Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, anchors the borough’s green space, with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden beside it. Brooklyn Bridge Park, the waterfront at Domino Park and the beaches and boardwalk of Coney Island complete the picture.
Brooklyn’s green spaces are surprisingly varied. Besides Prospect Park, Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark with hills, ponds and views of the harbour; Fort Greene Park, laid out by Olmsted and Vaux, has the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument; and Marine Park and Floyd Bennett Field give space for sports, bird-watching and kite flying on the southern edge.
The waterfront has been reopened to the public along much of its length, with Brooklyn Bridge Park, Domino Park and Greenpoint’s waterfront linked by a growing greenway. Coney Island’s beach and boardwalk, the Wonder Wheel and the New York Aquarium remain classic summer outings, and the beaches at Brighton and Manhattan Beach are quieter.