Prospect Park

Made by Linda Manchery, Cali Paetow, Jackie Retalis, and David Zilberman

1. History of Prospect Park
2. Timeline
3. Usage of Prospect Park’s East Side
4. Usage of Prospect Park’s West Side
5. General Ways the Park is Used

1. History of Prospect Park

Prospect Park was the fist park to be built in Brooklyn. Construction for the park began on July 1^st 1866 under the supervision of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Olmsted’s and Vaux design was meant to cater not only to the wealthy, but also to the underserved people of Brooklyn who would be able to access the park freely.

Frederick Law Olmsted Calvert Vaux

Photo Credit: Henry Kingan Photo Credit: Daniel Fimban

The designers believed that a park should be rural area in which people could take a short respite from the bustling city life. The significant features of the layout of Prospect Park were the Long Meadow, a woody area called the Ravine, and a lake. Soon after 1866, Olmsted’s and Vaux vision of a rural respite was challenged. Many renowned structures of the park were designed during a thirty-year time period after the initial construction date of Prospect Park. These structures include the Boat House and the Tennis House.

The Boat House in Prospect Park The flowing river in the Ravine

Photo Credit: Natasha Rasmarup Photo Credit: Alexis Zhukovsky

The new wave of immigrants in the 20^th century influenced the construction of features such as the zoo and playgrounds in Prospect Park. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the number of people visiting Prospect Park dropped significantly. As a result, the maintenance of Prospect Park was very poor during this time period. In 1987, the Prospect Park Alliance was created that in order to help work with the City to restore Prospect Park to its original grandeur.

Restored Feature of Prospect Park Members of Prospect Park Alliance

Photo Credit: Marcus O’Reily Photo Credit: Nick Cohen

2. Timeline

3. Usage of Prospect Park’s East Side

Prospect Park is known to be home to two groups of people. The first are the white Caucasians and the second are the West Indians. Caucasians are said to mainly stay near the richer West side of the park while West Indians tend to stay toward the East side. According to Michael Brick, Prospect Park is divided by these two groups of people and distinct differences can be seen on the East and West side of the park. The East side, where West Indians are predominant, is said to be more run down and less well kept. Sanitation is kept to a minimum and cleaning only occurred after the richer West side was up kept. However, the East side has received more funding than the West and this includes a zoo, Parade Ground, and boathouse.

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Vacation Townhome Rental

The East side is also known for its outdoor activities and musicians known as the Dja Rara. This is a group of musicians from a West Indian or Haitian background who use various instruments, including drums and trumpets, to practice an ancient form of music. Along with the intense music, Dja Rara had a reputation in Haiti to use music for voodoo; however, in Brooklyn it is used solely for music, enjoyment, and pleasure.

Photo Credit: Dja Rara (Myspace)

4. The Usage of Prospect Park’s West Side

Although both the West Side and the East Side of Prospect Park did not look as nice as they could have due to the park being muddy after the rain, the West Side did have a nicer view and clearer pathways than the East Side did. The developed signs had a friendly approach to those who were walking in the park. There was a kind of development to the West Side of Prospect Park that the east Side did not have, even after intentions to renovate the park.

The fact that the West Side is different from the East Side of the Park does mean that it is ideally suited for different types of people from what the East Side would be suited for. While the East Side would be better suited for those with more of an interest in park exploration and a more natural feel, the West Side is more ideal for the more typical visitor, one who prefers an aesthetically pleasing scene and calmness. Thus, maybe due to more diverse forms of park usage, there probably should not be too many changes when coming to Prospect Park after all.