399 



The number of those who resort to the park increases faster 

 than it seems possible to extend facilities for their reception, 

 the ratio of increase being evidently greater than the city's 

 gain in population. The Commissioners, however, believe that 

 after the proposed rides, drives, and walks have been fully 

 carried out, and thrown open to public use, ample accommoda- 

 tion for locomotion to all parts of the park will be afforded for 

 visitors, and the increased freedom of circulation thus obtained 

 will obviate the necessity of those crowds which are now occa- 

 sionally found in certain localities. To the greater number of 

 those who frequent the park nothing would seem to be more 

 desirable, than simple, straightforward exercise in the open air, 

 and thus far the great effort has been to facilitate free and un- 

 obstructed movement everywhere over the park domain, refer- 

 ence being at the same ^ime had to the proper development of 

 those landscape conditions which would render such movements 

 interesting. Next to this in importance, the Commissioners 

 have ranked such provisions as would enable feeble persons, 

 convalescents, and especially mothers with children, to remain 

 for considerable periods in the open air, under comfortable and 

 quieting conditions ; and some arrangements to this end, of 

 which the dairy cottage is the center, are now well advanced, 

 and are expected to be opened next summer. 



The opportunity afforded by the park for general social re- 

 union — although no part of it yet open to the public has been 

 expressly adapted to the purpose — is already highly appreciated 

 by a large body of our citizens. Better provision, however, for 

 coming together, and for meeting and recognizing friends, is 

 regarded by the Commissioners of equal importance when they 

 take into consideration the true uses and objects of a public 

 park. To accomplish this purpose, arrangements which include 

 a promenade concert ground on the shore of the lake, are now 

 in progress, and will be found fully detailed in the report of the 

 landscape architects, before referred to. 



In estimating the capacity of the park to meet the probable 

 requirements of the future population of Brooklyn, the pro- 

 posed improvement of the streets which surround and form the 

 boundary lines of the park has not been overlooked. Provision 

 has accordingly been made for widening each of these streets, 

 so as to form, when completed, a continuous avenue one hundred 



