Brooklyn/Prospect Park
Prospect Park is in Brooklyn. It includes its namesake park, plus the neighborhoods of Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace, and Prospect Park South.
Understand
- Park Slope has long been a haven for interracial families, lesbians and gays, and everyone else with a certain kind of groove in NYC; this upscale but downhome neighborhood can be joked about as the Berkeley of New York City. The granola-eating transplant crowd might make you queasy at times and nostalgic for crackheads, but the neighborhood itself is beautiful. Boutiques, cafés, bars, health food stores like the 30-year-old Park Slope Food Coop, and attractive young people pushing strollers. Also home to a sizeable lesbian community since the 1970s. Take the B or Q to 7th Ave, the M or R to 9th St, or the F or G to 4th Ave or 7th Ave and walk the neighborhood. Prospect Park is large, beautiful and green. Ice-skate here in the winter. Fly kites and enjoy free weekend concerts in the summer. While staying hip and vibrant, "the slope", as it is commonly referred to, also enjoys its share of wealth. The quaint, tree-lined streets closer to the park house ornate, brownstones, townhouses, full service apartment buildings, and even a few full scale urban mansions on the park side. These residences include the homes of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and the actors Jennifer Connelly, Steve Buscemi and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Check out 5th Ave for the restaurants and bars. The part of Park Slope closer to Flatbush Avenue is sometimes called North Slope, and the part of Park Slope closer to Prospect Park Expressway is sometimes called South Slope.
- Prospect Heights is just north of Prospect Park. It features the Brooklyn Museum, which is first-rate but often overlooked due to the museums in Manhattan. A block away from the museum is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
- Windsor Terrace is a small neighborhood between Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. It is almost entirely residential.
- Kensington is a residential neighborhood south of Prospect Park.
Get in
Map of Brooklyn/Prospect Park
By subway
The 2 or 3 train will take you to Grand Army Plaza, just at the corner of the park; it will also take you to Eastern Parkway, near the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The B or Q will take you to Seventh Avenue near the corner of Seventh Avenue and Flatbush. The F and G will take you to Seventh Avenue at the corner of Seventh and Ninth (be aware that, despite the name, this is on the other side of the neighborhood from the B/Q station) or to 15th Street-Prospect Park at the Western corner of the park. Finally, the R can take you to Union Street, which is at the corner of Union St. and Fourth Ave.
See
Landmarks
- 1 Grand Army Plaza (Subway: 2 3 late night 4 to Grand Army Plaza). The gateway to Prospect Park, laid out in 1870. The Soldiers and Sailors Arch was added in 1892 as a memorial to the victorious Union Army. The Plaza itself is a large traffic circle surrounded by trees; apartment buildings; the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, itself a large distinctive landmark building; and a memorial bust of President John F. Kennedy. Each June, Grand Army Plaza is the focus for the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival for those who lived in the borough.
- 2 Old Stone House (Vechte-Cortelyou House), Washington Park/JJ Byrne Playground (3rd St and 5th Ave; Subway: F G to 4th Ave, R to Union St or 9th St), ☏ +1 718 768-3195, info@theoldstonehouse.org. Sa Su 11AM-4PM. 1930s replica of a Dutch colonial farmhouse that had been constructed on the site in 1699; the original structure was buried under landfill during the regrading of the Park Slope neighborhood in the early 1900s. Features an exhibit on the Battle of Brooklyn, the first and largest battle of the American Revolution. $3 suggested donation.
- 3 Park Slope Historic District. One of Brooklyn's most prized brownstone neighborhoods. It is predominantly residential, characterized by late 19th- and early 20th-century rowhouses with architectural significance. Street signs in the Historic District are brown rather than green.
- 4 Prospect Park South. The lesser-known historic district on the other side of the Park. It was developed at the turn of the 20th century by Dean Alvord as one of the first suburbs.
Museums
- 5 Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy (at Washington Ave; Subway: 2 3 to Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum), ☏ +1 718 638-5000. W 11AM-6PM, Th F 11AM-10PM, Sa Su 11AM-6PM. Housed in a 560,000-square-foot, Beaux-Arts building, the Brooklyn is the 2nd largest art museum in New York City and one of the largest in the USA. Its world-renowned permanent collections include more than one million objects, from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and represent a wide range of cultures. It is a 30-minute subway ride from Midtown Manhattan, and has its own subway station (renovated in 2019-20), the museum is part of a complex of 19th-century parks and gardens that also includes Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Prospect Park Zoo. On the first Saturday of each month, the museum is open until 11PM with free admission and special events. General admission $20 adults, $14 students and seniors, free for 19 and under.
Parks and gardens
- 6 Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave (Subway: 2 3 to Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum, 4 5 S to Franklin Ave-Botanic Garden, B Q S to Prospect Park). Tu-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa Su 10AM-4:30PM. The garden is 52 acres and the layout was well planned. It is definitely worth a visit. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1910 and open to the public since 1911, the garden includes an authentic Japanese garden, a Children's Garden, and the Cranford Rose Garden. The garden has the largest cherry blossom trees in one place outside of Japan. There are 42 gorgeous varieties. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts various festivities throughout the year, including Hanami Sakura in May and the Chile Pepper Festival in October. $18 adults, $12 seniors 65+ and students with ID 12+, free for children under 12.
- 7 Prospect Park (Subway: 2 3 to Grand Army Plaza, F G to 15th St-Prospect Park, B Q to Prospect Park, Q to Parkside Ave). Established in 1867 and laid out by Olmsted and Vaux, the designers of Manhattan's Central Park.
- 8 Long Meadow. The largest continuous band of green space in New York.
- 9 Vale of Cashmere.
- 10 Boathouse/Audobon Museum.
- 11 LeFrak Center at Lakeside (formerly Wollman Rink).
Do
Concerts
- Celebrate Brooklyn!, at the Prospect Park Bandshell (entrance at Prospect Park West and 9th St; Subway: F G trains to 7th Ave or 15th St-Prospect Park). An annual series of concerts that are held throughout the summer. Most shows are free, but a handful of benefit shows may have a ticket charge.
Buy
- 1 Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store, 372 5th Ave (between 5th and 6th Sts; Subway: F G to 4th Ave, R to 9th St), ☏ +1 718 499-9884. 11:30AM-5PM daily. The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. is your one-stop shopping destination for crime-fighting needs in the Tri-State area. Items on sale include capes, masks, secret identity kits, invisibility detection goggles, particle blasters, powdered anti-matter, deflector gauntlets, bottled justice, maps showing hotspots of good and evil, power rings, and countless other tools essential for any hard-working do-gooder. Test a cape, get devillainized, create your superhero persona and enter it in the master log - they've got it all. The BSSC is also a clever front for the 826NYC Student Writing Center, a non-profit center founded by Dave Eggers (among others) where kids aged 6-18 may receive after school tutoring, or attend a variety of creative workshops, all free of charge. Student writing is on sale in the store, along with books and other items from the McSweeney's label.
- 2 Beacon's Closet, 92 5th Ave (at Warren; Subway: 2 3 to Bergen St, 4 5 B Q D N R to Atlantic Ave), ☏ +1 718 230-1630. M-F noon-9PM, Sa Su 11AM-8PM. Incredibly cheap yet hip second hand store, bound to catch your attention and the change in your pocket.
Eat
Unfortunately for the budget traveler, Park Slope has very little in the way of budget or midrange eateries, since it is an expensive neighborhood. However, there are a few low-price places:
Budget
- 1 The Bagel Hole, 400 7th Ave (at 12th St; Subway: F G to 7th Ave). M-F 7AM-6PM, Sa 7AM-5PM, Su 7AM-4PM. The Bagel Hole's bagels hearken back to the days when bagels were small hockey pucks with a definite chew and a nice malty flavor. Easily among the best in New York, and some of the best priced, at about 90 cents for a bagel and a price that just keeps going down the more you buy. This is a good place to stock up on bagels for self-catering.
- 2 La Bruschetta, 256 7th Ave (at 5th St; Subway: F G to 7th Ave), ☏ +1 718 499-4994. 11AM-9:30PM daily. A small pizza place close to John Jay and Millennium Brooklyn High School. Expect students to come in at 10AM-noon for their lunch breaks. However the pizza is well worth waiting in line behind hungry students.
- 3 Hunan Delight, 752 Union St (at 6th Ave; Subway: R to Union St, B Q to 7th Ave, 2 3 to Bergen St or Grand Army Plaza), ☏ +1 718 789-1400. Sa-Th 11:30AM-10:30PM. Neighborhood Chinese restaurant; excellent vegetarian options (fake meat, etc) and sweet and sour soup. Delivery available.
- 4 Mr. Wonton, 73 7th Ave (at Berkeley; Subway: 2 3 to Grand Army Plaza, B Q to 7th Ave), ☏ +1 718 398-7088. M-Th 11:30AM-11PM, Sa 11:30AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. Another Chinese eatery, though the dishes here are somewhat different from most. Although they have all the standard stuff, their pork buns cannot be found elsewhere in the neighborhood. The "Chef's Specials" section of the menu really is where the best (and most unique) dishes are.
Mid-range
- 5 Bogota Latin Bistro, 141 5th Ave (at St John's; Subway: R to Union St, B Q to 7th Ave, 2 3 to Bergen St), ☏ +1 718 230-3805. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F 11AM-1AM, Sa 10AM-1AM, Su 10AM-11PM. Pan-Latin cuisine ranging the South American continent with main dishes from Colombia. Full service bar featuring mojitos and imported Latin American beers and wines. Happy hour and live music.
Splurge
- 6 Bonnie's Grill, 278 5th Ave (at 1st St; Subway: R trains to Union St), ☏ +1 718 369-9527. M-Th 5PM-11PM, F 5PM-midnight, Sa 1PM-midnight, Su 1PM-10PM. Serves the best burger in Park Slope, and quite possibly, in all of Brooklyn (it matches Peter Luger's burger). The burgers are spiced nicely, and served alongside nice fries that go well with chipotle mayo. Bonnie's buffalo wings are also something worth savoring.
- 7 Geido Restaurant, 331 Flatbush Ave (at 7th Ave; Subway: B Q trains to 7th Ave or 2 3 trains to Bergen St or Grand Army Plaza), ☏ +1 718 638-8866. Tu-Th 5:30PM-10:30PM, F-Su 5:30PM-11:15PM. Excellent sushi bar in Prospect Heights.
- 8 Ghenet, 348 Douglass St (at 4th Ave; Subway: R trains to Union St), ☏ +1 718 230-4475. M 5PM-10PM, Tu-Th 5PM-10:30PM, F 5PM-11PM, Sa noon-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Delicious Ethiopian food. Try kitfo or the gored-gored, or, if raw meat isn't to your taste, try any of the more conventional Ethiopian offerings. They have set plates that are good, but can be somewhat limiting.
- 9 Yamato, 168 7th Ave (between Garfield and 1st; Subway: 2 3 trains to Grand Army Plaza, F G trains to 7th Ave, or B Q trains to 7th Ave), ☏ +1 718 840-0099. M-Th noon-3PM and 5PM-11PM, F noon-3PM and 5PM-midnight, Sa noon-midnight, Su 1PM-11PM. Similar to Oshima, although their rolls are different.
Drink
- 1 Barbès, 376 9th St (at 6th Ave; F G to 7th Ave or R D late night N late night to 9th St), ☏ +1-347-422-0248. M-Th 5PM-2AM, F-Sa noon-4AM, Su noon-2AM. A truly wonderful neighborhood bar and live music venue. Barbes tends tends to bring in bands that play early swing, Balkan brass bands (which are fabulous), and singer/songwriter types. The shows tend to be very high quality, and the drinks are reasonable, and well made. The help is extremely friendly, and will make you feel at home in no time.
- 2 Buttermilk Bar, 577 5th Ave (at 16th St; R D late night N late night to Prospect Park), ☏ +1-718-788-6297. 5PM-4AM daily. The main local for South Slope folk. Free pizza on Wednesdays. Sadly, the photo booth has been taken away.
- 3 Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th St; F G R D late night N late night to 4th Ave-9th St), ☏ +1-718-768-2040, info@commonwealthbar.com. M–F 3PM–4AM, Sa Su 2PM–4AM. A new bar worth looking into in southern Park Slope. Good jukebox.
Sleep
Connect
The Brooklyn Public Library offers free wireless internet at all its locations.
- 1 Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza (Subway: 2 3 to Grand Army Plaza, B Q to 7th Ave), ☏ +1 718 230-2100. M-Th 9AM-9PM, F Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-5PM.
- Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave (at Pacific; Subway: 2 3 4 5 B Q D N R to Atlantic Ave; LIRR: Atlantic Terminal), ☏ +1 718 638-1531. Tu Th-F 10AM-6PM, W 1-8PM, Sa 10AM-5PM.
- Park Slope Library, 431 6th Ave (between 8th and 9th Sts; Subway: F G to 7th Ave, R to 9th St), ☏ +1 718 832-1853. M W F 10AM-6PM, Tu Th 1-8PM, Sa 10AM-5PM.
- Windsor Terrace Library, 160 E 5th St (at Fort Hamilton Pkwy; Subway: F G to Fort Hamilton Pkwy), ☏ +1 718 686-9707. M 1-8PM, Tu W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM.
Go next
| Routes through Prospect Park |
| Financial District ← Downtown Brooklyn ← | N   S |
→ Bed-Stuy and Flatbush → East Brooklyn (3) |
| Financial District ← Downtown Brooklyn ← | N   S |
→ Bed-Stuy and Flatbush |
| Midtown Manhattan ← Downtown Brooklyn ← | N   S |
→ Flatbush → Coney Island |
| Chinatown (weekends only) ← Downtown Brooklyn ← | N  S |
→ Southwest Brooklyn |
| Downtown Brooklyn ← Gowanus ← | N   S |
→ Southwest Brooklyn (F) → Coney Island (F) |