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Union Square, Manhattan: Where Protest Meets Produce

Union Square, New York

Pictures from Union Square

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Union Square Park Union Square Greenmarket Metronome

Union Square's name marks the union of the island's two principal early thoroughfares, Broadway and the former Bowery Road (now Park Avenue), which meet at the square. Developer Samuel Ruggles convinced the city to enlarge the commons in 1831 and enclose and grade it in 1834; the park opened in July 1839. It quickly became a stage for the nation's biggest moments and movements: on April 20, 1861, after the fall of Fort Sumter, the flag flew from the square's George Washington statue before a rally of perhaps a quarter million people, and on September 5, 1882, at least 10,000 workers paraded past a reviewing stand here in the country's first Labor Day parade — the reason the square was named a National Historic Landmark in 1997. Union Square has stayed a gathering point for labor and radical politics ever since, from Emma Goldman's 1893 speech to the 1934 department store strikes.

  1. A National Historic Landmark park honoring the first Labor Day parade, opened in 1839.

  2. The city's flagship farmers market, running four days a week since 1976.

  3. A New York independent-bookstore institution since 1927, now holding over 23 miles of books.

  4. An off-Broadway house inside a landmark former bank building designed by Henry Bacon.

  5. Danny Meyer's original restaurant, open since 1985.

  6. An Israeli-rooted bakery a block from the square, famous for its chocolate babka.

  7. A homegrown New York coffee roaster's original Irving Place cafe.

  8. A renovated hotel in the 1911 Beaux-Arts former Germania Life Insurance building on the square's corner.

A Square Built for Rallies

Union Square's Greek Revival design and central location made it New York's default gathering ground almost from the moment it opened in 1839. Henry Kirke Brown's equestrian statue of George Washington, unveiled in 1856, was the first public sculpture erected in the city since the 1770 statue of George III — and it was from that statue that the Fort Sumter flag flew during the quarter-million-person rally of April 1861. The square's radical tradition runs from Emma Goldman's 1893 "Free Bread" speech to the 1934 department store strikes, but its most consequential single day may be September 5, 1882, when at least 10,000 workers marched up Broadway in the country's first Labor Day parade — the achievement the square was designated a National Historic Landmark to honor in 1997. That civic energy still shows up daily at the Union Square Greenmarket, founded in 1976 with seven farmers and now the city's flagship farmers market.

Getting there by subway

The 14th Street-Union Square station complex is one of the best-connected spots in the city, served by the 4/5/6 (Lexington Avenue line), the N/Q/R/W (Broadway line), and the L (Canarsie line) — it was the system's fourth-busiest station in 2024, so nearly any Manhattan or Brooklyn destination is a one-seat or one-transfer ride away.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Union Square by subway?
The 14th Street-Union Square complex puts the 4/5/6, N/Q/R/W, and L trains all at one stop — it was the fourth-busiest station in the entire system in 2024, so most Manhattan and Brooklyn destinations are a one-seat or one-transfer ride away.
Where does the name Union Square come from?
It marks the union of Broadway and the former Bowery Road, now Park Avenue north of the square — the island's two principal early thoroughfares, which meet here.
What is the Union Square Greenmarket?
Founded in 1976 by the Council on the Environment of New York City (now GrowNYC) with seven original farmers, it now operates Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, drawing more than 250,000 customers a week in peak season.
Why was Union Square named a National Historic Landmark?
Primarily to honor the first Labor Day parade, held here on September 5, 1882, when at least 10,000 workers marched up Broadway and past a reviewing stand at the square. The designation came in 1997.
Where can I stay near Union Square?
The W New York – Union Square, on the northeast corner of the square inside the 1911 Beaux-Arts former Germania Life Insurance Company Building, is the verified in-neighborhood option, following a $100 million renovation completed in 2025.

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