Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood may be known for its nineteenth century row houses, but it’s also home to one of Brooklyn’s first higher-density residential districts along Eastern Parkway. This collection of over 80 apartment houses represents a unique period in Brooklyn history when building patterns shifted and a new type of urban dwelling was built for a rising middle class. Built on land that had remained vacant for decades, these apartment houses attracted people who wanted to live near Brooklyn’s cultural center and Prospect Park, sought the advantages of apartment dwelling, and wanted rapid access to downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The story of how the East Side Park Lands Apartment House district was created links Brooklyn’s agrarian past, the construction of Prospect Park, and the extension of the subway system along Eastern Parkway. Now a group of local advocates has proposed designating the area a New York City Landmark District. On Sunday, October 15 at 2:00PM, the Brooklyn Public Library will host a public discussion entitle, ""From Park Lands to Our Lands: Preserving the History of Southern Prospect Heights." Join the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, the Historic Districts Council and architectural historian Suzanne Spellen to explore the history of this part of Prospect Heights, and learn about how it can be preserved for the future.