Brooklyn is spoiled with green spaces, and the emerald in its crown is Prospect Park – a 585-acre spread designed by Olmsted and Vaux with rambling, tree-fringed walkways, ornamental bridges and hilly woodlands. Ride a bike, take a stroll, catch a concert – you can’t go wrong.
Perfecting the Park
Don’t tell die-hard Manhattanites: it’s widely understood that Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux saw Central Park as "practice" and Prospect Park as "perfection." The essential elements of both parks are the same – you’ll find formal features (a concert space; Vaux’s architectural touches) along with pastoral pleasures (meadows, groves and lakes). But Prospect Park, designed almost a decade later and opened in 1867, allowed the team to learn from their mistakes, creating an uninterrupted bucolic sanctuary where urban sprawl seems like a distant dream.
Enter at Grand Army Plaza
For a regal entrance to the park, start at this monumental Grand Army Plaza with Parisian flair. The formal entrance is marked by an arch reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe, built in the 1890s to memorialize the Civil War’s Union soldiers. On Saturday mornings, farmers and bakers ply their wares to Prospect Park locals. Grab some fruit or perhaps a pastry for your stroll.
Go Wild
South of Grand Army is the rolling 90-acre Long Meadow – a magnet for people who sunbathe, picnic and toss frisbees on warm days. Arrive before or after 9pm and the scene becomes a puppy party, packed with furry locals.
If you want to escape the crowds, there are plenty of footpaths studded with over 175 species of trees, including Brooklyn’s last remaining forest. For views of the park’s oldest trees, take the Midwood Trail; for birds and wildlife, skip along Lullwater Creek. Every Saturday, the Brooklyn Birding Club guides visitors on an avian odyssey – a fantastic option for birders both amateur and expert.
You’ll find a boatload of recreational activities at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, located on the park’s southeastern corner. In summer, you can rent a kayak and circle the lake, grab a bike to pedal the park’s perimeter or don some skates to live out your roller-disco fantasy. Bluestone Cafe at the Chase Pavilion is a convenient spot to grab food.
