FORGOTTENTOUR #77: Secrets of Prospect Park

by Kevin Walsh

Once again, Forgotten New York avoided the deluge as a 5-inch rainstorm that Noah would have trouble navigating descended on New York — but two days before the scheduled tour. For the third straight year FNY tours have been remarkably rain-free.

About twenty ForgottenFans took advantage of the sun and 70-degree weather to tour the park that civil engineers Olmsted and Vaux preferred over their other great NYC creation… Central Park. Brooklyn’s crown jewel contains architectural monuments and natural-appearing highlights, but like its Manhattan counterpart, every bit of it is meticulously landscaped and planned. After a 20-year period of neglect in which it was turned over to the tender mercies of not only muggers and criminals, but also rot, rust and the infamous efforts of parks czar Robert Moses, Prospect Park has been cleaned up to meet the 21st Century. Its latest improvement was the removal of Moses’ intrusive Wollman Rink and the restoration of Music Island, this time as a haven for wildlife.

Forgotten Fans enjoyed a 3.5 hour march in an S-shaped path from Grand Army Plaza to the Parkside Q train station at Ocean Avenue. The works of turn of the 20th century architect Stanford White were prominent, as well as hidden ponds, rivulets, arches, rare trees and a cemetery (!).

Remainder of FNY’s 2014 tour schedule

Flickr page from Tour #77 in Prospect Park. Photos by Bob Mulero

5/5/14

7 comments

Bill Tweeddale May 6, 2014 - 9:58 am

Nice pictures on the Flickr page, but the heading reads “Secrets of CENTRAL PARK”.

Reply
Kevin Walsh May 8, 2014 - 10:24 am

Fixed now

Reply
Pete Falina May 7, 2014 - 3:33 am

Yo, Kevin! The title on the flickr page says, “Secrets of CENTRAL Park.”

Reply
Kevin Walsh May 8, 2014 - 10:22 am

Thanks. Should be OK now

Reply
Gbear May 9, 2014 - 4:41 pm

Sorry to hear the Wollman rink is gone. Spend many hours there in the 60’s.

Reply
Kevin Walsh May 10, 2014 - 9:57 am

The built a better one nearby.

Reply
Mike in fla via bklyn May 9, 2014 - 6:06 pm

Very nice pictures Bob! Your pics reminded me when I was a kid, I would get Prospect & Central parks
confused. Two great parks indeed!

Reply

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