Author: Cornershop

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

Arbor Day Tree Celebration

This year, help support the maintainance and care of Prospect Park’s 30,000 trees by contributing to the commemorative Arbor Day Tree, which will be planted on April 25. All of the proceeds benefit the work of the Alliance’s Natural Resources Crew, a team of arborists, ecologists and turf specialists that care for the Park’s landscapes. A $100 contribution to the Arbor Day Tree includes a certificate of participation, honoring you or a loved one.

Now in its fifth year, the Arbor Day Tree planting ceremony brings supporters together to see the tree being placed into the ground. This year’s tree will be a beautiful red oak, hand-selected by the Natural Resources Crew. Christian Zimmerman, Vice President of Capital and Landscape Management, said, “With over 150 different species of trees, the Park requires the dedicated care provided by the Natural Resources Crew to manage its health and diversity. This would not be possible without the support of our donors.”

The Prospect Park Alliance Arbor Day Tree is just one way to support your Park through a commemorative gift. You can plant a sapling to welcome a new member of the family, honor a loved one with an individual tree, or memorialze an important anniversary with a dedicated bench. 

Don’t miss out this year. Contribute to the Arbor Day Tree today.

From the Archives: 1912 Carousel

The Prospect Park Carousel is perhaps one of the most cherished destinations in Brooklyn. However, this is not the first Carousel in Prospect Park. Since 1874, Brooklynites have flocked to the Park to enjoy this warm-weather amusement. The original Carousel was horse drawn and located in the Vale of Cashmere at the northeast corner of the Park, which was designed as a play area for children. It was subsequently moved to the Long Meadow after a fire in 1885, in the area that is now home to the Picnic House.

Upon the creation of the Children’s Corner in 1952, the current Carousel was brought to the Park from Coney Island. A gem of craftsmanship, it features 53 hand-carved horses, a lion, a giraffe, a deer and two-dragon-pulled chariots created by the renowned carver Charles Carmel in 1912. Carmel was trained near the Prospect Park horse stables, which enabled him to create masterfully lifelike creatures. The Carousel is one of only 12 of his works still in existence. In 1983, mechanical problems and deterioration forced the Carousel to close.

Four years later, the Prospect Park Alliance raised $800,000 to restore this Brooklyn treasure as its first capital restoration project. The mechanical components were repaired, twenty layers of paint were removed, and conservator Will Morton VIII skillfully recreated the historic design. Morton also added 60 renderings of Brooklyn and Prospect Park referenced from historic photos. The newly restored Carousel was opened to the public in October 1990. It is maintained to this day by the Prospect Park Alliance.

PPA Profiles: Daphne Dixon

Daphne Dixon has been a dedicated part of the Prospect Park Alliance since she started serving as a volunteer in 2012. In recognition of her service, the Alliance recently honored her with the 2014 Certificate of Appreciation at its annual Volunteer Recognition Brunch.

A resident of East Flatbush, Daphne became a volunteer because she wanted to get involved in her community. There are many places she could have devoted her time and energy, but Prospect Park was lucky enough to be her pick. She was first involved in the Parks Committee of Community Board 17 but then one day she decided that she “wanted to do more than be on a committee; she wanted to be hands-on.”

In 2012, Daphne began volunteering once a week at the Lefferts Historic House, the 18th-century Dutch Colonial farmstead and museum operated by the Prospect Park Alliance in partnership with the City. Her favorite duties include weeding the potato patches, planting in the teaching gardening, and helping out with the doughnut-making demonstrations. On days that the museum is closed, Daphne assists the maintenance crew by clearing leaf litter and debris from the lawns and trails. Jessica Jamhoury, Director of the Volunteer Department says, “It takes volunteers like Daphne to truly spread passion for the outdoors to Brooklyn’s youth. The community grows stronger everytime she visits Lefferts Historic House.”

When she isn’t devoting her time beautifying her beloved green space, Daphne enjoys “whatever catches her fancy” in the Park. This summer she plans to bring her grandson fishing and attend the concerts at the Bandshell.

Do you want to get hands-on in Prospect Park?
Find out more information about volunteer activities in the Park.
For those interested in volunteering with the Alliance’s education programs, join us for an orientation on April 9.

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!

A Frozen Muse

Prospect Park Alliance supporters Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez do not need to travel far to find inspiration for their acclaimed songwriting career. When they were approached to write the score the Disney movie Frozen, they simply took a walk in Prospect Park. The lead single “Let it Go” then became a runaway hit, and now has won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

No stranger to accolades, Mr. Lopez is one of an elite group of artists to have won the grand slam of entertainment industry awards—an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, known as EGOT—a feat he earned in only 10 years. He previously won Tonys and a Grammy for his work on the music for “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon.”

As regular visitors to Prospect Park, Bobby and Kristen headed to the Long Meadow for inspiration when it came time to create the lead song for the movie. The piece marks the moment when Elsa, the film’s heroine, accepts her magical abilities. To get into the right frame of mind they stood on a bench near the Picnic House and said to themselves, “You’re on a mountain alone and lost everything you knew. But also everything you’ve been holding back.” Writing the piece in a single day, it served as a cornerstone for the rest of the music, helping the songwriting duo to find the “true north” of the score. Anyone who has walked through the Long Meadow on a quiet winter’s day will recognize the sense of solitude and majesty in “Let It Go.”

In the photo above, Bobby and Kristen enjoy this season’s plentiful snow with their daughters Katie, 8, and Annie, 4, who have voice parts in the film.

View The New York Times video on Frozen.

How does Prospect Park inspire you? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter.

Alliance Launches Junior Volunteer Corps

Spring is an ideal time of year for young people to help keep Prospect Park beautiful. This March and April, the Prospect Park Alliance is launching a new program called Junior Volunteer Corps to encourage volunteerism in young people.

Children will learn the importance of giving back to the community while making a meaningful difference in the same Park where they learn, grow and play. “When it comes to raking leaves and clearing small debris, children are some of the Park’s most productive volunteers,” says Veronica Horvath, an Environmental Youth Services Coordinator at the Prospect Park Alliance.

Families and elementary-aged groups are encouraged to participate. To accommodate multiple neighborhoods, Junior Volunteer Corps will take place in different locations throughout Prospect Park on four weekends this March and April. Participants are encouraged to pre-register online.

Planning on taking part in the program? Share your experience with us on Facebook or Instagram.

The Prospect Park Alliance works with over 4,000 volunteers who give approximately 25,000 hours of service annually. The spring season of the volunteer program is just getting started! Learn about the wide range of programs for volunteers of all ages, and also for corporate groups.  Learn more about volunteering in the Park.

 

Making a Green Park Greener

You probably know that the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is a great place to skate, relax and enjoy the scenery; but it’s also environmentally sensitive. The Alliance, working with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, took careful consideration when designing the project, which was built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Sustainability can be found in the project from its design through its construction. More than 84 percent of the construction waste was recycled, preventing more than 420 tons of waste from entering landfills. The LeFrak Center itself incorporates partially recycled and locally sourced materials, as well as paints, sealants, carpets and wood containing zero or very low levels of toxic chemicals. The LeFrak Center’s two green roofs create a natural insulation for the Center, which reduces the amount of energy required to heat and cool the building. To encourage non-automobile transportation, the Center also features a generous amount of bike racks, and will feature bike rentals this spring.

Wastewater is one of the biggest environmental impacts in the operation of a public facility. The LeFrak Center is outfitted with low-flow fixtures that will save over 205,000 gallons of water each year. A cistern recycles rainwater from the Center’s east building green roof, reusing it to water the plants and grass at Lakeside, which reduces runoff in the already overburdened city sewer system. The project also has added three acres of new green space to the Park, while the creation of the White Levy Esplanade and Baier Music Island has introduced new habitats for aquatic species.

Support Your Park: Join Strong Roots

Ben Bohen, co-owner of Acme Wine & Spirits in Park Slope, and his partner Peter DuBois are longtime regulars in Prospect Park. Currently residing in Prospect Heights, they have lived in Brooklyn for over ten years and enjoy daily strolls on the Nethermead with their black labrador Simon, taking advantage of Prospect Park’s off-leash hours.

After seeing the long-term improvements the Alliance has made in the Park, Ben and Peter decided that it was time to give back and became members in 2006. In 2010, they chose to participate in the Strong Roots program because it was easy, constant and did not require them to renew their membership.

How much do you love Prospect Park? Give back. Learn more about the Alliance’s Strong Roots program.

And be sure to stop by Acme Wine & Spirits to check out their selection of special small production wines and artisanal spirits.

c. Paul Martinka

PPA Profiles: Alex Boure

January 31, 2014

If you haven’t seen the Alliance’s Lakeside Maintenance Supervisor Alex Boure making his daily rounds in the Park, you’ve certainly seen his handiwork. Originally from Nigeria, Alex has worked with the Alliance for over four years. He now leads a crew of seven maintenance workers who keep Prospect Park looking its best, and take great pride in protecting the Park’s scenic beauty. His crew cleans litter and reports damage at Lakeside and throughout the east side of the Park. If this sounds like a monumental task, it is. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Park for relaxation and recreation. All this activity takes a toll on the Park. So, how does such a small team maintain so much public land?

The secret, Alex said, is to talk to people, and to smile and care. Sometimes a nice conversation can be the difference between properly discarded trash and a lawn full of litter. A five minute chat can save hours, he explained, and handing out free garbage bags doesn’t hurt. Over the years, Alex has formed friendships with a number of regulars. By engaging visitors, Alex instills them with a sense of ownership for the Park and a respect for its natural areas. His positive nature is contagious.

Recently, Alex’s crew added the LeFrak Center at Lakeside to their domain. The new skating rink is already a booming success. People from all over New York, and around the world, have come to glide across the ice, sip hot chocolate, and admire the view from the adjacent White Levy Esplanade. Far from viewing the crowds as a challenge to the Park’s upkeep, Alex is thrilled by the area’s popularity. The goal of a park, in his view, is to keep the people coming back. A litter-free park is just as much an attraction as the rolling hills, sweeping views, babbling streams, and unforgettable skating. We have Alex and his crew to thank for that.