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ly been much reduced; and the transformation of the 

 ground to meet these changes could only be accomplished 

 at very considerable expense. The Commissioners however 

 believe that the expenditure is not to be regretted; and 

 they take this opportunity of expressing the opinion that 

 the style and finish with which this as well as other Park 

 improvements have been executed, have had much to do 

 with the great increase in values to which they have above 

 referred. It was not so much the fact that Brooklyn was to 

 have a large Park, as it was the discovery that her Park was 

 to possess an artistic beauty and finish equal to any Park 

 extant, which was to sustain her in her competition with 

 the Parks of other cities. 



The Commissioners have claimed for Brooklyn the advan- 

 tage of being a more desirable place of residence in many 

 respects than New York, and they think it can be readily 

 shown that she possesses finer sites for city residences, in 

 connection with the refined enjoyments of a Park, than can 

 be found in that city. She has even now, under her own 

 control, a district of country, east of Flatbush Avenue, in 

 the highest degree attractive, and which, if properly im- 

 proved, would open up another large district Southerly and 

 Easterly therefrom, to the immense advantage of our City, 

 both socially and financially. But in order to develop 

 these advantages fully, they think it will be necessary to 

 revise the whole street plan of this quarter of the City, 

 while it is yet under easy municipal control, and to lay it out 

 anew in such a way as will not only be much more conve- 

 nient and useful to the public, than it would be under any 

 other plan yet suggested, but must make it perfectly appa- 

 rent that we have, in Brooklyn, in close connection with 

 our Park, more desirable places of residence than can be 

 found elsewhere in any city. The lower portion of the map 

 which is annexed to this report will further explain this 



