Sunset Park

From The Peopling of New York City

Sunset Park is located in the heart of Brooklyn. Perhaps, its story will tell us greater things about the story of Brooklyn, itself. This is where many newly arrived immigrants after the mid-19th century have sought refuge, the area being near to the sea and, many times, ripe with labor opportunities. It seems this is one of the parts of Brooklyn that keeps the City alive. The area has been populated by various ethnic cultures across time. The Park feels what goes on with its people; it sways with their stories.

Contents 1 Sunset Park 2 History 3 Sunset Park: Recreation Center 4 Sunset Park: Today 5 9/11 Memorial Grove 6 References

Sunset Park

In this research project, I try to parallel the history of the Sunset Park neighborhood with the history of Sunset Park, the park itself.

History

During the American Revolution, the first engagement of the war, known as Battle of Long Island, but also known as the Battle of Brooklyn (1776), took place on 7th Avenue and 21st Street, in present-day Green-Wood Cemetery. ^[1] Greenwood Cemetery, located in the area of Sunset Park, has the highest elevation in Brooklyn. Sunset Park, the park itself contains the second highest elevation point in Brooklyn. It lies 200 feet above sea level^[2].

Standing from the hills of Sunset Park one can behold a magnificent view. With Hudson River in sight, we see the Statue of Liberty towards the left, and the beautiful Manhattan skyline to the far right, although it does happen to be somewhat truncated by a factory pipe in the distance. The World Trade Centers were once visible, and currently there is a September 11 Memorial Grove to honor those lost in the tragedy. Many families crowd along the hills during the 4th of July to experience the beauty of the fireworks. One can also see the hills of New Jersey in the far distance.

The area- extending from 15th Street on the North to 65th Street on the South, and from New York Harbor on the West to 8th Avenue on the East- belonged to Dutch and Huguenot families, such as Bennet, Bergen, Schermerhorn and Delapine, whose titles to the land go back to the 17th century, after they acquired it from the Canarsee Indians.(^[3]). The Dutch utilized the lands as rolling pastures and farmlands, so the land of Sunset Park remained largely undeveloped until the mid-19th century. ^[4]

When Brooklyn officially became a city in 1834, plans were made to develop Brooklyn as far as 60th Street, and onto what would be Sunset Park, today. But, due to economic crises and political strife, the land remained largely undeveloped until after the Civil War (1861- 1865).

Amidst developing the area, land was set-aside for the purposes of a park. In 1891, the boundaries of the 17.5 acres settled ranged from 41st Street to 43rd Street, but after being hotly contested, the park was further expanded to 44th Street (its current size) in December 1905.

Irish, who were escaping Ireland’s Potato Famine of the 1840s, arrived. The Irish worked on the docks, as farm laborers, and on construction crews, before taking on the civil authority jobs, the Irish are well known for having today (such as that of a policeman). By 1855, one third of the population was Irish. And, as with all new immigrants, this area particularly attracted them because of the demand for labor. ^[5]

The Brooklyn Waterfront was established as a major port. Development of the surrounding Bush terminal, a complex of piers, warehouses, and factories naturally came with steady demands for labor. ^[6]

Soon enough, Scandinavians, mostly from Norway and Finland began pouring in, attracted by its nearness to the sea.

Rustic retaining walls, a man-made pond, a six-hole golf course, a neo-classical shelter, and a carousel were original features of the park developed between 1989 and 1911. ^[7]

In 1916, early Finnish immigrants built a four-story cooperative apartment, Alku I(which translates to Beginning I). All of its residents invested 500 dollars into it, but co-opting in the long run would prove to be less costly, and the Alku I became part of the first Cooperative to be built in the United States. ^[8] Until 1970s, visitors to Finntown could enjoy the atmosphere of an authentic Finish sauna, sample Finnish foods, and purchase Finish Crafts. In 1991, to celebrate its Finnish past, Sunset Park officially renamed 40th street as Finlandia Street. ^[9]

By the 1930s and 1940s, the neighborhood was in decline. Seaport jobs decreased as containerized shipping was introduced, a process by which cargo from ships could be loaded directly onto trucks. Companies left the neighborhood looking for cheaper labor and more space outside of New York City. So, many families began moving to quieter suburbs. ^[10] A good number of Puerto Ricans, took the place of the many white families, as post-War flights increased between the two countries. It was estimated that in 1950, only 1800 (1.6 percent) of Sunset Park’s people were Puerto Rican, but by 1970, that number skyrocketed to about 24,000.

But then in 1935, an era most attributed to the Great Depression, a new park design was implemented, and the carousel, the man-made pond, and the six-hole golf course were removed. As part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Sunset Park Pool and Play Center were implemented. WPA workers worked around the clock and through a bitterly cold winter to finish building the pool. It was the sixth of eleven pools implemented Architect Aymor Embury II created a neo-classical design/ Art Deco design for the pool. They vertical columns and diamond-motif brickwork were characteristic of the WPA era. ^[11] After this renovation, the park came under new management. Mayor of the time, Velentine. ^[12], rebuked the prior administration with its “keep-off grass” policy. So it seems that the park belonged more to the people after the new park design was implemented.

Real estate brokers and agents used “blockbusting” techniques to drive property values down by encouraging immigrants to move in, in hopes that the current residents would flee, and, as a result selling homes below market values. With blockbusting and economic decline, banks were “redlining” Sunset Park, refusing to give out home mortgages and commercial loans to buyers. Banks are, in fact, notorious for redlining nonwhites and poor neighborhood in New York, following the years of the war.^[13]

As in any impoverished and ignored neighborhood, crime was a big problem. People would fear coming to the park. Dennis Hamill in his one of his Daily News article (published in 1994) reports to us that one night, "60 gang members of the Latin Kings, Nietta, La Familia and Los Popi Chulos met to rumble over 'beer,' possibly related to incidents in the ool.^[14]" But Karen Gripper, the manager of the Recreation Center, told me, there was a movement amongst its people to reduce the crime. She, herself, 15 years ago, was involved in midnight basketball at the Park. Midnight basketball would help the youth stay away from crime, as they would have an alternative to avert their attentions to.

Despite economic decline, Puerto Ricans and other Spanish groups carried on. They built their own small business, and many of the area’s businessmen and political leadership have joined forces to form the Sunset Park Business Improvement District (BID). The BID is financed by self-imposed taxes from about 384 properties from 38th Street to 64th Street. The funds are used to clean up graffiti from buildings, to keep the streets clean by paying private sanitation companies to sweep them, and to hire extra security during the many events that go on in Sunset Park throughout the year. Together, the BID program has helped bring prosperity to the area. ^[15]

The Sunset Park Pool and Play Center has been recently been deemed a historical landmark. The Sunset Play Center and the Bath House interior were recently granted landmark status (July 2007). The enormous Center stood in place of a small lake that had previously existed there. It officially opened on July 20, 1936. It was the sixth of eleven pool complexes that were being built in the city that were being built in the WPA era as a massive reconstruction project. Herbert Magoon, a parks architect, came up with its design. Its I-shaped bath house is made of cast stone and Flemish bond, English common bond and header bond bricks.^[16]Upon entrance, we enter into a beautiful opening, very similar to being under a dome. If we look to our left and right we see entrances labled "Men" and "Women." In the summer, these two rooms become locker rooms for the pedestrians that use the pool. But during most of the year this is irrelevant, since the pool is only utilized in the summer. But the elegant signs, themselves, gives us a sense of the historical past of the park. We also see several murals, some drawn by children, posted onto the cylindrical walls. One of the murals depict ships in the far-off harbor. In the past, hundreds of ships would also be seen docked in the Hudson River. People would capture oysters and clams that would be exported all over the world, until the oysters became too polluted to be eaten. Till this very day, people are not allowed to eat the clams. ^[17]

The Park hosts many events celebrating the diversity of its members, from Chinese New Year Festivals, to various ethnic folk dances. Today the Sunset Park Recreation Center boasts of 1800 members, Karen Gripper told me. When realizing how the physically small the park really is in comparison, that number is shockingly amazing.

Today the park is very well maintained, yet still belongs to the people. It remains very beautiful. It truly is probably the number one place in Brooklyn where immigrants converge.

Sunset Park before 1845 had been farming land for Dutch settlers. When Irish, Polish, Finnish, and Norwegian had settled and began developing the surrounding lands, the borders of the park were hotly contested, as according to the Daily Eagle. Eventually the park was settle in between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue and then in between 40th Street and 43rd Street, a 27.5 acre park, which is not too large.

In 1935, a new park design was implemented, and the pond, golf course, shelter, and carousel were removed. It was the era of the Great Depression. The city and people could probably no longer afford to maintain such a classy park. So the Workers Progress Administration soon implemented a Sunset Park Pool and Play center, which provided affordable costs to families and children.

From its onset, the parcel of land that is now Sunset Park, was reserved for the purpose of a park. It was perfect. It had elevation far beyond that of the surrounding area. Not only were New York, Jersey City, and Staten Island viewable, but also was the ocean “as it stretches out to Sandy Hook.”

The surrounding area of the park would be trimmed down, and a rubble wall would be built around the park to prevent the high banks of the park from caving into the streets. The walls were also built to cover some unsightly boulders that had been resting there from several years before.

Sunset Park also seemed to be a place where of political expression. During World War II, the Sunset Park are began losing its value and many of the former immigrants began moving out to the suburbs, and began being replaced There is a 9/11 memorial in Sunset Park. Established in November 25, 2002, it became of the first Living Memorial grove of New York City Parks to commemorate those lost in the U.S.

Sunset Park: Recreation Center

Sunset Park: Today

9/11 Memorial Grove

The Sunset Park Memorial Grove became the first Living Memorial Grove in New York City to commemorate those lost in the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001. With the Manhatten skyline in site, there were those who saw the towers in flame from the benches of Sunset Park. making it the perfect place for the first Living Memorial Grove to be established. “After the September 11th attacks, many New Yorkers searched for ways to help the city heal, “ said Commissioner Benepe. “This grove will serve as a site for remembrance and reflection. The tree, one of the most enduring symbols of life, will stand as a memorial for generations to come.”

The Sunset Park Memorial Grove consists of 45 Trees- 16 Yellow wood, 21 Two-Winged Silver Bells, and 8 White Flowering Red Buds- planted in an oval. In addition, Parks has palnted a triangular garden with 78 White Carpet roses, 70 Cotoneaster shrubs and 3,000 White Dwarf narcissus. P.S. 169 and P.S. 94 children planted daffodils linking the Memorial Grove to the Daffodil Project, New York City’s first living memorial effort sponsored by the Department of Parks & Recreation and New Yorkers for Parks." ^[18]

References

1. ↑ Unknown Author. “Sunset Park… Sunset Park!” Ref 917.4723.8. A brochure found in Brooklyn Collections.
2. ↑ BROOKLYN'S SUNSET PARK. New York Times (1857-Current file); Aug 5, 1894; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2005) pg. 16
3. ↑ Jackson, Kenneth T. Manbeck, John B. The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Yale University Press. 1998
4. ↑ Unknown Author. “Sunset Park… Sunset Park!” Ref 917.4723.8. A brochure found in Brooklyn Collections.
5. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. New York University Press. 2006
6. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. New York University Press. 2006
7. ↑ Sunset Park. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. (last accessed May 27, 2009) <http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sunsetpark/highlights/166>
8. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. New York University Press. 2006
9. ↑ Jackson, Kenneth T. Manbeck, John B. The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Page 200. Yale University Press. 1998
10. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. New York University Press. 2006
11. ↑ Sunset Park and Pool 24.5 acres. July 1999
12. ↑ New York Times. 19:5. July 21, 1936
13. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. New York University Press. 2006
14. ↑ Hamill, Denis. "Pool's a little rusty, but it's staying afloat." Daily News. July 15, 1994.
15. ↑ Kamil, Seth. Wakin, Eric. The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn. P.226. New York University Press. 2006
16. ↑ The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. “COMMISSION GRANTS LANDMARK STATUS TO THREE MORE PARKS DEPARTMENT SWIMMING POOLS.” Tuesday, July 24, 2007.
17. ↑ Shellfish in New York City- Sunset Park. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sunsetpark/highlights/11098>
18. ↑ Sandgrund, Jeffrey. Daily Plant. New York Department of Parks and Recreation. Wednesday, December 4, 2002.