Talk:Sherman Square

Verdi Square v Sherman Square

I think this article is confusing Sherman Square with Verdi Square. If you look at the New York City Parks site in the sources, you'll see that Sherman Square is down at 70th street. The 72nd Street subway station is two blocks north -- at Verdi Square. I'm also pretty sure that it was Verdi, not Sherman, Square that once was "Needle Park," but could be wrong on that. The confusion seems to come from a mislabeling in the graphic artist's website that also appears as a source. I guess I'll let this sit to see if anyone knows better. If not, I'll make the correction. JamestownArarat 03:42, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

I was kind of confused by this myself. But, the first screen of The Panic in Needle Park reads: "The intersection at Broadway and 72nd street on New York's West Side is officially known as Sherman Square. To heroin addicts it's Needle Park." I feel like they would have gotten it right? --Tothebarricades (talk) 00:37, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Is that actually what you've seen in the film?--Pharos (talk) 02:13, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

I've been looking through the New York Times archives, and there are at least as many if not more (non-film) references to Verdi Square being "Needle Park" compared to Sherman Square. It seems to me that the most accurate definition of "Needle Park" would refer to the two squares combined (they are right next to each other, after all). I guess we could use this as a cite, which though it's kind of vague, does hint that they could be considered combined.--Pharos (talk) 02:13, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I own the film, it's there. And, considering what New York was like in the 70s, there were actually a number of parks given that name; I've heard the name used for Sara D Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side, as well. Not sure how prevalent that was, though. I'd just go up there and check but I'm in London at the moment. --Tothebarricades (talk) 21:20, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, there were a number of parks occasionally called "Needle Parks", but surely it's significant that Verdi Square gets this name even more often than Sherman Square, even when they're mentioned together. Really, they're right next to each other, and it's easy to see them as one park. There's no particular reason why users or dealers would feel obligated by Parks Department specifications in referring to them separately. The fictional film, though it's of cultural importance, should not be our chief or only source on the real-life park(s).

By the way, I'm not sure what you mean by "I'd just go up there and check"; what exactly would there be to check (I could check it myself if there was anything)?--Pharos (talk) 22:22, 18 April 2008 (UTC)\

Well, I would suspect signs would clarify the issue more or less as far as specific location details, not that I think the Parks Department always does the best job with their signs... --Tothebarricades (talk) 22:17, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

Nowadays, all the historical signs are online. See Sherman Square and Verdi Square (along with Verdi Monument). None of these mentions drug use at all (Parks Department public relations, I imagine).--Pharos (talk) 00:36, 28 April 2008 (UTC)