2l6 REPORT OF THE 



most valuable pleasure grounds of the city, affording relief in the 

 summer time to hundreds of people who reside in the adjacent 

 tenement districts. 



THE PARADE GROUND. 



The Legislature in 1868 passed another law changing the loca- 

 tion of the Parade Ground. The original design, as before stated, 

 was to place the Parade Ground in East New York to the south 

 of Liberty avenue, between Van Sinderen and Alabama avenues, 

 a site used as a camping ground during the War of the Rebellion; 

 but those who were interested in the matter convinced the author- 

 ities that a parade ground in Flatbush would be better located, 

 and so the law was amended, and the plot which contains forty 

 acres along the line of Franklin avenue and the Coney Island road 

 was acquired and buildings erected thereon. During the last 

 dozen years or so the Parade Ground has been used much more 

 extensively as a public playground than for military purposes. 



THE PARKWAYS. 



In 1869 the Department was authorized to construct the 

 Ocean Parkway from Prospect Park as far as the Kings High- 

 way, and in 1874 they were authorized to continue the same to 

 Coney Island. Work upon the road was immediately begun and 

 finished about 1876. 



The construction of the Eastern Parkway from Prospect Park 

 to the City line was authorized by an act passed May 6, 1868. 

 This included Sackett, Douglass and President streets, which had 

 been previously laid down on the City map. The construction ot 

 the Eastern Parkway was not particularly pleasing at the time to 

 the owners of property along its line, inasmuch as the assess- 

 ments for the improvement were far greater than the value of the 

 property assessed. The Eastern Parkway, by reason of its cross- 

 ing Bedford avenue, has been useful to the residents of the east- 

 ern district of the city who desired to drive to Prospect Park. 

 Beyond that point it has been until the present year practically 

 useless ever since its construction, because of its abrupt termina- 

 tion at the top of a hill, thus depriving it of any available outlet. 



