Washington Square Park

[nyc.dreamin]

Is Washington Square Park a known "hub" of drug activity? I only ask this because when I went to NYC a couple of weeks ago I literally saw three drug deals(and an altercation) when I walked through it. I was only in the park for five minutes, tops, and it seemed like there was a lot of drug activity. Now, three may not sound like a lot but in a span of five minutes, with the deals going down in broad daylight, it sure seemed like a lot.

[lofter1]

WSP has been a place to score pot for 40+ years.

The dealers are harmless enough -- although they can be obnoxiously pushy should one so much as make eye contact with them while strolling through the park and doing some "people watching".

[ablarc]

^ Plus you don't always get what you hope for.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Before its renovation, a better place to score pot was City Hall Park.

[kliq6]

I had not been to WSP for about a year and took a walk thru it in May. For the first few seconds nobody came up to me or whispered or anything and I was like ( what the hell is going on and where am I ) then finally my confidence in the park was changed, three guys in five seconds!!!!

[Schadenfrau]

I'm glad to hear that Washington Square Park is back in form. I haven't seen that sort of behavior since the mid-90s.

I don't think it ever got much worse than the omni-present "SmokeSmoke" calls and Diamond David Lee Roth's arrest.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I walk through that park almost every day and every single time someone pitches their smoke in the gauntlet between the Holley statue and the dog park.

[ablarc]

^ Some things never change. :D

[Hof]

I used to live a few blocks south of Washington Square on Thompson St,South of Houston.I was symbiotically attracted to the Square,and was there--or closeby--nearly every day.

My hangout was Googie's Bar,on Sullivan,just a block off the South side of Washington Square.Then,it was a pure Hippie bar with black brick walls and drippy candles on the tables,everybody zonked,and a longhair with a sitar playing for beers in the window.It was"Cheers"-like,with drugs.

It was mainly a local's place then,filled with an eclectic patronage of students and locals.They had good burgers (still do) a tolerant owner and cheap pitchers.If anybody needed any substances,they would leave the bar,walk the Square and return in minutes with whatever it was they got.Very all-around convenient.

One of the games the regulars used to play was to try and walk from the bar to the arch and back without being solicited for drugs,spare change or other wierdnesses.
A few hundred yards,roundtrip.Three,four minutes.The bar would empty and the patrons would cluster on the sidewalk outside the door as a newby took the bet and attempted to run the gauntlet.
Anybody approaches you,you lose.
If you made it back WITHOUT any of that happening,you you drank for free.It was a sucker's bet and after a while,only Weekend Warriors from Jersey would take it.

You could NEVER get across the Sq without at least a shoutout.
"Spare change,got a smoke or a light or a Subway token???"
"Want a date,sailor??"
"Psst,hey,Buddy"...
I know all the approaches...But it was a swell place to score pot,a hell of a perch for street theatre and a convenient spot to watch The Village go about its' day.

I'd get a coffee on Sundays and read the "Times" there,under the trees by the NYU dorms.
Once,on a wild hair,I took to mumbling "spare change" to passersby as I sat in the Sq,all bored and adventurous and trying to kill a few hours.

It was a hoot how much I got!
I took the proceeds and bought a carafe of red at some local sidewalk bar and spent an hour watching panhandlers make their day's pay,just like me.

I'm glad to see WS is still wierd.It needs to be that way,so as to bolster it's definition.I hope the City doesn't alter it too much with their proposed remake.

[tvbdude]

what other drugs can you buy from WSP? Are there alot of undercover cops there? I'm planning to go there to buy some weed when I go to NYC sometime in the next 2 weeks

[Front_Porch]

Sometimes (if you're from out of town and have just the right look about you) you can buy oregano.

[ablarc]

Sometimes (if you're from out of town and have just the right look about you) you can buy oregano.
Lol, or anise!

[Schadenfrau]

Or baby powder.

[lofter1]

>> achoo <<

[tvbdude]

I'm glad to hear that Washington Square Park is back in form. I haven't seen that sort of behavior since the mid-90s.

I don't think it ever got much worse than the omni-present "SmokeSmoke" calls and Diamond David Lee Roth's arrest.

when people approach you and say "smoke", does it mean they got the drugs?

[lofter1]

If said as a question (most common in my experience) it means ""You looking for smoke?"

If said as a statement then it would mean the speaker has the goodies (or can get some for you).

Often the one making the pitch doesn't actually carry the weed -- as that would make the pitcher vulnerable to an easy bust.

[AmeriKenArtist]

I miss it!