Verdi Square
Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue between West 73rd Street and West 73nd Street on the Upper West Side.
Verdi Square is a small triangular shaped piece of land with the Giuseppe Verdi statue (opera singer) enclosed by fencing on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
In the early 1900s the square served as a gathering place for musicians, including Enrico Caruso, Arturo Toscanini and Igor Strativinsky.
In 1974, Verdi Square was designated a Scenic Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, one of only nine public parks to receive this distinction.
When I first moved to the Upper West Side, it was filled with drug dealers and locals gave it the nick name "Needle Park".
The monument was restored in 1997 with funds from the Broadway/72nd Associates. Today, Verdi Square is entirely redecorated and landscaped, making it one of the most desirable areas of New York City to live in.
On the north it is enclosed by the Florentine Renaissance palazzo of the Apple Bank Building the trapezoidal structure, with a vast vaulted Roman banking hall 65 feet high was built in 1926–28. The building now has 29 residential condominiums over the building's top four floors. Large lofts, 2 bedroom to 4 bedrooms ranging in price from $2million to $7million.
Verdi Square Park has mini gardens, benches and serves as a walkway for pedestrians, people walking their dogs or taking the 1, 2, or 3 trains at the 72nd Street Station.
courtesy of:
Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group
- Upper West Side
- Central Park West
- Riverside Boulevard
- West End Avenue
- Upper Broadway
- Riverside Park
- Upper West Side Seller
- Upper West Side Buyer
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©Mitchell Hall 2006-2016
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Blogging about Manhattan Real Estate since 2006
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I bet so many people just walk by this and never stop to see what it is or what it is all about... Yet you did!
I didn't know that that area was known for drugs back in the day. I guess I got to know the upper West side after that was all gone!
One of my favorite things about NYC is the little parks all over the City.............great place to sit, relax and people watch. This is one I'm not familiar with Mitchell, thanks.
Hi Chris, You're right most people, even many in the neighborhood have no idea it's called Verdi Square Park. I've lived in the neighborhood for many years although I had to look up who Giuseppe Verdi was ,-)
Hi Ruthmarie, Gentrification on the Upper West Side began in the 80's. I moved to the Upper West Side in 1982. I lived on 86th Street. The crosstown streets 86th and 72nd were always very nice but many of the tree lined side streets with brownstones and townhouses that now sell for multi millions of dollars were boarded up and vacant, in the summer the neighborhood kids used fire hydrents as sprinklers. The dealers would sit on the benches at Verdi Park along Amsterdam Avenue. If you walked by they would say "smoke smoke". It is a totally different neighborhood today. I watched it go from gritty, to hip to trendy to chic, to upscale and family friendly. The streets are filled with baby strollers and many of the new buildings built in the late 80's have swimming pools.
Roger, There sare so many little parks. Verdi Square park is where Amsterdam and Broadway form a triangle. If you are driving up Broadway or on the Broadway bus it becomes Ansterdam at 70th Street (Sherman Square) another blog lol. You have to make a left (Broadway Bus turns) at 73rd and then another right to get back on Broadway in front of he Apple Bank Building.
The 72nd and Broadway Subway station is loccated at Verdi Square across the street from The Ansonia. The old station headhouse is still there and still open on the other side of 72nd street.
New 72nd Street Subway station at Verdi Square
Gray's Papaya considered the best Hot Dog in New York is located diagonally across from the south east corner of Verdi Square. Familiar?
Mitchell,
Great story regarding the renaissance of Verdi Square. I loved that all the famous opera singers gathered there. My father was an opera buff, and had friends at the Met weh we lived in NY and NJ. He and my mother loved going to the opera, and would regale me with stories and the music. Thanks for this great post. A