La Plaza Cultural

Whether it’s watching a puppet show under the giant weeping willows, or maybe a dance performance, or simply taking respite from the surrounding urban chaos, La Plaza Cultural provides a space for beauty and community. 

The diverse range of activities that take place in the reclaimed corner lot are not surprising considering that the space was the brainchild of a group of local activists and a Latino group that cleaned up the former garbage dump. While the area was deteriorating in the 1970s, the empty corner lot simply collected trash and attracted all manner of unseemly activity. Local activists took a stand, however, and cleaned up the corner in 1976 and turned it into a community outlet for theater and cultural displays. Today, it is used to host a variety of events and continues to be a beacon of community among the anonymous disconnect of Manhattan life.