Originally called Tompkins Park, Von King Park was founded in 1871 and is one of Brooklyn's very first parks. The park was renamed in 1985 after Herbert Von King (1912-1985), a longstanding and beloved community leader, considered during his time the "Mayor of Bedford-Stuyvesant."
Von King Park is a 7.82-acre town square cradled between Greene, Marcy, Lafayette and Tompkins Avenues. Over the years, the park has gone through many changes as the borough changed, from serving as a welcome and lively escape from the urban grind, to a gathering place for unsavory characters, and then back again to a community center and a family, sports and cultural arts magnet.
The park's landscaping could use some improvement, but it is a regular hangout for skateboarders, joggers and parents with small children. Other benefits include a nicely manicured baseball field, a small basketball court, two handball courts, two playgrounds and an outdoor amphitheatre. In the center of the park sits the Von King Recreation Center which houses a mini petting zoo (reptiles, birds, turtles, rabbits and other small creatures), a computer center, an after-school center and a friendly and dedicated staff.
Kidville offers a variety of classes and programs for kids and also hosts birthday parties and open playtime. Classes are offered for ages 0 - 6 years and include art, gym, music, dance and enrichment programs as well as several camps. Kidville hosts birthday parties with such theme options as Jumpin' Gym, Dino-Mite, Fairy Princess, Crafty Creations and Glamour Girl.
Cobble Hill Park exists because of the strength of the community. The small plot of land nestled between Verandah Place and Congress Street was in the past considered to become the site for both a supermarket and an apartment building. Residents rallied for a park and, after much petitioning, the city bought the land. The park officially opened in 1965.
Park Slope Chiropractic is the office of Dr. Andrea Auerbach. It assists patients in need of adjustments for the neck, back and shoulders. The office can also help individuals who are recovering from surgery or an accident, as well as those who work a job that regularly puts a lot of stress on muscles, joints and the spine.
Brooklyn's largest park was the New York City's second gift from Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, famed landscape architects of Central Park. The park is home to the Prospect Park Zoo, a 60-acre lake, multiple playgrounds, an ice skating rink, a summer concert venue and even a dog beach. Known for its diverse flora and fauna, the park is also Brooklyn's only standing forest. Park activities include ice skating, paddle boating, fishing and barbecuing.
