Wassup with the Ballfields South of the Park?
We were playing around with the Google satellite function and flying over Prospect Park when we noticed the ball fields to the south of the park that were clearly a later addition. Does anyone know when these were built or what the impetus for them was?
We were playing around with the Google satellite function and flying over Prospect Park when we noticed the ball fields to the south of the park that were clearly a later addition. Does anyone know when these were built or what the impetus for them was?
We’re not sure why we’re ever held up to the standard of expert as we’re the first to admit it when we don’t know about something. A portion of the blog is just bringing people along with us as we explore the borough. Some people get all worked up over the strangest things. Not worth losing any more energy over.
Cut Brownstoner some slack!! The mean-spirited comments are uncalled for. After all, if you ask, you can learn!!
A word of advise for Sout’ Brooklyn Boy:
C-H-I-L-L
Hmm… Anon 3:01… I’m sure you are having fun with the whole TROLL bit, but you should probably give it a rest. We don’t react very agressively to name calling here. Try craigslist. There, you can TROLL away and everyone will respond with the faux-agression and silly responses you seem to be looking for…
As someone who grew up in Park Slope, I can attest to the Parade Grounds’ historical remoteness for Slopies. My St. Francis Xavier little league baseball and soccer games were played on the 9th street diamonds in the park. In fact, we were the first Park Slope soccer little league team back around 1982. We played Camp Friendship and some police precinct teams. The parade gounds had the tennis courts which very few Park Slope kids ever used at the time, and dusty fields which was used for police precinct (72nd) little league baseball.
When Rudy wanted to build the Cyclones temporary stadium on the AYSO fields, the kids and their parents marched over the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall to protest. When we got there, the police closed and locked the gates to City Hall Park. We overheard one officer telling another “this is why I became a cop — to lock kids out of parks.” The whole scene was outrageous.
It’s called the Parade Grounds because groups would actually assemble there before “parading.” Military types, if memory serves me…
The earlier poster is correct – once your kids turn 4 and if they are the least bit athletically inclined, you’ll be tethered to the Parade Grounds every weekend, and wishing you bought a house in Ditmas Park! Seriously, that’s how I discovered the neighborhood, seeing it from my daughter’s soccer game! After a few years of schlepping to the Parade Grounds every weekend from Park Slope, it was a no brainer that when we looked for a house it would be in Ditmas Park (with a driveway). Everyone moans about oh, being near Prospect Park. Well, once your kids are in grade school, the Parade Grounds are the only part of the park you ever see and good luck walking there from PLG or PS. Incidently, Victorian Flatbush fought hard to get a permit for one of the fields on T, Th, and Sun afternoons so our kids can run free, play pick up games. We even got a grant to employ a coach. It beats the blacktop playgrounds hands down!
The Cyclones never played at the Parade Grounds. Rudy G. proposed to build a small stadium for them until their permanent stadium was completed. At that time the fields were in bad shape but Ayso was in full swing. Part of Rudy’s plan was that our kids would play soccer and baseball on what would become the parking lot for the stadium. With the help of ACORN, AYSO parents and the baseball leagues parents protested and protested went to meetings and the stadium never happened there. We proposed that if the city could spend millions to build a temporary stadium they could certainly spend millions to renew the parade grounds for our children…which they did.
They underwent quite a significant renovation a few years ago when the Brooklyn Cyclones played there while their ballpark was being built. They had been pretty run-down until then – but very popular with AYSO and other organized sport leagues. I have not been there in a while. How are the renovations holding up.
PS – Go Brownstoner! We love you. I’ve learned so much from this Blog. It should be a two way street.