Bay Ridge in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sorrentino Square
Leif Ericson Park
What was here before?
This site is located on a terminal moraine that extends from New Jersey to the end of Long Island. The moraine marks the place where the 10,000-year-old Wisconsin glacier deposited boulders, rocks, soil, and debris.
How did this site become a park?
The City of New York originally acquired the site of Leif Ericson Park in 1895 for the Bay Ridge Parkway. However, at the behest of community leaders, it instead created a new park on five vacant blocks, which opened in 1925. This square was dedicated in 2020.
Who is this monument dedicated to?
This site is named after Gilbert Sorrentino (1929-2006), a local postmodernist author, several of whose novels are set in Bay Ridge.
Sorrentino was born and raised in Bay ridge, Brooklyn, and attended nearby Fort Hamilton High School. He later studied at Brooklyn College, where he majored in 16th-17th century literature. His studies were interrupted when he served in the Army Medical Corps for two years during the Korean War. Though he returned to Brooklyn College, he left before finishing his requirements.
In 1956, Sorrentino was the editor of Neon,
this page online
Sorrentino retained various teaching positions in prestigious universities throughout the country, including a professorship in the English Department at Stanford University for 17 years. After retiring from academia in 1999, he returned to his native Bay Ridge, where he lost his battle with lung cancer on May 18, 2006. A novel was posthumously released in 2010 titled "The Abyss" of Human Illusion with a preface by his son, Christopher Sorrentino.
Erected by NYC Parks. (Marker Number 301.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education •
Location. 40° 38.233′ N, 74° 1.347′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Bay Ridge. It is at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Shore Road, on the right when traveling south on 4th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6530 4th Ave, Brooklyn NY 11220, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City and on Long Island. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Sorrentino Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Engine Co. 241 - Ladder Co. 109 9/11/2001 Memorial (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Owl's Head Park (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Owl's Head Park (approx. half a mile away); Revolutionary War Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); La Luz del Mundo (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Freedom Tree (approx. 1.1 miles away); a different marker also named The Freedom Tree (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
