Teeming with majestic mansions and rowhouses, Park Slope Historic District is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Brooklyn which began to flourish during 19th century?s last 50 years due to the better connection between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The development of Park Slope commenced when Brooklyn Terminal and South Brooklyn became better linked with Manhattan with the creation of the ferry service in 1814.
When 1850 arrived, Park Slope was already a flourishing neighborhood owing to the forward thinking of businessman and real estate tycoon Edwin Clarke Litchfield who acquired big plots of land in the vicinity and sold them to residential property developers. In no time, the farmlands that used to dominate the area disappeared and were replaced with a neighborhood and became one of Manhattan?s pioneering suburban communities. In 1883, when Brooklyn Bridge was finished, urbanization was hastened even more.
Several Manhattan upwardly mobile urbanites opted to reside in Park Slope Historic District where the enjoyed tranquility and quietness away from the busy and hectic city. The neighborhood also became popular due to its proximity to Prospect Park created in 1867 and conceptualized by Frederick Law Olmsted. Huge mansions slowly emerged with beautiful vistas of the greenery. A number of these grand houses have been maintained and can still be visited for touring and is also a nice place to shoot for photography enthusiasts.
Park Slope Historic District held its illustrious status for many decades. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, its wealthy residents began transferring to the suburban communities of Northern New Jersey and Connecticut. A handful of the deserted houses rapidly deteriorated and at present, Park Slope is primarily a working class community.
In the latter part of the 1980s and the first few years of the 1990s, an urban renewal initiative revived Park Slope when professionals and starting families began moving to the neighborhood and refurbished the old mansions. Together with this newfound vigor, shops, restaurants and other retail establishments mushroomed in the area. This commercial boom was greeted by criticisms from some of the earlier residents as they occupied the neighborhood?s historic abodes.
Remaining to be a thriving beautiful neighborhood, Park Slope Historic District boasts of magnificent row houses. The most popular are those found in Carroll Street which have intricate Romanesque arches. Likewise, there are many grand 19th century mansions made in varying architectural aesthetics. The grandest feature really elaborate embellishments and some even have turrets. The foremost example of this extravagant dwelling is the Montauk Club situated at Lincoln place and 8th Avenue in close proximity to the Grand Army Plaza. The mansion was designed by architect Francis H. Kimball and is modeled after Venice?s Ca? d?Oro Palace. The exterior of the mansion used a fusion of Montauk Indian reliefs and Venetian type balconies.
Other than the houses, a few religious buildings serve as attraction within Park Slope Historic District. An example of this is the trio of churches from the 19th century located at St. John?s Place. The beautiful neighborhood is definitely a treat for both architecture and photography enthusiasts.
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