Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn

Prospect-Lefferts Gardens is the name given to a neighborhood in Flatbush in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is bounded by Empire Boulevard (formerly Malbone Street) to the north, Clarkson Avenue to the south, New York Avenue to the east, and Ocean Avenue/Prospect Park to the west. [ [http://web.honorscollege.cuny.edu/student-projects/2005/neighborhoods/17/hista1.htm Prospect-Lefferts Gardens: Convenient and Close-Knit Yet Diverse] , copy of article from "The New York Times", April 4, 2004] Prospect Lefferts Gardens is part of Brooklyn Community Board 9 and is serviced by the NYPD 71st Precinct.

The area was originally founded by a Dutch family in 1660. In 1893 the Lefferts estate was divided by James Lefferts into 600 building lots, now known as Lefferts Manor, and sold to developers. Lefferts observed construction from the Lefferts homestead, then located on Flatbush Avenue between Maple and Midwood Streets (now a historic museum located in Prospect Park). [ [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=23&id=23675 Brooklyn Daily Eagle] ] In order to ensure that the neighborhood would contain homes of a substantial nature, Lefferts attached land-use deed restrictions, dictating that each lot contain a single family residence built of brick or stone at least two stories in height, among other restrictions. The land-use covenant still exists in Lefferts Manor. [ [http://leffertsmanor.org/history.shtml The Origins of Lefferts Manor] , accessed November 13, 2006] Houses in Lefferts Manor were mostly constructed during the late 19th Century, the last of which were constructed in the late 1950's. Lefferts Manor and parts of Lefferts Avenue and Sterling Street, not in the single-family covenant, were granted landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on October 9, 1979. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/maps/prospect_lefferts_gardens.pdf Prospect-Lefferts Garden Historic District] ]

Concurrent with the development of Lefferts Manor was the growth of the surrounding area, now known collectively as Prosepct-Lefferts Gardens. Many one and two family homes were constructed in the early 20th Century [ [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=23&id=23675 Brooklyn Daily Eagle] ] . Presently, other areas of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens contain a mixture of single-family and multi-family homes as well as larger apartment houses.

Currently the neighborhood contains an ethnically diverse community with a largely Caribbean population.

The Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood is serviced by the NYCS service|Q and NYCS service|B trains (BMT Brighton Line) at the Prospect Park station and the NYCS service|Q train at the Parkside Avenue stop, as well as the Sterling Street and Winthrop Street stops on the IRT Nostrand Avenue Line (NYCS service|2 and NYCS service|5 trains).

ee also

* Malbone Street Wreck
* Lefferts Historic House

References

External links

* [http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/maps/prospect_lefferts_gardens.pdf Map of Prospect Lefferts Gardens Landmark District] (PDF)
* [http://acrossthepark.typepad.com/ Across the Park] blog
* [http://www.hawthornestreet.com/ Hawthorne Street] blog
* [http://leffertsmanor.org/ Lefferts Manor Association]
* [http://planetplg.com/ Planet PLG ]
* [http://web.honorscollege.cuny.edu/student-projects/2005/neighborhoods/17/home.htm PLG page at CUNY]