Get to know Park Slope

It should not surprise anyone that Prospect Park puts the “park” in Park Slope. Actually, it puts the “slope” in there, too: The area gets its name due to its location on the western slope of that expansive green space. Today, Prospect Park is a haven, its presence radiating a calmness you can feel throughout the streets of Park Slope. Grand Army Plaza sits at the park’s northern tip, its grounds once a battleground of the Battle of Long Island during the Revolutionary War. At present, the public plaza is most recognizable by its triumphal arch, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch. A crowning sculpture of a four-horsed chariot driven by the goddess of victory tops this memorial to the Civil War, recalling a similar adornment atop Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.

This fact may seem cliché for what people think of when they think of “Brooklyn,” but Park Slope is home to its share of independent bookstores, record shops, and coffee spots. Perhaps predictably, it also has a flourishing restaurant scene. The main strips of Fifth and Seventh Avenues retain a lively mix of businesses, where established favorites mingle with intriguing new additions. Seventh was the sole commercial hub for most of Park Slope’s history. Its character generally fits that of the neighborhood as a whole, with fixtures that have served locals for decades. Fifth has a decidedly Brooklyn-nouveau vibe, represented by local artisans and designers, and a dining scene as diverse as Brooklyn itself. Beyond Park Slope’s borders, you can readily acquire any essentials in neighboring Prospect Heights.