Prospect Park

Prospect Park to host Battle of Brooklyn reenactment for borough-wide 250th anniversary commemoration

Battle of Brooklyn reenactment in Green-Wood Cemetery. Credit: Allison Meier on Flickr

August 21, 2026

Prospect Park to host Battle of Brooklyn reenactment for borough-wide 250th anniversary commemoration

By Aaron Ginsburg

Relive the first and largest battle of the American Revolution this weekend as part of a borough-wide commemoration of the Battle of Brooklyn's 250th anniversary. Fought in August 1776, just weeks after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the battle took place across parts of present-day Prospect Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Fulton Ferry Landing, and Fort Greene Park. To mark the anniversary, Prospect Park will host a reenactment of the battle on Saturday August 22, following in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought there 250 years ago, while Green-Wood will host its own reenactment on Sunday. The events are part of Brooklyn 250, a borough-wide commemoration by six cultural institutions with free events, tours, and discussions on the historic battle's role in American independence.
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NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space

Credit: spurekar on Flickr

April 13, 2026

NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City wants to close a chaotic street between Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park, connecting the plaza to the 585-acre green space with a new car-free pedestrian space. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced a proposal to remove the four-way crossing next to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch and ban cars from Union Street to Eastern Parkway along the plaza's southern edge. The redesign also includes new bike lanes and bus priority upgrades aimed at improving service on the B41 and B6, two of Brooklyn's busiest routes.
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Prospect Park’s east side is getting a protected bike lane, pedestrian plaza

Rendering of Ocean Avenue perimeter, courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance.

March 20, 2026

Prospect Park’s east side is getting a protected bike lane, pedestrian plaza

By Devin Gannon

A connected bike lane around the entire perimeter of Prospect Park is closer to becoming a reality. The city on Friday broke ground on a $15.5 million project aimed at enhancing the eastern edge of the Brooklyn park along Ocean and Parkside Avenues, from Empire Boulevard to Parade Place. The project includes installing a sidewalk-grade, two-way protected bike lane that will connect to existing bike paths around the park and a new pedestrian plaza that will be home to the new Shirley Chisholm monument.
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Policy

$37.5M restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale begins

Prospect Park Vale Pollinator Meadow + Arbor. All images courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance.

March 17, 2026

$37.5M restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work to restore Prospect Park’s Vale of Cashmere, a once-scenic area in the northeast corner of the park that has fallen into disrepair, kicked off on Monday. Led by the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks, and the city's Economic Development Corporation, the $37.5 million project will transform eight acres of the Vale in its first major restoration in more than 50 years, revitalizing the historic Children’s Pool and former rose garden and adding new amenities, including a pollinator garden, a planted arbor, and a wooden pavilion. Using funds allocated by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the project is the largest single capital investment in Prospect Park since Lakeside in 2010. The restoration is expected to be completed in 2027.
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Architecture And Design

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

Images courtesy of NYC DEP

December 4, 2025

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

By Aaron Ginsburg

To protect Prospect Park and nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods from flooding, New York City will spend $68 million on new infrastructure, including the borough’s first Bluebelt. Announced on Wednesday, the investment will fund nature-based solutions—like enhanced lakes and wetlands—to better manage extreme rainfall fueled by climate change. The project will safeguard the Prospect Park Zoo, which closed for eight months in 2023 due to flood damage, and protect surrounding neighborhoods from future flooding.
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Prospect Park launches first formal nature trail system

The Midwood Loop. Photos courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance unless otherwise noted.

August 13, 2025

Prospect Park launches first formal nature trail system

By Devin Gannon

The Prospect Park Alliance this week unveiled the first formal nature trail system through the park's bucolic waterways and woodlands. The five routes are marked by signage and blazes on trees, guiding visitors through 250 acres of the park's most scenic natural areas while protecting its fragile wildlife habitats.
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$8.9M restoration of Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch is complete

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Malcolm Pinckney

June 6, 2025

$8.9M restoration of Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch is complete

By Devin Gannon

A Brooklyn icon has been restored. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza reopened on Thursday following a $8.9 million renovation, the city's Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance announced. The two-year project replaced the arch's roof, cleaned and replaced the brick and stone structure, repaired interiors, including the cast-iron spiral staircase, and added new lighting. The landscape surrounding the arch was also revitalized with new plants, trees, paving, and an accessible curb cut.
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Architecture And Design

15 best ice skating rinks in NYC

January 10, 2025

15 best ice skating rinks in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

When the cool weather of fall fades into the freezing frostiness of winter, it takes a lot of effort to leave our warm, cozy homes. However, one festive activity that gets New Yorkers out of their apartments is ice skating, a New York City tradition since the 1850s. Ahead, find some of the best places in the city to ice skate, from iconic spots like Rockefeller Center and Central Park to new rinks under the Brooklyn Bridge and on the Williamsburg waterfront.
Hit the ice

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Central Park and Prospect Park canceled this year because of drought

Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner

December 4, 2024

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Central Park and Prospect Park canceled this year because of drought

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's parks will be unusually quiet this New Year's Eve. Due to the ongoing drought, firework shows will not take place in Central Park or Prospect Park this year, as first reported by the New York Times. Running non-profit New York Road Runners said City Hall and the Parks Department instructed them to forgo this year's fireworks display during the annual New Year's Eve race in Central Park. In Prospect Park, the traditional fireworks show has been swapped for a drone light show, featuring images of iconic NYC landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
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Policy

Prospect Park wildfire scorches two acres amid record-breaking dry spell

Images courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance

November 11, 2024

Prospect Park wildfire scorches two acres amid record-breaking dry spell

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 100 firefighters battled a brush fire in Prospect Park on Friday night that charred two acres of greenery, occurring during one of the longest dry spells in New York City's history. The blaze, which broke out in the Nethermead near the Prospect Park Boathouse, was reported around 6:40 p.m., according to AMNY. After the fire, Mayor Eric Adams banned grilling in city parks as the five boroughs remain under a drought watch.
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Policy

Popular Articles

The 15 best parks in NYC for outdoor grilling

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

August 28, 2024

The 15 best parks in NYC for outdoor grilling

By Devin Gannon

While our tiny apartments and fire escapes may not always be the greatest spots to host a barbecue, the city's parks provide some of the best places to dine on hamburgers and hot dogs this holiday. Ahead, 6sqft rounded up 15 of the best NYC parks to host outdoor barbecues, from old standby Prospect Park to less-known locales like Staten Island's Clove Lakes Park.
Fin the best BBQ spots in your neighborhood

Sustainable cafe with coffee and cocktails opening at Prospect Park Boathouse terrace

Photo courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 28, 2024

Sustainable cafe with coffee and cocktails opening at Prospect Park Boathouse terrace

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new food and drink vendor is opening on the terrace of Prospect Park's iconic Boathouse. The Prospect Park Alliance on Wednesday announced the opening of Purslane Cafe, which will offer healthy and sustainably sourced food and coffee, as well as cocktails, wine, and beer on select evenings. Starting July 4, the cafe will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Food & Dining

Prospect Park to debut ‘Ancestral Whispers’ art installation, honoring Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family

In the Face of History, Freedom Cape, 2020 c. Adama Delphine Fawundu

May 20, 2024

Prospect Park to debut ‘Ancestral Whispers’ art installation, honoring Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family

By Aaron Ginsburg

The inaugural work of the Lefferts Historic House museum's first artist-in-residence debuts in Prospect Park next month. Artist Adama Delphine Fawundu's "Ancestral Whispers" is a site-specific installation honoring the heroism of the individuals enslaved by the Lefferts family from the farmhouse's construction in 1783 to the abolition of slavery in New York in 1827. Inspired by research conducted by the Prospect Park Alliance, Fawundu created 25 fabric banners to be displayed on the museum's Flatbush Avenue facade. The installation will be on view starting June 9.
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Events & Things To Do

17 spots to go sledding in New York City

Photo of Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge courtesy of NYC Parks/ Daniel Avila

February 13, 2024

17 spots to go sledding in New York City

By Devin Gannon

Sledding has long been a New York City pastime during the long winter months, thanks to the many hills and slopes found in parks across the five boroughs. With the first real snowstorm in many years upon us, it's a good time to escape your apartment and get some fresh air and winter fun. Ahead, find the best places to go sledding in every borough, from scenic Sunset Park in Brooklyn to the natural rolling hills of Manhattan's Inwood Hill Park.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Park of Dreams’ brings vibrant public art to Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza during renovation

All photos by Javier Romero courtesy of ART FOR CHANGE

February 9, 2024

‘Park of Dreams’ brings vibrant public art to Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza during renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new site-specific public art installation is livening up Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza during the renovation of its famous Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch. ART FOR CHANGE and the Prospect Park Alliance this week revealed "Park of Dreams," a public art exhibition displayed on the construction fencing surrounding the iconic Arch. The large-scale artworks, created by contemporary artists like Jules de Balincourt, Marcus Brutus, Kelly Beeman, Danielle Orchard, Amy Lincoln, and others, will be on view through the spring.
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Prospect Park reopens Fallkill Waterfall trail after nearly 30 years

All photos courtesy of Caroline Ourso

October 26, 2023

Prospect Park reopens Fallkill Waterfall trail after nearly 30 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can now access a waterfall in Prospect Park without having to hop a fence for the first time in decades. The Prospect Park Alliance on Thursday opened Fallkill Trail, a new woodland pathway leading to the scenic Fallkill Waterfall that has been behind fencing since 1995. The new trail was created by staff and volunteers from Prospect Park Alliance who worked to remove invasive plants, plant native species, haul logs, grade paths, and form the trail.
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NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

Renderings courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

July 18, 2023

NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City this week approved the design for a monument to Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn native who became the first Black woman to serve in the United States Congress. The city's Public Design Commission on Monday unanimously approved plans for the monument: a 32-foot-tall sculpture depicting the congresswoman designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous installed at the southeast entrance of Prospect Park. The artists were selected for the monument's design in 2019, but the process was delayed because of the pandemic.
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Events & Things To Do

Where to find free outdoor fitness classes in NYC

Brooklyn Bridge Park Yoga. Photo credit: Etienne Frossard

July 3, 2023

Where to find free outdoor fitness classes in NYC

"New York City has different changes and energies throughout the seasons," says Robert Atterbury, executive vice president of relationships and programs for the Hudson River Park Trust. And the summer season is the time when parks and outdoor public spaces come alive. New Yorkers come out from apartments, offices, and coffee shops to run, stroll, picnic, hang out — and work out for free — in the city's beautiful outdoor spaces. "It's part of what makes New York New York — the outdoor gathering. It is important, and I think it shows off the diversity that NYC offers," Atterbury said.
Where to get fit for free

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

Birdwatching in Prospect Park, courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

By Devin Gannon

With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead

City pilot will add more pedestrian space to Prospect Park’s roadway

Photo by Prabu Vasan for Prospect Park Alliance

March 8, 2023

City pilot will add more pedestrian space to Prospect Park’s roadway

By Aaron Ginsburg

Prospect Park's main roadway is getting a revamp. The Prospect Park Alliance and the Department of Transportation on Tuesday released the results of a year-long study of Prospect Park Drive, a busy loop within the park for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists. Conducted by leading traffic consultancy Sam Schwartz, the NYC Parks Department, and DOT, the study analyzed crash data, roadway grade, pedestrian count, and other metrics to determine ways to improve the roadway. As a result of the study, the city is piloting adding a second lane on the outside of the drive, which would limit the need for crossings and prevent collisions.
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Proposal to restore Prospect Park’s Vale faces criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates

Rendering of the proposed northeast pavilion. All renderings courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance

March 1, 2023

Proposal to restore Prospect Park’s Vale faces criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city's Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance this week unveiled plans for the restoration of the Vale of Cashmere. The proposal, presented during a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on Tuesday, includes a new pollinator garden, natural exploration play areas, a planted arbor, and a wooden pavilion with a green roof and bathrooms. Several LPC commissioners, preservationists, and LGBTQ+ advocates opposed the proposal for the Upper Vale, with most taking issue with the plan's erasure of the site as a significant meeting spot for the city's queer community as well as the disregard for the original vision of the Vale.
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NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

Photo courtesy of Jordan Rathkopf/ Prospect Park Alliance

November 11, 2022

NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza may become the city's next car-free space. As first reported by Gothamist, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering connecting the Prospect Heights plaza to the Open Streets program on Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues. The plaza, anchored by its ornate Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch and the official entrance to Prospect Park, has long been the target of safe street activists due to its vehicle traffic and poor sidewalk conditions.
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Free classes taught by immigrant professors and experts return to Prospect Park

Photo credit: Gregg Richards

September 2, 2022

Free classes taught by immigrant professors and experts return to Prospect Park

By Devin Gannon

A "pop-up university" offering free classes and workshops taught by immigrant professors and experts from around the world returns to Brooklyn this month. Organized by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Prospect Park Alliance, University Open Air provides immigrant teachers, professors, and academics who were trained outside of the country a chance to share their knowledge with the public during free courses held outdoors in Prospect Park. University Open Air takes place on the lawn outside of the Boathouse in Prospect Park on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from September 8 through September 18.
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10 of the best running spots in New York City

Photo via PxHere

April 27, 2022

10 of the best running spots in New York City

By Alexandra Alexa

For avid runners and beginners alike, New York City offers a wide range of places to hit the pavement, from its iconic bridges to green trails nestled in the city's parks. The scenic routes provide unbeatable views of the river and skyline that can keep you motivated to keep going when you're ready to give up. Ahead, we round up the 10 most iconic spots to go for a run in the city, fit for regular marathoners, treadmill-devotees looking for a change of scenery, and total newbies.
Lace up those sneakers...

NYC celebrates Frederick Law Olmsted’s bicentennial birthday with a month of parks programs

All images courtesy of Daniel Avila / NYC Parks

April 8, 2022

NYC celebrates Frederick Law Olmsted’s bicentennial birthday with a month of parks programs

By Aaron Ginsburg

Throughout April, the city's parks will celebrate the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect whose visionary work on Central Park, Prospect Park, and many other public parks helped influence the future of urban green space design. The Parks Department will be teaching New Yorkers about Olmsted's influence on urban design with an exhibition at the Arsenal Gallery, tours led by the Urban Park Rangers, and much more.
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