Dante Park and the parcel to its north, Richard Tucker Park were at one time jointly known as Empire Park. These parks were eventually separated into “Empire Park North” and “Empire Park South.”
Dante Park (63rd St. and Broadway)
Empire Park South was officially renamed Dante Park in 1921. The bronze sculpture of Dante Alighieri commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of the Italian poet best known for his masterpiece The Divine Comedy, which tells the tale of the poet’s journey from Hell to Heaven, presenting a changeless universe ordered by God. The New York branch of the Dante Alighieri Society and Carlo Barsotti, editor of Il Progresso, the first Italian daily newspaper in the United States, raised funds for the statue, which was sculpted by Ettore Ximenes. At the northern end of the park, Time Sculpture provides a contemporary update to the tradition of pedestrian and town square clocks that dot New York City. The bronze clock features faces oriented to the west, north and southeast. Installed in 1999, it was designed by Philip Johnson, one of the principal architects of the Lincoln Center campus across the street.
Today, Dante Park has never looked better. Dante Park’s visitors can linger in comfort using the moveable tables, chairs and umbrellas provided by the BID. The BID also adds to the greenery with urns and planters that are kept fresh with seasonal flowers and foliage. A way-finding kiosk and neighborhood information carousel, stocked by the BID with flyers and pamphlets about city events, benefit locals and tourists, alike.
Richard Tucker Park (66th St. and Broadway)
First known as “Lincoln Square,” then later as “Empire Park North,” the small park was renamed in honor of the renowned tenor and Brooklyn Native Richard Tucker in 1980. Tucker, who enjoyed a thirty-year career with the Metropolitan opera, specialized in Italian operatic work. A bronze portrait bust of Tucker, sculpted by Milton Hebald and unveiled in 1979, sits atop a granite plinth listing the titles of the 31 operas in which Tucker performed.
Today, it’s common to see pedestrians enjoying the amenities at Richard Tucker Park, which the BID provides and maintains with support from the Tucker Family and Foundation. These quality of life improvements from the BID—including moveable tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters, a permanent way-finding kiosk, and information carousel—are what turn this park into a welcoming community space. On Thursday and Saturday mornings, Richard Tucker Park hosts a year-round Greenmarket with locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and other fresh products.
