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October 28, 2009

Makeover of Ocean Parkway Mall

ocean-parkway-mall-1009.jpgA portion of the mall that runs alongside Ocean Parkway in the Midwood section of Brooklyn is getting a new look. Council Member Simcha Felder, who in other instances has displayed a philistine's concern for matters of aesthetics in neighborhoods outside his own district, has ponied up $1.35 million to redo the pavement and bike path while sprucing up benches, railings and law areas. The work began recently, reports The Brooklyn Eagle, and is expected to be finished before summer. If anyone's nearby and can snap a photo of the work, we'd love to see it.
Beautification, Restoration for Ocean P’kway Mall [Brooklyn Eagle]
Photo by Urch




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:19 AM | Comments (12)
Categories: Midwood, Streets

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That's awesome. That bike path was getting pretty rough in spots... I slammed into one of those huge crevasses when I wasn't paying attention (which, on a bike path like that you really shouldn't have to that much... at least not to the road surface).

And there is a LARGE population on that little road -- it's nice to see good improvements like this where there are people, rather than fancy streetlights in low-density "Brownstone Brooklyn" and "Victorian Flatbush."

(And, by the way, I like those new streetlights on my block, very pretty... but totally unnecessary)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 28, 2009 10:28 AM

That's great - but really, it's only a rehab for three blocks - between Avenues M through O. Let's not get the champagne and streamers out for Simcha just yet.

Posted by: Boxermonkey at October 28, 2009 10:38 AM

Olmsted and Vaux designed both Ocean and Eastern Parkway to be wide, grand boulevards, ala Paris. The pathways, trees, benches and plantings were as integral to the parkways as the actual roads. The pathways were meant to be strolled on, and enjoyed, and the aesthetics of the natural world were as important as getting from one point to another. Sadly, that grand vision was compromised even at birth, and neither road was built as planned. Any work to preserve and maintain part of that vision is good, no matter who does it or why.

Maybe both roads need to have sponsors, like stretches of highways do, or the median strips on Park Ave, where local buildings buy and keep up the flowers and grass.

Jon, "Philistine", you left out a letter there, btw.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 28, 2009 10:45 AM

I wonder if those 3 blocks were where I got my "wake-up call" on my bike.

Posted by: tybur6 at October 28, 2009 10:49 AM

well, that bike path is in such bad condition that I always ride the parallel road, which is nicely paved....to bad they are only fixing 3 blocks.

Posted by: Emperium at October 28, 2009 10:54 AM

And to think, Robert Moses wanted to ram the Prospect Expressway all the way down to the Belt Parkway.

Posted by: Suburbandude at October 28, 2009 11:29 AM

I bike on Ocean Parkway frequently, and never use the bike path. The service roads on either side are a much faster ride. Smooth paving, no pedestrians.

Ocean Parkway must have really been something before Elm Blight. Supposedly the trees were so large the canopy covered the entire central roadway.

Posted by: Sparafucile at October 28, 2009 12:22 PM

perhaps Council Member Felder could also suggest to the NYPD that they enforce the speed limit along Ocean Parkway? It would make for a less intimidating crossing for pedestrians.

Posted by: Aces at October 28, 2009 12:48 PM

Aces -- Why should the NYPD enforce any traffic law?

(Well, other than parking and, apparently, cell phone use while driving)

Posted by: tybur6 at October 28, 2009 12:53 PM

yeah continue down to the park~Church to Caton is a DUMP
on Ocean Parkway
Dirty, poop, trash is never cleaned up..

Posted by: tjj at October 28, 2009 1:26 PM

yeah continue down to the park~Church to Caton is a DUMP
on Ocean Parkway
Dirty, poop, trash is never cleaned up..

Posted by: tjj at October 28, 2009 1:26 PM

@Boxermonkey-

The beautification project is more than 3 blocks, perhaps you have noticed only the latest phase. I've think I've seen it as far north as 18th, and for certain by Avenues J, K, L. From the looks of it I think that the project is going to extend southwards till Avenue Z.

Posted by: iceberg at October 28, 2009 8:59 PM

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