|
Prospect Heights is a neighborhood in the northwest of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The traditional boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway to the south, and Washington Avenue to the east.
In the northern section of Prospect Heights are the Vanderbilt
Railyards, which could become part of the massive and controversial Atlantic Yards project.
Compared to other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Prospect Heights is
relatively small and is notable for its cultural diversity as well as
its tree-lined streets. Prospect Heights has seen rapid demographic
changes over the last decade, and its shifts are exemplified by a
mixture of older buildings under reconstruction, rows of classic 1890s
brownstones, and newly built luxury condominiums. The neighborhood is served by the New York Police Department's 77th Precinct.
Along the southern boundary, Eastern Parkway, from Grand Army Plaza to Washington Avenue is reminiscent of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue "Museum Mile". Immense, opulent buildings line the north side of the parkway, and the south side features the Brooklyn Public Library, Mount Prospect Park (not to be confused with Prospect Park), the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the recently renovated Brooklyn Museum. To its north lies Fort Greene, to the south, Prospect Park, to its west, Park Slope and to its east, Crown Heights.
The interior portion of the neighborhood consists mostly of brownstone-style
residential rowhouse buildings, some built as early as 1890, although
some blocks, such as Lincoln and St. Johns Place between Underhill and
Washington Avenues, include larger multi-unit apartment buildings. A
number of new condominium complexes are under construction in many parts
of the neighborhood.
Defunct bakeries and factory spaces line Pacific Street from
Vanderbilt Avenue to Carlton Avenue, and some have recently been
renovated and converted into lofts; still others have recently been
purchased by developer Bruce Ratner in anticipation of his Atlantic Yards Project. Recently, a number of these have begun to be demolished.
Ratner's company Forest City Ratner
has planned a controversial development on top of the neighborhood, the
plans for which would include a basketball arena and luxury housing. An
upscale, glass high-rise residential building designed by the architect
Richard Meier and located off of Grand Army Plaza was completed in 2008.
As demand for housing within Prospect Heights increased, some
residents of Crown Heights came to consider Franklin Avenue the western
border with Prospect Heights rather than Washington Avenue. However, most residents continue to consider Washington Ave the border,
and Washington Ave remains the eastern border of Prospect Heights as
recognized by major New York City media such as The New York Times, The
New York Post and the Wall Street Journal.
The name "Prospect Heights" can be traced as far back as 1889 to a letter to the editor published in the Brooklyn Eagle,
although at that time it was one of several potential names for the
neighborhood that has since come to be known as Park Slope. The letter
began by noting that it was "amusing to see the attempts made to fix
upon a name for the rapidly growing part of Brooklyn near Prospect Park,
bounded by Flatbush, Fifth and Ninth avenues, Some call it Park Slope, some Park Hill Side, some Prospect Heights and others Prospect Hill..."
A
widely diverse ethnic neighborhood in the 1910s through the 1950s,
consisting of Italian, Irish, Jewish, German, Greek and Yankee
residents, among others, Prospect Heights is currently well known for
its mixed black and white culture. Every year the West Indian Day Parade, the largest annual parade in New York City, follows Eastern Parkway, beginning in Crown Heights and ending at Grand Army Plaza
in Prospect Heights. During the last thirty years, the neighborhood has
seen an influx of new residents, more frequently young and white than
in the recent past, perhaps due to its having had slightly lower real
estate prices than neighboring Park Slope.
A thriving commercial zone has emerged along Vanderbilt Avenue, which
in just the last few years has been the location for new bars,
restaurants and specialty shops.
Because of the area's density of Italianate and Neo-Grec rowhouses, much of the neighborhood has been designated as a New York City historic district. The Prospect Heights Historic District
covers an area roughly bounded by Flatbush Avenue, Sterling Place,
Washington Avenue, and St. Marks Avenue, though a section of the
historic district extends as far north as Pacific Street. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district was designated by the city Landmarks Preservation Commission
on June 23, 2009, and approved by the New York City Council on
September 17, 2009. It is the fifth largest historic district in New
York City.
Recently, controversy has erupted in the neighborhood over a massive development project proposed by developer Bruce Ratner and designed by the architect Frank Gehry for the portion of the neighborhood known as Atlantic Yards. It seeks to construct an arena which would house the Brooklyn Nets
basketball team and an undetermined amount of housing and commercial
space, including a cluster of high-rise buildings that would tower over
most of the borough's existing low-rise architecture.
A number of community groups oppose the project, claiming, among other things, that it abuses the principles of eminent domain.
They further argue that the development will change the character of
the neighborhood by introducing out-of-scale architecture and increased
traffic to an already very congested intersection. Community groups also
dispute Ratner's suggestions that residents meaningfully participated
in the development of a Community Benefit Agreement.
Supporters of the project believe in its potential for reinvigorating what is now an unused, unattractive space.
It is also favored by local unions for its potential to create
construction jobs during and after its development. Residents of
Prospect Heights have been leaders in opposing the project, and block
associations have been uniformly active in raising funds to support the
grassroots resistance to the project.
The controversy over the project and its impact on the neighborhood
was a major factor in the decision to turn much of Prospect Heights into
a landmark district.
Big Apple Chimney “The
Brownstone and Pre-War Specialists” are Fully, Licensed, Insured and Bonded, Chimney and Fireplace Contractors.
Primarily Servicing Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York, We also service the New
York Metropolitan Area. Our Chimney and Fireplace Experts Specialize in
Chimneys and Fireplaces for Pre-War Era Buildings including Brownstones,
Townhouses and Carriage Houses.
Big Apple Chimney’s Mechanics and Technicians have been
in the Chimney & Fireplace business over 20 years. We are a Better Business
Bureau (BBB) accredited business with an A rating since 2006.
Big Apple Chimney offers Complete Chimney and
Fireplace Services, H.V.A.C, Masonry, Roofing and Complete Historical
Restoration Services.
We employ Master Masons, Master
Carpenters, Licensed Plumbers and Licensed Electricians.
“We will send the right people to do
the job, correctly and to your complete satisfaction”.
Call Big Apple Chimney today at 718-648-3998 to speak to our
Chimney and Fireplace Specialists and request a free estimate. We service all
residential and commercial customers. We are Family Owned and Operated with
locations in NYC and Brooklyn.
Call Big Apple Chimney at 718-648-3998 for 24 hour emergency service regarding your chimney or fireplace. We Correct
All Violations, if your heat has been turned off due to
bad conditions, such as a blockage, a carbon monoxide leak, a draft, flue
spillage, leaking soot or water, etc. Our Emergency Service crew is guaranteed
to restore your Boiler or Hot Water Heater after a turn off. We are fully
qualified to repair and restore your heat in the case of a gas, oil or electric
company shut-off! We can also restore your heat and hot water if the Fire
Dept., E.P.A. or any other city, state or federal government agency has shut you
down.
Big
Apple Chimney also provides a full range of
inspection services (including but not limited to infra-red camera scanning,
carbon monoxide detection), smoke and air flow testing services, reports and
affidavits required by NYC Building Code.
(Big Apple Chimney combines their expert
knowledge in NYC building code with their unequaled experience in brownstone
and pre-war buildings to provide their clients with the best chimney and
fireplace service in NYC.)
|
