Tag: Lakeside

c. Michael Moran/OTTO

High Honors

January 13, 2015

To add to its growing list of achievements, the Samuel J. and Ethel Lefrak Center at Lakeside has just won the highest honor in architecture by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a 2015 National Honor Award. The LeFrak Center was selected out of a field of nearly 500 candidates.  

“It is a true testament to the strengths of the LeFrak Center’s design that it is enjoyed by both the local community and the international architectural community alike,” said Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “Lakeside has set the bar in terms of what can be achieved in Prospect Park, and we look forward to continuing to further this vision.” 

Designed by renowned architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, in collaboration with the Alliance’s acclaimed chief landscape architect Christian Zimmerman, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside was designed to be an environmentally sensitive structure that fit seamlessly into the Park’s natural splendor and provide a year-round amenity for the community.

In selecting the LeFrak Center, the AIA Honor Award Jury said: “The stonework grounds it as a landmark within the park, while the openness of the design itself allows for complete amalgamation with the view and the experience of nature… Every design decision was made so as to ease use on patrons and also to minimize the impact on the park. This is a beautiful, natural spot for visitors to a enjoy sensory experience.”

Said Billie Tsien: “We feel so lucky to have had this chance to do truly public work. It is the most democratic and thus most important work we can ever do.”

c. Martin Seck

Curling Comes to Lakeside

November 20, 2014

This winter season, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is going beyond its popular ice skating and hockey offerings to bring to Brooklyn the Olympic sport of curling.

Popular in New York in the mid-19th century, curling is a game in which players slide heavy, polished granite stones, called rocks, toward a circular target marked on the ice. Curling has been enjoying a revival since being added to the Olympic games in 1998, but this is the first time it has been played in New York in more than a century.

The LeFrak Center is home to the official Brooklyn Lakeside Curling Club, and currently the Center is offering classes for those interested in joining the league, with the hope of forming four tournament teams by January. The club is open to players of all levels of ability 21 years and older. For those new to the sport, four-week class sessions includes equipment, grippers for shoes, membership to the Grand National Curling Club and a complimentary post-game beer. The Center is also offering curling classes to corporate groups as a great team-building exercise. 

Read a New York Times article about curling at Lakeside.

Learn more about curling, skating and other winter activities at the LeFrak Center.

c. Michael Moran/OTTO

LeFrak Center Celebrates Success

September 1, 2014

Prospect Park holds a special place for many Brooklynites, and it is through the support of the community that the Prospect Park Alliance is able to achieve its founding mission: the restoration, preservation and long-term stewardship of this urban treasure. Lakeside is not only the most ambitious project in Prospect Park since its creation nearly 150 years ago, but also an important example of how the Alliance and the City work in partnership to make a great Park greater.

Lakeside has become a year-round destination for tens of thousands of Brooklynites, who are enjoying ice skating, roller skating and water play, as well as scenic new landscapes and a transformed lakeshore. The project has not only won the hearts of Brooklynites, but also has been recognized for its success. Recently, Lakeside was awarded a MASterworks Award for Best Urban Amenity by the Municipal Art Society of New York and also an Award for Excellence in Design by the New York City Public Design Commission.

On October 1, the Alliance will honor the family of Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak at the 2014 Prospect Park Alliance Gala. The LeFrak’s gift to the Alliance ensures the ongoing care of the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, which was made possible through the generosity of the Park’s dedicated elected officials, the Alliance Board of Directors, and support from a range of corporations, foundations and individuals.

“The LeFrak family has deep roots in Brooklyn, and their philanthropy goes back more than 100 years,” said James Snow, Interim President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “Their support of Lakeside is proof that investing in the future of Prospect Park is investing in the Brooklyn community. Since opening last December, Lakeside has served a wide range of communities that consider Prospect Park their backyard.”

Summer fun at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is in full swing, so don’t miss out! How much has Lakeside added to your enjoyment of Prospect Park? Share your experiences with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at #prospectpark.

Dreamland Disco Comes to LeFrak Center

August 1, 2014

Straight from the Coney Island boardwalk, Lola Star’s Dreamland Disco has found a new home at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, offering a retro theme and stellar entertainment on Friday nights this month. Dreamland Disco delivers a vintage vibe, from Saturday Night Fever to Ziggy Stardust. Skaters are encouraged to come in costume and strut their roller dancing skills for prizes.

Dreamland Disco is expected to become a summer mainstay, bringing Brooklynites together from around the borough. The series is the brainchild of Ditmas Park resident Dianna Carling, aka Lola Star. With an infectious love of roller skating, Star launched the series at Coney Island in 2008. When the Coney Island rink closed two year later, she was determined to relaunch it. Her dreams were realized with the opening of Brooklyn’s premier skating rink at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park.

Each week a new theme will shape the roller rink dreamscape, with special Coney Island-esque performances and retro DJ sets. The Dreamland Disco ends on August 29, so don’t miss out!

Check out the Dreamland Roller Disco schedule on the LeFrak Center Calendar of Events

c. Martin Seck

Water, Water Everywhere!

July 1, 2014

Summer is heating up in Prospect Park, and with plenty of water-filled fun, it is the perfect place to cool off. At the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, enjoy a serene afternoon exploring Brooklyn’s only lake and take in scenic views of the White Levy Esplanade and Chaim Baier Music Island. 

Is water play more your family’s speed? In addition to the great water features located in the Park’s playgrounds, there’s a new place for children to soak up the summer fun. Open seven days a week, the new Splash Pad at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside has more than 40 sprays to cool down on a hot day. Before cooling off, work up a sweat roller skating around the covered rink, with new programs this summer including Toddler Tuesdays. Afterwards, enjoy some frozen treats from the LeFrak Center’s Bluestone Café and take in the park views and lake breeze.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, families can also enjoy the Pop-Up Audubon Macy’s Fishing Clinics at the White Levy Esplanade at Lakeside and across the Lake at Wellhouse Drive. This family-friendly clinic will teach children how to tie a fishing knot, cast a line, and even collect their own bait.

With boating, water play and catch-and-fishing to enjoy, this might be the best Prospect Park summer yet. Share the fun on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at #prospectparksummer. We’ll select the best summer images for our Photo of the Week.

Construction Update: East Drive

June 23, 2014

The reconstruction of the Park Drive at the new LeFrak Center at Lakeside represents the final phase of Lakeside, the restoration of the southeast corner of Prospect Park. The reconstruction will improve pedestrian access to Lakeside, and reduce vehicular traffic on East Drive.

As part of Lakeside, a former parking lot was transformed into nearly an acre of new parkland. In order to accommodate vehicles during the ice skating season at the LeFrak Center, the road reconstruction project converts an existing paved area on Breeze Hill, which was historically a carriage concourse, into a parking area. The new lot is significantly smaller than the former lot, and retains the footprint of the existing paving, with the lawn restored. Vehicles will only have access to the lot during the winter ice skating season, which runs from mid-to-late October to mid-to-late March, and only during operating hours.

In addition, the road reconstruction project adds new plantings to the landscape, such as Red Twig Dogwood, Winterberry and Grey Goldenrod, and creates a vehicular entrance to the new parking lot from Lincoln Road, which eliminates vehicular traffic along the East Drive (the former lot was accessed from the Parkside Avenue entrance, which required travel along the Park Drive). As an added bonus, the project will alleviate flooding issues along the Drive by adding new leaching basins across from Lincoln Road.

The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of July.

c. Martin Seck

Summer Checklist

June 2, 2014

On your mark, set, go! Summer is here and there has never been a better time to take advantage of all that Prospect Park has to offer. Here is a list of some of our favorite activities. How many will you check off?

Share your Prospect Park adventures this summer with us on Facebook or tag us at #prospectparksummer.

Pop-Up Audubon: The Prospect Park Alliance’s free outdoor nature programs are a huge hit. This summer, Pop-Up Audubon is twice as fun with a second location in the Park. Families can enjoy catch-and-release fishing and even make their own bait. Be sure to check out the schedule to find the tent locations.

Summers at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside: If you thought ice skating at the Park’s newest destination was not to be missed, then return this summer for roller skating and water play.

Ezra Jack Keats Storytelling Hour: Who doesn’t love a good story? Take part in a cherished Prospect Park tradition at Imagination Playground, where master storyteller Tammy Hall transports children to a world of wonder. Saturdays at 2 p.m., starting July 6.

New York Philharmonic in the Park: It is difficult to enhance the pastoral beauty of Prospect Park. If one were to try, it would probably include the New York Philharmonic and a gorgeous sunset on the Long Meadow. This free event is a must for any music lover, and takes place on Wednesday, July 9.

Bat Tours: These members-only events are one of the most popular walking tours in Prospect Park. Take a stroll with nature expert Paul Kaim as he leads you through the Long Meadow in search of the Park’s nightlife. Not a member yet? Join today and take the tour.

Food Truck Rally: On the first and third Sunday of every month, come to Grand Army Plaza to enjoy treats from some of the best food trucks in the city. From gourmet ice cream sandwiches, to lobster rolls and kimchi tacos, there is something for everyone, and something different each time at the Food Truck Rally.

Celebrate Brooklyn!: Besides picnics and barbecues, this performing arts festival is one of the ultimate summertime activities in the Park. This year, we challenge you to try something new, whether a silent film screening, salsa music or electronica. And don’t forget the popular Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert, this year taking place on Saturday, June 14 and featuring Ozomatli’s Ozokidz. 

c. Martin Seck

Summer Water Play at the LeFrak Center

May 1, 2014

The spring/summer season at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is nearly in full swing. For the past month, this new, year-round Park destination has brought roller skating back to Brooklyn. Thousands have come out to take a few laps around the covered rink and rediscover the sport.

Starting this Memorial Day, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside will transform its uncovered rink into the Park’s largest water play area for children. Free to the public, the water feature includes 41 jets that form clear streams of water that dance across the surface, so children can play while keeping cool on a hot summer day. At night, the fountains will be lit up for a spectacular display.

Meanwhile at the 16,000-square-foot, covered roller-skating rink, the LeFrak Center is offering a range of activities for those new to the sport, and those with a passion for this pastime. Among the planned offerings are learn-to-skate and roller-hockey programs for youth and adults, and a roller derby program with the Gotham Girls, New York City’s only all-female, DIY roller derby league.

At the Center’s Bluestone Café, visitors can enjoy sweet and savory treats, like Lake Sliders, Fried Apple Pie and Wonton Mahi Mahi Tacos, while taking in the action.

c. Paul Martinka

LeFrak Center Kicks Off Spring Season

April 1, 2014

After decades of winter-only recreation at the former Wollman Rink, the new LeFrak Center at Lakeside will launch its first spring season, providing a year-round destination for Park visitors.

“The LeFrak Center has already proven itself to be an unparalleled success, with thousands taking to the ice to enjoy winter skating,” said James Snow, Acting President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “With the start of the warm weather, we look forward to introducing roller skating and other outdoor activities.”

After a brief period to transform its rinks, the center will become Brooklyn’s premier roller skating destination, and by Memorial Day, also provide for children’s water play. Thousands of Brooklynites will lace up their skates to take a few laps around the rink, and then grab a bite at the adjacent Bluestone Café.

As the spring blooms begin to bud, park visitors will notice the new native plantings throughout Lakeside, including the Chaim Baier Music Island and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Esplanade. Thousands of square feet of parkland were added through this project, and trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants were carefully selected to reflect Brooklyn’s naturally occurring flora, including Sugar Maple, Winterberry and Appalachian Sedge.

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Five Things to Look Forward to this Spring

March 3, 2014

Spring is just around the corner, and after record snowfall and a polar vortex, many of us are ready for the new season. Whether its roller skating at the new LeFrak Center at Lakeside or enjoying lunch at the Food Truck Rally, Prospect Park offers a range of activities this spring the entire family will enjoy. We’ve selected a few of our favorites.

Prospect Park Opening Day
The Prospect Park Alliance welcomes spring to the Park on April 5 with a range of events the entire family will enjoy. Join Brooklyn Little Leaguers as they parade through Park Slope and throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the season at the Bandshell. Also that day, Alliance volunteers will take part in a spring cleaning of the Park, raking leaves, edging pathways and removing litter from natural areas. The Alliance will also celebrate another great season of family programming at Lefferts Historic House, the Audubon Center at the Boathouse and Pop-Up Audubon with games, activities and exhibits. End the day with a ride on the Prospect Park Carousel, which opens March 27.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside
If you’ve enjoyed ice skating at the new LeFrak Center at Lakeside this winter, you will love roller skating and water play this spring and summer. Enjoy the sweeping views from the green roof, lunch at the café or a spin around the Lake when pedal boats return to the water. The LeFrak Center at Lakeside is the ultimate destination for warm weather fun in Prospect Park.

Pop-Up Audubon
Pop-Up Audubon, the Alliance’s new environmental education program now in its second season, features a range of new exhibits, tours and activities this spring. Nature on the Go! takes families through Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, while Nature’s Helpers enables families to volunteer in the Park to keep it looking its best. In the Family Birth Watching program, discover some of the 200 species of birds that pass through Prospect Park.

Food Truck Rally
Starting April 6, join us for another round of Food Truck Rallies on the first and third Sundays of every month. The Alliance will present a wide range of food trucks at Grand Army Plaza, from grilled cheese to lobster rolls to dumplings and more. Grab a blanket for a great spring afternoon of outdoor dining.

Prospect Park Fair
On April 26, the Prospect Park Alliance presents the second annual Prospect Park Fair. Enjoy food, entertainment, family activities and specialty items from a wide array of local Brooklyn businesses.

Tell us your favorite spring activities in the Park. Share with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!