Brooklyn
fromTime Out New York
1 week agoProspect Park is getting major bike lane upgrades
A $15.5 million project will enhance Prospect Park's east side with protected bike lanes, a pedestrian plaza, and a redesigned park entrance.
The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center officially opened to the public on February 10 in East Flatbush, becoming the first new Parks rec center in Central Brooklyn in more than a decade and the borough's largest facility. The $141 million center is expected to serve over 41,000 residents within a 15-minute walk or transit ride. Council Member Farah N. Louis, who spearheaded the project, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani led the grand opening on February 9 alongside local and state officials, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Kevin Parker, and Assemblymembers Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Monique Chandler-Waterman.
The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is Central Brooklyn's first recreation facility of its kind, featuring a full gym, indoor swimming pool, dance studio, culinary kitchen, media lab and an indoor track overlooking a full basketball court. Neighbors say the center fills a long-standing gap in community resources. 'There's been a lack of activities for children and adults,' said participant Tawana King. 'With the swimming, exercise and arts and crafts, it gives people a sense of belonging.'