About Us
Friends of Columbus Park is a not for profit 501(c)3 organization based in New York City’s Manhattan Chinatown. We are one of the few organizations that recruit organizational and individual membership based on support of our mission and goals, representing a coalition of 39 community based organizations plus individual supporters and friends. We are all volunteers with no paid staff.
Advocating for safe and clean Columbus Park is just the first of our missions. In 2002, we needed to raise awareness about Columbus Park, which is central to our community, because of the deplorable and decaying conditions of the Pavilion, ball field and park facilities.
In 2004, money was raised to restore the Columbus Park Pavilion. And in 2005, thanks to Joseph Temeczko’s $1.1 Million donation, the Columbus Park ball field was upgraded with new basketball, volleyball courts and a synthetic grass field.
These projects are just the first steps in revitalizing Columbus Park.
Chinatown parks have been ignored by the City of NY for a very long time, and we cannot rely on the City or our elected officials to maintain and preserve our open spaces. Budget cuts will continue to affect our parks. In most cases, money for parks will go to the richer neighborhoods of New York City and inner-city parks will be neglected, as always.
It is up to you, the people in our community, to get involved and help make a difference in the quality of life here in Chinatown. This starts with our parks and open spaces.
Sharing A Vision for A Better Chinatown
It Begins With Our Youth
Start with the realization that the future for a better NY Chinatown lies with our youth, for they will grow up to be our future leaders and dreamers for a strong and better NY Chinatown.
We Need to Find a Place to SHARE & GROW as a COMMUNITY
Our vision is to build a Community Center that can serve our community, primarily our Youth (as they need a place to go) and our Seniors (as they have no place else to go).
Real estate in NY Chinatown is expensive, and there is only one place that we can look at as a possible place for a "Community Center." That place can be the Columbus Park Pavilion.
The pavilion is in a park, easy to find, has trees and greenery surrounding it, has two bathrooms (lower level), a small community room, and an adequate open area in the upper loggia of the facility. It is a place that has basketball courts, volleyball courts, synthetic grass (for soccer and football, etc.), a playground, bathrooms, vending machines, a Park House, and it is all residing in Columbus Park, NY Chinatown.
What Can a Community Center Do for Our Community? Imagine This.
Close your eyes and imagine this vision for:
- A place where your kids and grandsons can come to learn, play and meet others.
- A place seniors can gather and exercise indoors, play games, teach and promote culture, get information, and talk about things.
- A place that does not discriminate, does not care about skin color or religion, a place that doesn't care about who you know and what you do.
- A place where people can share their thoughts, knowledge, talents and resources.
- A place that has a set of rules that "everyone" must follow.
With a community center, we can have:
- Scheduled movies, shows and performances
- Educational workshops and seminars
- Information/Tourist/Visitors Center
- Relaxation/Concessions (small) area for park users
- Town Hall Meetings (discuss issues affecting our community)/Open Forums
- Display of neighborhood History/Culture/Information
- Station neighborhood tours
What needs to be done to accomplish this vision?
- Give the community the keys. The community needs to be able to co-manage the pavilion with the City of NY Parks Department.
- Establish rules and guidelines for running the pavilion.
- Hire support staff and procure funding.
- Enclose the upper loggia of the pavilion to protect it from nature's decay.
- Install heating and air conditioning in the upper loggia of the pavilion so that we can use the building all year round, including weekends and evenings.
- Get political support from our community, the Mayor's office, MBPO and the City Council.
How can you help? What are you willing to do?
Columbus Park Field
Friends of Columbus Park volunteers with NY Lions Club
Sports for Kids Basketball Tournament Trophy Winners
Chinatown Columbus Park Mulan Actors Association
Member Organizations
Only communities that work together can make a difference.
FoCP represents the 39 member organizations below who share our vision for a better Chinatown in NYC.
- Asian American Youth Center (AAYC)
- Asian American Arts Alliance
- Asian American Business Development Center
- Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)
- Asian American Federation of New York (AAFNY)
- Asian Professional Extension, Inc.
- Asian Women in Business (AWIB)
- Better Chinatown Society
- Chinese American Student Exposure, Inc.
- Chinatown YMCA
- Chinatown Manpower Project
- Chinatown Athletic Council (CAC)
- Chinatown Athletic Soccer (CAS)
- Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation
- Chinese American Planning Council (CPC)
- Coalition for Asian American Children & Families
- Columbus Park Exercise Group
- Chinese School Crimson Kings Drum Corp
- Eastern Region Dragon Boat Association
- Friends of Seravalli Park (FoSP)
- Golden Lions Club
- Homecrest Cruisers Athletic Assocation (Basketball)
- Immigrant Social Services (ISS)
- Indochina Sino-American Community
- New York Maximum Output (Basketball)
- Myanmar Chinese Association of New York Inc.
- North American Chinese Volleyball Association
- New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC)
- NY Fishmen Basketball Team
- NY Thunder Basketball Team
- New York Rockits, AIA (Basketball)
- NY Sabres (Basketball)
- NY Strangers Sports Association (Volleyball)
- NY Wall St. Lions Club
- OCA-NY Chapter
- United East Athletic Association
- United States Asian Basketball Association (Basketball)
- Womankind (formerly New York Asian Women's Center)
