Prospect Lefferts Gardens

19th-century style in a diverse neighborhood by Prospect Park

By Denisa R. Superville | Special to amNewYork

August 17, 2006

When Patricia Glynn and her husband Eamon relocated from Paris 28 years ago, she knew this much: She wanted to live in a Brooklyn brownstone.

After combing through the borough's brownstone belt without any results, the Glynns bought a four-story limestone on Clarkson Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.

"We didn't know anything much about Prospect-Lefferts Gardens," said Glynn. "But we just loved the house when we saw it."

Since then, she can't stop singing the neighborhood's praises from its residents, to its houses to its diversity.

"I think it's very democratic," said Glynn. "It's not snobby and it's not yuppie."

As for the houses, the neighborhood, with block after block of limestones, brownstones with Byzantine carvings and stained glass transom windows, free-standing frames and some apartment buildings thrown into the mix, has some of the finest examples of late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture in Brooklyn.

Prospect-Lefferts Gardens draws its name from nearby Prospect Park and the Lefferts family, who originally owned the land and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

In 1893 James Lefferts divided the family's Flatbush farm into 600 lots to create a "high-grade," middle-class community, Lefferts Manor. Restrictive covenants helped maintain the neighborhood's cohesiveness. Houses in the Manor had to be one-family, set back from the street at least 14 feet, built of brick or stone and worth at least $5,000.

Find it
The borders are Empire Boulevard to the north, Clarkson Avenue to the south, Ocean Avenue to the west and New York Avenue to the east.

Laura Frenzer, a waitress, actress and mother, relocated from Washington Heights to Ocean Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens three years ago. She is the president of PLG Arts, a support organization for neighborhood artists.

What are your favorite spots to hang out, eat and drink?

My favorite spots are the kids' favorite spots: it's the playground, the botanic gardens K-Dog, the carousel and the Audubon Center. The Audubon Center is great.

Has the neighborhood changed since you've been here?

The neighborhood is definitely changing. I think that is undeniable. The rent prices are increasing, which is unfortunate. It's unfortunate that it's not going to be an affordable neighborhood in a few years.

What do you like best about Prospect Lefferts Gardens?

I think I love the people. I really feel like I've got great neighbors. I've met so many interesting, wonderful people. And it's great to be able to walk down the street, and my kids know people by name, and I know people by name, and it feels really a part of the community, which is great.

The basics
Transportation: Trains: The 2 and 5 stop at Sterling Street and Winthrop Street. The Q stops at Parkside Avenue and the Q and B at Prospect Park. The shuttle stops at Prospect Park to connect to the 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the Botanic Garden and the A and C trains at Franklin Avenue.

Schools: Public schools include M.S. 002, 655 Parkside Ave.; M.S. 61, 400 Empire Blvd.; P.S. 92, 601 Parkside Ave.; and P.S. 141, 655 Parkside Ave. Private schools include The Maple Street School, 21 Lincoln Rd.; Lefferts Gardens Montessori School, 527 and 559 Rogers Ave.; St. Francis of Assisi School, 400 Lincoln Rd.; and The John Hus Moravian Church School, 153 Ocean Ave.