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Welcome to Brooklyn, New York's Grand Army Plaza
"Soldiers' and Sailors'
Memorial," to the civil war union forces. This 80-foot high by 80-foot wide Memorial is
a design by John H. Duncan.
The memorial arch stands in the center of a traffic circle,
('Grand Army Plaza Circle') encircled by a full bodied representation of late
nineteen-
this century architecture on one
side; recreation and culture
in the surrounding areas in
it's park,
Central Library, Museum and Botanic
Garden.
First lets take a brief
tour of Grand Army's surroundings, or if
you like follow the link
above for a closer examination of her sculptures.
While the Park slopes
neighborhood
on the memorial's southeastern flank, is represented by tall apartment
buildings, the
architecture
of the four story brown-stone houses lining
inner
streets tells the story
of
the areas late nineteenth century bloom.
Though remnants of it's Dutch
past stands represented by the "Old
first reformed
Church." Along the
northwest end of the Grand Army Plaza, is Prospect Heights her
sister
neighborhood
which runs North on the other side of Eastern Parkway,
across
from the
Brooklyn Central Library.
At the northeast end of the Memorial is an entrance to
Prospect
Park at Flatbush
Avenue, across from Flatbush Avenue, is
the
Brooklyn Central Library flowing
North
along Eastern Parkway
eventually given way to the Brooklyn Museum.
The Brooklyn Botanic
Garden, nestled
behind the Brooklyn Museum reaches back
South,
separated from Prospect Park by Flatbush Avenue. This horticultural
nirvana is
indeed, a feast
for the eyes, with many beautiful floral gardens, including the popular
Japanese landscape garden designed by landscaper Takeo Shiota
Here in the
garden pond sits the "Torii." The marquee reads:
...Torii which represents the presence of the shrine
nestled among the
pines on the hill beyond. The shrine is dedicated to
the Shinto God of
the harvest protector of plants. The inscription on
the front of the Torii
reads Dai-mya-jin, great illuminating Deity, or
spirit of light.
Prospect Park is a 525 acre park, home of the Brooklyn zoo,
lakes and skating rink.
Brooklyn's equivalent of Manhattan's Central Park.
Prospect Park's entrance off the
Grand Army Plaza memorial traffic circle,
at Flatbush Avenue is one of the main
entrances to the Park. Inside the park
(East) at Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boule-
vard is the Lefferts Homestead
a Dutch Colonial structure built
in 1776 and now serves
as a children's museum.
Did I mention romance? Well behind the "Soldiers and Sailor's
Memorial" is a small
park within the Grand Army Plaza traffic circle.
Here Neptune sits with a small boy, in
Bailey's
fountain. With figures
representing wisdom and felicity positioned over him
he gazes on many-a-newly-wed. Who after making their wedding vows come to take
photos in hopes; I suppose, of receiving some mystical benefit in their new live
together.
Grand Army Plaza termination point of the West Indian Day Parade.