2008 Woodie Awards
Off the Beaten Path: Prospect Heights/Park Slope
Elaine Labate
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Features
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For a pleasant and aesthetic afternoon outside, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is the place to be. Hoping the 2 or 3 train to the "Eastern Parkway" subway stop in Brooklyn can bring any New Yorker right into the midst of an English rose garden, a Japanese pond, or a cherry blossom field. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is about 52 acres of natural wonders, where anyone can forget that they are even anywhere near the city and experience and learn about a lot of interesting plants - from those native to Japan, desert plants, rainforest plants, and even Venus fly traps. The garden is filled with ducks and rabbits, so make sure to bring that loaf of bread that has been sitting on the counter for about a month longer than it should have. And the best part? A student can experience all of this for only $4.00, with their ID of course.
For a different kind of outdoor afternoon experience in the area, one can spend the time in nearby Prospect Park. Although Central Park is often spoken of more often, Prospect Park is 585 acres worth of beauty, designed by the same people who designed Central Park. Its great to just explore the park on a nice day and lounge on the beautiful lawns, but there are a number of specific things that one should do when visiting Prospect Park. First, paddle-boating on Brooklyn's only lake. The paddle-boating is much easier than rowing; as long as one can pedal, he or she will be an instant expert. Also, it is very affordable - two people can rent a boat for an hour for only about eight dollars each.
After paddle-boating, it is definitely necessary to take a $1.50 ride on the beautiful Carousel, no matter how old one is The Carousel was designed in 1912, and features a ton of intricately carved horses and other animals. And speaking of animals, Prospect Park is home to one of the Wildlife Conservation Society's five city zoos (the same organization that owns and operates the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo). The Prospect Park Zoo is home to more than 80 species of animals in a variety of realistic environments. For only $6.00, it is a really fun way to spend any afternoon.
All this outdoor activity can make a person rather hungry, and luckily the neighborhood is packed with great places to eat. Located a couple of blocks from the Botanical Gardens and Prospect Park, on Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and St. John's Place, is one of the most adorable diners in existence. "Tom's" is a very old fashioned luncheonette, with super cute decorations and the best pancakes in the world. Tom's is only opened during the week in the afternoons, and on Saturdays in the morning, so if it is a bit later in the day, one can head down to Park Slope for a slew of amazing restaurants.
Walking away from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and Prospect Park, down Union Street, leads into the Park Slope area. One can spend an entire day walking down Park Slope's 7th Avenue and stopping in all of the adorable boutiques and café's. If in the mood for pizza, it has to be from Smiling Pizza on 7th Avenue and 9th Street - it is true Brooklyn pizza and is absolutely delicious. For a more extensive meal, go to Two Boot's on 2nd Street, just off 7th Avenue. Two Boot's is named for the two places known for the food and shaped like boots - Italy and Louisiana, and combines Italian style food and Cajun style food. There are lots of options there, from thin crust pizza to Cajun ribs and chicken to many vegetarian dishes.
So what to do later in the day? If it happens to be the first Saturday of the month, the best way to spend the evening is to head back up by the Botanical Gardens and Prospect Park and visit The Brooklyn Museum of Art. The Brooklyn Museum of Art is one of the oldest and most beautiful museums in the country. Its permanent collections include a huge and amazing Egyptian exhibit (complete with a real mummy ), African art galleries, an Asian collection, an American wing, and a Decorative Arts collection, which features actual early American houses that the public can explore. The museum has regular hours during the day, but on "First Saturday" it stays open until 11 and there is free music and all sorts of fun activities to enjoy.
So, if you are looking for a cheap way to experience a lot of culture in Brooklyn, there really is no better place to start than the Eastern Parkway stop on the 2 or 3 express trains.