seen big ‘uns (way over 23 pounds) and tiny ones.  I’ve seen all sorts of owners with them.  But the one thing I’ve never seen in a dog run is grass.  And it sure isn’t here either.

As dog runs go, this one is larger than the others that I’ve seen, but I imagine the real attraction is other dog owners.

The types of owners that would be in Tompkins Square Park are probably about as strange and as interesting as any you might find in the City.

That’s an allusion to the allure of the LES for funky and weird people in general.  Not that they would necessarily be in Alphabet City, but St. Mark’s Place is right next to the park and that place is a real throwback and I’ll be posting on it soon.

-H

This entry was posted on January 22, 2008 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Greenwich Village, LES, Manhattan, Wanderings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.