Local Legend: Colin 'The Piano Guy' Plays Washington Square Park

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — Colin Huggins hauls his 800-pound grand piano into Washington Square Park almost every weekend to play concertos on the instrument that, as its inscription reads, kills fascists.

"The Piano Guy," as the city knows him, has become an iconic part of the Greenwich Village park and often draws crowds who come to hear him play in the boiling heat and bitter cold.

Huggins and his piano have been making their near half-mile journey through New York's bustling streets for more than a decade, and as video shows, it's no easy feat.

Huggins' music often inspires tranquil park-goers to lie underneath the piano and watch its mechanisms as he plays.

Singers, performance artists and even contortionists have also been known to hop on top of the instrument for an impromptu collaborative concert.

Huggins gave a snapshot of his life in the neighborhood as part of Patch's Local Legends series, in which people who make New York City great discuss the neighborhoods they call home.

Last week we spoke to food writer Joe DiStefano about the best balcony meat skewers in Queens, and next week we will feature actress Susan Heyward (who you may know as Hermione Granger's sorceress daughter in a certain Harry Potter-inspired Broadway show), who will explain the glories of Flatbush.

(Does your neighborhood have a Local Legend we should feature? Nominate them very here.)

Here's what Huggins had to say about the Village and Washington Square Park:

Describe Washington Square Park in three words.

Unwavering. Human. Microcosm.

What’s your favorite food in the neighborhood and where do you find it?

On Seventh Street there are a few vegan places that are very nice. Lady Bird and Avant Garden.

What makes your neighborhood New York’s best?

I think this area is the best because, despite gentrification and NYU taking over, it has still managed to maintain a certain independent culture. This is most likely because the people who move here tend to come for the culture and not to erase it.

People call you "The Piano Guy" or sometimes the "Crazy Piano Guy." Why do you think people call you crazy?

It was my mistake. When I first started doing this, I knew I would be meeting lots of people on the fly. I wanted a website and email that was extremely easy to remember. "The Crazy Piano Guy" seemed like it would do the trick. I had no idea so many people would attach it to my identity. I really wish I hadn't done this. I don't think I'm crazy. But I guess sanity is sort of relative.

Describe your perfect day in the neighborhood.

I'm not fond of the word perfect. But I think for me a perfect day is simply a day where I can do my work and provide the musical experiences for people that I seek to provide without too much trouble or negativity.

What other projects do you work on when you’re not playing in the park (like during winter time)?

During the winter I'm still in the park, believe it or not. I used to fill my free time with lots of other projects and collaborations. Currently, all I do is play classical piano in the park on the weekends and practice new pieces during the week.

What keeps you coming back to play piano every season?

Currently doing what I do seems to be my best option to provide something fundamentally important to humanity. Because of this I feel a great sense of gratification the more I keep at it.

Want to read up on past Local Legends? Here's where to look:

• Culinary Writer Joe DiStefano's Food Haven Is Forest Hills
• Attorney General Tish James Was An Impromptu Blackout Traffic Cop
• Music Producer Martin Bisi Says Gowanus Made Him a Mutant
• Broadway Star Liz Larsen Says The UWS Is Family
• Gastor Almonte Says Great Comedy Starts In East NY

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  This interview has been slightly edited for style.