By: Teressa Cali, Zach Sandman, Adrian Savage
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Timeline
3. Today
4. Future
5. Reflections
1. Introduction
Photo Credit: Zach Sandman
Brooklyn Bridge Park is accessible by nearly every Brooklyn subway line: A, C, F, R, and the 2, 3, 4, 5 trains – Blue, Orange, Yellow, Red, and Green. Easily accessible, and easily the coolest park around, it houses a variety of facilities: Pier 1, Pier 6, Fulton Ferry Landing, Empire Fulton Ferry, and Main Street. There are dog runs, “DUMBO Wi-Fi,” playgrounds, the Promenade, the oldest and first pizzeria in America, and even a carousel. And this is only the beginning – soon to open are Piers 2-5, Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, and John Street, each with their own special features to offer. Activities abound in Brooklyn Bridge Park: Biking classes, movie nights, bridge dance parties, book clubs, exercise programs, tours, classes, chess, plus the daily activities of the casual inhabitants.
The park is interesting in its diversity: so many different activities, so many different parks and piers. Each component is separate, but combine them and they make Brooklyn Bridge Park. This reminds one of the incredible range of people utilizing its resources. In fact, Park Rangers can’t identify one dominant culture. But the people are like the park they share: they are all different components of our society, unique in what they offer, but put together, we are Brooklyn, we are New York, we are America.
2. Timeline
Photo Credits: Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
3. Today: A Beautiful Park for Brooklyn
Photo Credit: Zach Sandman
Brooklyn Bridge Park offers visitors a wide range of activities to engage in. Read a book, take the sun, or absorb the beautiful skyline on one of the lawns. Walk or bike from Pier 1 to Pier 6 on the greenway, surrounded by a variety of trees. Grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants or concessions. Order a lobster roll or hot dog topped with mac n cheese from Ditch Plains Drop In, or refresh yourself with ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Uncle Louie G’s, or Blue Marble. Enjoy a concert at Bargemusic, the only floating concert hall in the world. Bike the Brooklyn Bridge and return by water taxi. Come to a SyFy movie night on the lawn, hear an author’s outdoor book reading, or attend a Brooklyn Bridge dance party! Get a workout by attending one of the many fitness activities: Pilates, Zumba, Aerobics, or Yoga. Take the kids to the playground or let your dog enjoy some freedom in the dog run. Go kayaking or rowing, for free with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. Ride the historic Jane’s carousel. Identify one of the over fifty species of birds found in the park. Explore the history of the park by attending a tour. As you can see, Brooklyn Bridge Park is a place for anyone and everyone. There is something enjoyable for all and many opportunities to try something new!
4. Future: A Visionary Space
When we think about parks in an urban setting, such as New York, we usually consider grand outdoor spaces that have been habituated by their surrounding community into a space that is able to address the needs of parkgoers. However, Brooklyn Bridge Park embraces a different model; this is a park that has been created from scratch, by the community, for the community. Brooklyn Bridge Park is not only incredible in its having taken a derelict wharf area and transformed it into one of the most beautiful spaces in the whole city, but that the park down the last detail reflects the wants and needs of the community around it.
The neighborhoods around Brooklyn Bridge Park–Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and Downtown Brooklyn–have a vast population of young families with children, and is one of the few areas of Brooklyn with a predominantly American-born population. With this in mind, the park has been very much designed with children in mind; almost every area of the park has a playground (each with a special theme or attraction), the magnificent Jane’s Carousel, the vast lawns, and areas the permit access to the water. In addition, the park’s plan includes numerous recreation areas, from sports courts to kayaking to special spots for fishing.
However, in addition to being tailored to the community around it, Brooklyn Bridge Park has certainly become–and will continue to be–a wonderful focal point for all of Brooklyn, and all of New York City. The most spectacular vistas of the absolutely stunning New York skyline are had at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a fact not lost on the thousands of visitiors from all over New York and all over the world each day. The transportation is great, and the amenities even better, so Brooklyn Bridge Park is sure to be a destination for New Yorkers from all over, from all neighborhoods, backgrounds, and ethnicities.
5. Reflections of Parkgoers
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“We come from France and we are just arriving now. The park is a very pleasant place with a beautiful view.” -French Tourists
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“I like walking through the park. We go to every part. We come often to the playground so the baby can play. The park makes the baby happy.” -Nanny
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“From what I see, ninety percent of the people that come hereare locals having picnics. The other ten percent are tourists from all over. There is no one culture that the park identifies with. We get people from France, Holland, England, all over. The park is diverse, like New York. Its what you would expect.” -Park Ranger
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“Mostly tourists come to ride bikes. A few locals come by and rent bikes. They’re our ‘usuals’.” -Bike Rental Coordinator
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“We live right around here and come to the park very often. My son loves it, the swings,riding his scooter. We are very excited about construction and the expansion. People come from all over the place. It’s a destination. Our family comes from Jersey just to come to the park. Its great.”
-Local neighbor with 5-year old son
Photo Credit: Teressa Cali
“I’m not from around here and have only visited the park once. Today we’re here for the pizza (Grimaldi’s). I would visit the park more often, but it’s kind of far for me. I think it’s beautiful though.” -Crown Heights Resident
Sources: www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org; www.brooklynbridgepark.org
