2IO 



REPORT OF THE 



DEPARTMENT OFFICES. 



HISTORY OF THE PARKS. 



How the Land of the Various Pleasure Grounds and 

 Parkways was Acquired. 

 The system of parks and parkways now under the control of 

 the Department of Parks is nearly perfect. Almost every section 

 of the city is supplied with a breathing spot, and there is in exist- 

 ence or in contemplation con- 

 necting roads making the parks 

 bright links in a chain of pleas- 

 ure drives. 



Taking Prospect Park as the 

 heart of the system, there ex- 

 tend in a general southerly 

 direction the Ocean Parkway, 

 Fort Hamilton Parkway and 

 Bay Parkway with Coney Island 

 Concourse Park, Bensonhurst 

 Park, Dyker Beach and the 

 Shore Drive as a connecting 

 link. Between this system ot parks and parkways and Atlantic 

 avenue there lie Sunset Park, Red Hook Park and Carroll Park. 

 In the old city to the west of the Bedford section are City 

 Hall Park, Municipal Park, Fort Greene or Washington Park, 

 Tompkins Park and City Park. To the north of Broadway 

 in the old city of Williamsburgh are Winthrop Park, Cooper 

 Park, Bushwick Park and Irving Square. In an easterly direc- 

 tion with the Eastern Parkway as the center of the system are 

 Bedford Park, Saratoga Square, Lincoln Terrace, New Lots 

 Playground, Linton Park, Ridgewood Park and Forest Park, 

 while in a southeasterly direction lies Canarsie Park as the termi- 

 nation of the Rockaway Parkway. In addition are a number of 

 small gore parks, making in all thirty-two parks, with more than 

 twenty-five miles of parkways under the control of the Depart- 

 ment. There are about 1,500 acres of land within the lines of 

 the parks. 



In view of the recent additions the history of the Park system 

 acquires renewed interest. 



