Designated January 28, 1975
Ocean Parkway, the first road of its kind built in the United States, established a new concept in road building. The road is about six miles long and stretches from Coney Island to just south of Prospect Park. It evolved from an idea expressed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in their 1866 preliminary report to the Park Commissioners of Brooklyn on their plans for Prospect Park. They suggested that the shaded “pleasure” drive on the western side of Prospect Park be extended from the park to the ocean. The 210 foot-wide parkway was divided into: a central roadway 70 feet wide, two malls 20 feet wide, two side roads both 25 feet wide, and two sidewalks each 15 feet wide. The Parkway is lined with deciduous trees (maple, oak, sycamore, elm and some gingko trees) and is provided with benches, playing tables and a bicycle path all of which are heavily used by nearby residents. For many people in Brooklyn, Ocean Parkway is the only large, open space with trees and grass that is readily accessible to them.