Author: Cornershop

New PPA Member Benefits at Lakeside

March 30, 2016

It’s always paid to be a Prospect Park Alliance member. Whether through invitations to members-only events, or discounts at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, membership helps Park visitors get the most out of their time in Brooklyn’s Backyard. To make membership even better, we’re thrilled to announce even more Prospect Park Alliance membership benefits at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, across every membership level.

Just in time for springtime fun, new member benefits include:

  • 10% season passes at Lakeside for ice skating, roller skating, bike rentals and boat rentals (Friend membership level and above)
  • Complimentary skating and discounted boat and bike rentals on PPA Wednesdays (Supporter membership level and above)
  • 10% off food and beverages at the Bluestone Café (Naturalist membership level and above)
  • And more! Learn about all of the great perks of PPA membership.

Support Prospect Park. Check out exclusive events. Skate for free. Become a member today, and spend your spring in style at Lakeside!

Park Improvements: West Drive

March 26, 2016

Look forward to smoother bike rides, walks and runs through Prospect Park! The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has announced that the two-mile West Drive will be repaved beginning Monday, March 28. Due to the nature of the work, the West Drive will be closed to cyclists, runners and walkers through Friday, April 15, weather permitting. 

NYC DOT will mill the existing paving before laying down new asphalt and restriping the Drive’s three lanes, from Grand Army Plaza to Park Circle, which will take place in segments with closures as the work proceeds. This work follows the recent improvements to the East Drive, which was repaved in 2012 and 2014.

The Prospect Park Alliance worked closely with NYC DOT to advocate for this project on behalf of Park users, who expressed strong interest in the repaving during community meetings and through a petition.

“The Alliance applauds the DOT for making this project a priority,” said Sue Donoghue, Prospect Park Alliance President. “This important work will ensure that the Park Drive is safe and usable for walkers, runners and cyclists for years to come.”

During the work, cyclists, walkers and runners are encouraged to use alternative routes. The West Drive has been closed to vehicular traffic since last summer. The public can stay up to date with the milling and paving schedule by visiting the NYCDOT website.

c. Michael Moran/OTTO

LeFrak Center at Lakeside Lauded with 2016 AIA Design Award

March 23, 2016

The Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside has received numerous design awards since its creation, and that list is growing! The New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently named Lakeside one of its 2016 AIA Design Honor Award winners. The Center is also a National AIA Honor Award recipient, the highest honor in the field of architecture, as well as awards from the Municipal Arts Society and the New York Public Design Commission.

An exhibit featuring all 2016 AIANY award winners will open to the public at the Center for Architecture on April 15. This exhibit, located at 536 LaGuardia Place, will be open to the public through June 2016.

The Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside is the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since its creation nearly 150 years ago. Spanning 26 acres, this $74 million restoration by the Prospect Park Alliance transformed the southeast corner of the Park into a popular scenic and recreational destination. Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the center’s LEED Gold design blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, and is surrounded by acres of scenic beauty.

Since opening in 2013, the LeFrak Center has become a year-round community destination welcoming more than 200,000 visitors each year. The public can enjoy seasonal recreational activities, programming and special events, including ice skating, roller skating, boating, biking and free water play at the Park’s largest water feature, which was named New York Magazine’s 2015 “Best of New York.”

Martin Seck

Participatory Budgeting NYC 2016

March 15, 2016

Join Council Members Brad Lander (39th District) and Mathieu Eugene (40th District) to cast your vote for this year’s Participatory Budgeting NYC, a process that allows residents of these districts to vote on projects that make a difference in their communities. 

The projects up for a vote in Prospect Park include:

  • New “Lake Mess Monster” (aquatic weed harvester): Prospect Park Alliance needs a new aquatic weed harvester (aka “Lake Mess Monster”) to remove invasive plants such as duckweed from the Lake. Without it, these weeds harm the Lake’s fragile ecosystem and lessen the beauty of this water body. (Council Members Lander and Eugene)
  • Year-round, freeze-resistant drinking fountains along Park Drive: The water fountains in Prospect Park are not available to use during the winter months. This upgrade would upgrade five drinking fountains along the Park Drive to be freeze resistant and operational year round. (Council Member Lander)
  • New Dog Run at Parade Ground: To provide a space for dog owners to have access to a fenced-in space where their pups can exercise and socialize, a dog run is proposed for an unused space at the southwest corner of the Parade Ground. (Council Members Lander and Eugene)
  • Community Barbecue Sites: Prospect Park Alliance is looking to install new barbecue grills, which are similar in style to those at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Picnic Peninsula. (Council Member Eugene)

Voting opens Saturday, March 26, and concludes on Sunday, April 3, and takes place at various voting locations or you can request a write-in ballot. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to participate in this unique community-focused democratic process.

For more information on Participatory Budgeting NYC, including voting locations and times, visit the Participatory Budgeting NYC website.

So make your voice heard, and have a say in improving your neighborhood!

A Greener Lakeside

As part of its commitment to sustainable design, the Alliance recycled a significant amount of the construction waste when creating the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, including the soil, which was stored on site and proved to be the perfect growing ground for weeds. While the Alliance added a number of native trees, flowering shrubs, perennials  and grasses to the landscape as part of the project, these plants battle for air, light, water, space and nutrients with the weeds, which if left unchecked could reign supreme.

In a new strategy to combat weeds and ensure the continued beauty and diversity of the landscape, this past year Ronen Gamil, Assistant Gardener for the Prospect Park Alliance, saved seeds from several native grasses and perennials. Ronen harvested and cleaned the seeds after they dried on the plant, and then stored and planted the seeds this winter so they could be exposed to cold weather and better germinate this spring.

Thanks to Ronen, the Alliance was able to cultivate native species with great names and even greater ecological importance, like little bluestem, bee balm, gray goldenrod, foxglove beardtongue, whorled milkweed and sideoats grama (an endangered plant) within the Park. The planting of carefully saved seeds bolsters and even expands the native plants’ range. And the more native grasses present in the Park, the more competition for unwanted weeds. Saving seeds also increases the species’ genetic diversity, and yields better-adapted plants than those grown from purchased seedlings.

Seed saving requires thoroughness, so Ronen’s task is not an easy one. But with spring around the corner, and with it thousands of blooms, it’s easy to justify the hard work that goes into making it all possible. Take a stroll up to the green roof and, thanks to the abundance of native vegetation, it’s easy to forget you’re standing atop a state-of-the-art, and LEED Gold rated skating center in the nation’s largest city.

Swing by the LeFrak Center at Lakeside this spring to check out Ronen’s handiwork on the green roof!

Elizabeth Keegin Colley

7 Springtime Favorites

For Brooklynites, the hub of spring is Prospect Park – where the flora blooms brightest, the grass grows greenest, and sunshine is most inviting! Check out this list of our top seven spring pastimes.

Opening Day: On Saturday, April 2, the Prospect Park Alliance rings in the arrival of spring and with it the return of some of our most popular programs and activities. First, join the Alliance and the Prospect Park Baseball Association on Saturday morning, when thousands of youth players parade through Park Slope and celebrate the opening pitch at a newly restored field on the Long Meadow. Then join us for a variety of family-friendly fun as the Alliance kicks off its seasonal programming at the Audubon Center and Lefferts Historic House. 

Smorgasburg: What could possibly make a lazy Sunday morning in Prospect Park better? A delicious picnic provided by highly touted food purveyors. Beginning Sunday, April 3, Smorgasburg returns to Breeze Hill for a full season of showcasing the borough’s finest food in Brooklyn’s most beautiful outdoor setting. So saunter over to the Park’s southeast side, grab a bite from one of the nearly 100 vendors, and then enjoy a sunny Sunday stroll through nature.

Party for the Park: On Thursday, May 12, join the Prospect Park Alliance at the Boathouse for a one-of-a-kind celebration of the Park and the return of warmer weather. If drinks and savory bites from locally renowned establishments, live music, and dancing under the stars constitute your idea of a good time, you just might want to attend. Plus, all proceeds benefit the Alliance, and support the work we do to keep Prospect Park beautiful. Get your tickets today!

Pop-Up Audubon: Pop-Up Audubon makes its triumphant return to the Park on Saturday, April 7, and continues to pop up in various locations across the Park through October, providing fun and informative nature education programming to youth of all ages. Come check out Pop-Up Audubon and learn a bit more about Prospect Park’s flora and fauna! Want to explore the Park further on your own? Later this spring, stay tuned for news about the Alliance’s first app, which will not only help you better explore the Park, but include fun challenges and games that increase your knowledge of Park nature and history.

Spring Blooms: As April turns to May, and May to June, the entire Park will gradually blossom into a floral display of vibrant colors. Check out our bloom guide to make the most of this season, and if you enjoy photography, do not forget to post to Instagram with #ProspectPark to be in the running for our Photo of the Week.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside: On April 9, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside officially kicks off its roller skating season. Stay tuned for some of the most popular seasonal events, including roller derbies and Lola’s Dreamland Disco. If biking is more your speed, enjoy a loop around the lower end of the Park on one of the Center’s surreys, coupes and choppers!

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival: Celebrate Brooklyn!, one of the city’s premier performing arts festivals, which draws crowds to the Bandshell to enjoy an eclectic lineup of world-class performers, kicks off June 8 with a free performance by Sharon and the Dap-Kings. The full line up of this not-to-miss celebration will be announced later this spring, but you can already get tickets for its benefit concerts, which include Tame Impala (June 14, 15), Beirut (August 2), and more. Check out our Celebrate Brooklyn! page for the latest news.

 

c. Ciro Photography

Love in the Park

February 17, 2016

Jill and AJ Joyner are avid nature enthusiasts and Prospect Park regulars. When they first met, they would drive from Queens to enjoy the splendor of the winding trails in the Ravine and cycle around the loop. When they decided to move in together, AJ insisted that they live within walking distance of their favorite urban park. They found a great place in Park Slope, where they’ve lived since 2011. In January 2014, he popped the question, and in September they were married at the Picnic House in Prospect Park.

For most newly engaged couples the task of selecting a wedding venue is a daunting task. For this pair, however, the choice was obvious. “Everyone we know bikes in the Park,” Jill explained. “I love to run with my friends and walk my sister’s dog Rayne. The Picnic House in Prospect Park was such a perfect place to have our wedding that we didn’t even look anywhere else.”

On their wedding day, Jill gave AJ a small metal token with the date and GPS coordinates etched into it, so they will always know the exact spot where they exchanged their vows.

View a gallery of images from Jill and AJ’s wedding.

c. Bianca Nelson

PPA Profiles: Jared Kuhn

As an arborist for the Prospect Park Alliance, Jared Kuhn gets one question a lot this time of year, “what do you do in the winter?” He can’t help but smile.

It’s a fair question. In the spring, many of the Park’s 30,000 trees return to life with new blooms and leaves. During the summer, they provide crucial shade for many a picnic. And in the fall, the Park’s 30,000 trees become awash with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.

But while most trees are dormant in the winter, the Alliance’s two arborists, Jared Kuhn and Ryan Gellis, are still busy in the Park. “There’s no true off-season for us. In the winter, we are surveying the Park and removing dead limbs,” Jared explains. “This time of year, issues with trees are easier to spot. It helps us strategize our work for spring and summer.”

The lack of foliage actually allows Jared and Ryan to inspect trees more closely for potential detriments to the health of the trees. “We’re also able to do more structural pruning,” says Jared, “which trains young trees to grow stronger, and entails clipping away branches that could cause the tree to become weaker as it grows larger.”

A Pennsylvania native, Jared studied forestry at Penn State and then moved to Denver, where he worked for a residential tree care firm. But when his then-girlfriend moved to New York to attend FIT, Jared packed his bags and moved back east as well. The move turned out to be a good one. His girlfriend became his wife, and Jared secured a job with the Prospect Park Alliance.

Due to its climate and altitude, Brooklyn is able to support greater diversity of trees than Denver, which is much drier and sits a mile above sea level.  That means more varied tasks day in and day out. He enjoys the variety, and Jared considers himself very fortunate. “I work in the woods and I live in the greatest city in the world.”

Love Prospect Park’s trees? Learn more about our commemorative tree program.

Foodies Rejoice! Smorgasburg Returns to the Park

Following a successful pilot run last fall, Smorgasburg is set to return to Prospect Park this spring, this time for a full season of Sundays from April 3 through October 23. The showcase of the best of the borough’s artisanal food scene brings together a massive mix of 100 local and regional vendors with cuisines from around the world. Join the Prospect Park Alliance on Breeze Hill each week to sample a variety of fares, both familiar and exotic.

“We are thrilled to have Smorgasburg return to Prospect Park this year to continue to enliven and enhance the food options available for our many park visitors,” says Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “The partnership with Smorgasburg proved extremely successful in our pilot last year and Park-goers loved having this popular food market in the Park.”

Smorgasburg began in Williamsburg as a spin-off project of Brooklyn Flea found­ers Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby, and has now become a year round, mobile gathering congregating indoors at Industry City in the winter months and outdoors in Prospect Park and the Williamsburg waterfront during the warmer months. “Prospect Park is the best place, let alone park, in New York,” says Demby, “how could we not come back?”

Stay tuned for more information on Smorgasburg, including the eagerly awaited vendor list.

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

PPA Strategic Plan: Share Your Feedback

February 4, 2016

Last summer, the Prospect Park Alliance conducted a survey to gain valuable insight into how Park visitors use the Park, and help prioritize its work and focus moving forward. The survey was part of a larger strategic planning process for the organization, given its increasing role in the care of the Park, rapid changes happening in the surrounding communities, and limited public resources.

In early February, we invited the public to provide feedback on an overview of this draft strategic plan. The period for review has ended. Stay tuned for the release of our final plan later this spring.