Flatbush Malls

Flatbush Malls at Albemarle Road.

The Flatbush Malls are a pair of tree-lined landscaped medians series along several roads in the Victorian Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. ^[1] An architecture critic has written that the malls "give the streets an uncommon spaciousness, if not grandeur". ^[2] The first series was built in the northern part of the neighborhood along Albemarle Road, and extending one block north on Buckingham Road, in the Prospect Park South development of 1899, east of Coney Island Avenue and west of the BMT Brighton Line. This was modeled by the Scottish landscape architect John Aiken on Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston, with a design that originally included shrubbery but not trees, ^{[3] [4]} and in turn likely inspired the other neighborhood series. ^{[3] [5] [6] [7]}

The second series, also known as the Midwood Malls, was built in the southern part of the neighborhood along both Glenwood Road, east of Coney Island Avenue and west of Delamere Place, as well as the intersecting East 17th Street, north of the Long Island Railroad cut of the Bay Ridge Branch and south of Foster Avenue, in the Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park developments of 1905. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Part of the malls extending to Flatbush Avenue on Glenwood Road were removed starting in 1932. ^{[10] [11]} Both series of malls feature cul-de-sacs on the Brighton Line, with the Glenwood Road series extending to both sides and also having one on the Long Island Railroad cut. All-way stops are installed on the Glenwood Road series, and another was added to the Albemarle Road series due to traffic safety concerns. ^[12] There has also been concern about the watering of the malls. ^[13] Both series of malls are owned by the New York City Department of Transportation but maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation as part of the Greenstreets partnership.

See also

• Eastern Parkway
• Ocean Parkway
• Foothill Malls

References

1. Lerner, Evan (March 16, 2008). "Peaked Roofs, Crossed Fingers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 18, 2019.
2. "Visible City: Flatbush as suburb". Metropolis . Bellerophon Publications. September 1982.
3. "Flatbush Malls Highlights : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
4. "John Aiken landscape gardener". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
5. Gray, Christopher (June 22, 2008). "Brooklyn's Stately Esplanade". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 17, 2019.
6. "17 Sep 1899, Page 10 - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
7. Caratzas, Michael D. (March 18, 2008). "Fiske Terrace – Midwood Park Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
8. "Flatbush Malls Highlights : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
9. Morrone, Francis (July 10, 2008). "Savoring the Brighton Line, a Rare MTA Charmer". The New York Sun. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
10. "1932-Jun-14 2714 Glenwood Owned by Clarence Horn Flatbush Mall to be removed - Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
11. "15 Jun 1932, Page 25 - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
12. Zagare, Liena (July 12, 2017). "Finally All-Way Stop Sign On Albemarle Rd". bklyner.com. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
13. Klein, Helen (September 25, 2009). "Budget Process Kicks Off in Midwood and Flatbush". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved July 18, 2019.

40°38′47.2″N73°58′3.9″W / 40.646444°N 73.967750°W / 40.646444; -73.967750