10. Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space
The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space is a not-for profit museum dedicated to archiving community gardens, squatting and grassroots environmental activism of the Lower East Side. The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space is dedicated to the art of rebellion, environmental awareness, and the neighborhood’s artistic innovations and beyond. The museum is a reminder that the past isn’t exactly gone, and for DiPaola, that means active environmentalism is very much needed today.
The museum takes honest looks back on grassroots movements, like when protesters occupied Wall Street to produce electricity using a bicycle-powered generator, or when people set out in the street after Hurricane Sandy for cell phone charging. Passionate volunteers, donations, grants, and events the museum holds, including their fashion show, keep the museum running today. Visitors can also take in-depth walking tours of the East Village and its historical activism. The museum is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays and is open from 11-7 Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays.