McKim, Mead and White: A Grander Prospect Park. [87] The Alliance's first major project was the $550,000 restoration of the Carousel in 1987–1989. Moses used federal monies made available to relieve Depression-era unemployment, and this resulted in a boom in construction at Prospect Park. [15] To make the park more visually appealing, NYC Parks also began to clear the area of weeds and invasive species, though this had the unintended effect of hastening erosion. Though the defenses were disbanded in 1944, traces of slit trenches and sandbagged gun emplacements could still be found several years afterward. [4]:6[31]:39–40 For the most part, the spaces under the arches were originally outfitted with benches, while the arches themselves blended with the foliage. In 1994 the Prospect Park Alliance launched a 25-year $43-million restoration project for the watercourse. In 2012, the Park Ridge Park District was approached with the unique opportunity to acquire the land now known as Prospect Park. [106] During the city's 2016 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2016, politicians also contributed funds toward various restoration projects in the park. [121][136], As of 2018[update], Prospect Park had 30,000 trees, comprising around 200 unique species. In exchange, they retained the remaining 10 acres for their private cemetery in perpetuity, as well as the rights to access the cemetery. [215] The eastern side of Prospect Park is served by the park's eponymous station (B, ​Q, and ​S trains) and the Parkside Avenue station (Q train). [102] In 2016, the Alliance also received $3.2 million from NYC Parks' Parks Without Borders program to construct two new entrances on Flatbush Avenue, the park's first new entrances in over 70 years,[104][105] as well as rebuild the Willink entrance. [48]:54–64[49] Instead, this space was developed as the Brooklyn Museum in the 1890s, followed by the Brooklyn Central Library and Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the early 20th century. Main attractions of the park include the 90-acre (36 ha) Long Meadow; the Picnic House; Litchfield Villa; Prospect Park Zoo; the Boathouse; Concert Grove; Brooklyn's only lake, covering 60 acres (24 ha); and the Prospect Park Bandshell that hosts free outdoor concerts in the summertime. During the 1970s, New York City was embroiled in a significant fiscal crisis, and the Park’s landscapes and structures had fallen into serious disrepair. [15] The Dairy was built in 1869 or 1871 to sell fresh milk and other light refreshments to the public; a similar building was also built in Central Park. Do you want to learn more about the history of Prospect Park? [15][20] Egbert Viele began drawing plans for "Mount Prospect Park", as the space was initially called, and published his proposal in 1861. Learn about the history of Prospect Park, from its original conception as a rival to Manhattan’s Central Park, through its glory days into the 1940s, its decline and near-collapse, and its stunning rebirth. [22]:94 Over the years, a total of 298 species have been recorded at Prospect Park, including 11 not seen at other city parks. U.S. National Register of Historic Places, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn, National Register of Historic Places listings in Kings County, New York, "Millions (and millions) of visitors poured into Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer", "Prospect Park: Wetlands of New York City", "Oak Ridge house in Forest Park is rich in Queens history: Our Neighborhood, The Way it Was", "History and Nature: History of the Park", "Prospect Park; Progress of the Work—Descriptive Particulars", "Neighborhood Report: Prospect Park/Park Slope; He's Here for Eternity, but Don't Ask Where", "Prospect Park; The Architect's Plan For Its Improvement", "1870 Brooklyn Park Commissioners Annual Report", "Prospect Park. Stranahan, sculpted by, The Lafayette Memorial, a bas-relief on granite at the Ninth Street entrance on the park's west side. [15][23][30] Much of the landscaping focused on removing obstructions such as pits and swamps, and enhancing other natural features such as hills. A period of decline in the late 20th century spurred the creation of the Prospect Park Alliance, which refurbished many parts of the park starting in the late 1980s. [36] After Brooklyn Mayor Alfred C. Chapin walked through the park in 1888, he requested that $100,000 be allocated for improvements. The festival is produced by BRIC Arts Media Bklyn. An 1868 report to the Brooklyn Park Commissioners noted that in July alone there had been more than 100,000 visitors to the incomplete park. The park is situated between Congress and Hill Street on top of Mount Ida. Purchase Prospect Park: Olmsted and Vaux’s Brooklyn Masterpiece. [121], Parkside Avenue, a roughly west-east street, divides the southwestern part of Prospect Park from the rest of the park. [219] This directly led to the Wildlife Conservation Society's takeover of the Prospect Park Zoo in 1980. In April 2013, the Park District successfully passed a referendum to acquire and develop the 11.35 acre property formally known as The Youth Campus. To the south, along the lake's eastern shore, are the White Levy Esplanade, as well as the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, a multipurpose recreation center. Prospect Park's historic Lincoln statue vandalized", "The Shirley Chisholm Monument in Brooklyn Finds Its Designers", "National Register Information System – Litchfield Villa (#77000946)", "107-Year-Old Prospect Park Tennis House to Get $5.1 Million Makeover", "Prospect Park Long Meadow – Things to do in Prospect Park, New York", "What's in store for the Prospect Park rose garden? [102] Long Meadow ball field 1 was rebuilt between 2013 and 2014. [31]:9, 11 By 1871, the monthly visitor count had increased to 250,000. The Prospect Park Track Club, formed in the early 1970s, organizes regular training runs and races in and around the park's 3.35-mile-long (5.39 km) loop. [4]:6[15] Unlike some of the other arches, Nethermead did not have any interior wood, but instead, had patterned red brick. Several additions to the park were completed in the 1890s, in the City Beautiful architectural movement. The watercourse goes through the Ravine en route to the Boathouse. [120] Quaker Hill and the Friends Cemetery are located near the southwest boundary of Prospect Park. Prospect Park is an urban park in Brooklyn, New York City. Click on points for more details. [15][22]:94[124] Sightings of butterflies are also common, and since the 1990s and 2000s, increasing numbers of bats have been seen in Prospect Park. The structure was relocated in 1920 to make way for the Willink entrance. [95][96] Several Moses-era playgrounds and the Bandshell were retained because their venues were popular. 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