In the early 1860s, businessman and politician James T. Stranahan declared that a park in Brooklyn "would become a favorite place for all classes of our community, afford thousands of people the enjoyment of fresh air and exercise." healthy in all seasons of the year. More than 160 years later, his words accurately describe what Prospect Park is today for the inhabitants of the New York district: a breather, an orchard, a space for sports, relaxation and meeting with others.
It is not as big as Central Park in Manhattan -its area is 76 percent smaller-, but its 2.36 square kilometers fit many ways to spend time: walking, running, skating, cycling, playing soccer, playing basketball or tennis, rowing, fishing, horseback riding, buying fruits and vegetables, having a picnic, visiting a zoo, doing yoga… and even getting married. Prospect Park is a small world in which to leave aside the tensions and noise of New York. Come, see, and do.
Manhattan is Manhattan, but Brooklyn has something special about it. For travelers and non-Brooklynites, the most common way to get to the park in question is the subway. As you exit Grand Army Plaza Station, the first thing that catches your eye is the Soldiers and Sailors Arch, dedicated "to the defenders of the Union." It was erected in 1892 to honor those who fought on the winning side of the Civil War (1861-1865). For us, it is the north gate to the garden of wonders.
We're inside, face to face with Long Meadow, a mile-long space that any psychologist would prescribe as therapy for tormented souls. Gangs, couples, families and lone rangers dot its verdant surface in a festive atmosphere, but not too loud (no loud music allowed).
Nestled on the soft grass, it will be hard for us to get up to explore this venue that opened its doors in 1867, in the wake of nineteenth-century concern for urban planning in increasingly populated cities, often in dismal conditions. The public (and private) powers saw that this rocky place with crops and the remains of lush forests could be the lungs of Brooklyn, a resource more for public health and hygiene than aesthetic, and for this reason they hired Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1866 , the designers of nearby Central Park, completed in 1858.
It was a success. Prospect Park was not finished until seven years after it opened, but in its first July after opening it had already been visited by over a hundred thousand people.
A good way to get acquainted with the park is to walk, run, skate or bike a 5.7-kilometer circuit that is divided into three sections, from north to south: Park Drive, Center Drive and Wellhouse Drive. As soon as we remain attentive, we will perceive that there are three well-differentiated zones: a prairie that occupies the north and the west; a wooded and steep space to the east; and a lake to the south. They did not arise randomly; correspond to the Olmsted and Vaux design.
We've talked about the prairie before, so it's up to the eastern section of the park, known as The Ravine (the ravine). The only forest in Brooklyn grows there, with which the creators of the enclosure recovered the characteristics of the forests that once occupied what is now a monster of asphalt, concrete, steel and glass. Delving into its trails is going back to a past in which man was just one more animal among dozens of plant species.
Coming out of this oxygenating green tangle we come across an elongated and winding lagoon, in which The Boathouse stands out, a two-story white building erected in 1905, and one of the first buildings in New York to be declared a historical monument. Beaux-arts in style, it overlooks the water and offers lovely views, to which the nearby Lullwater Bridge contributes. It is not surprising that the old boat storage building is today a much-sought-after venue for all kinds of events, including weddings. It also integrates the Audubon Center, where visitors can learn about the park's varied flora and fauna.
Following the shoreline south, we come to the point where the long body of water widens out into the large lake that occupies this area of Prospect Park. The nook has been one of the park's most popular since its inception, and just steps away is one of the park's vintage charms: the Concert Glove Pavillion, a recently restored 19th-century concert pavilion; In it, iron and wood are protagonists, supported by colored columns and skylights with stained glass windows.
The Carousel is another example of the recovery of an old glory -it was carved by hand in 1912-, and it is within sight of two other essential points on our visit: the first is the zoo, which houses some 400 animals out of more than 100 species. The second, Lefferts Historic House, an 18th-century country house that in 1917 was moved plank by plank to the park from its nearby original location. Today it is a museum with a large garden. Inside, antiques, exhibits, and activities await us to learn about the history of the region's indigenous people and the many African-Americans the Leffert family brought to North America as slaves.
The great park of Brooklyn is like a foster home for the trees, which enjoy strong protection measures here. None as famous as the Camperdown elm tree gifted to the park in 1872, which awaits us near the Prospect Park Waterfall, the park's photogenic waterfall.
Eating is another of the great pleasures that can be enjoyed among lakes, meadows and trees. There are public grills available on a first-come, first-served basis at various points, and specific areas for barbecues, as long as safety regulations are respected. If you also like fruits and vegetables, be sure to stop by the Greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza. It operates year-round, shipping local, organic, raw, and farm-raised products.
