Marine Park

The neighborhood of Marine Park lies between Flatlands and Mill Basin to the east, and Gerritsen Beach, Midwood, and Sheepshead Bay to the south and west. It is mostly squared off in area by Gerritsen Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Avenue U and Kings Highway. Residents of Marine Park share the greatest backyard in the world – Marine Park. Environmentally, it consists of 530 acres of grassland and precious salt marsh, protected as a Forever Wild Preserve. The Urban Park Rangers present bushels of educational and fun activities in its Salt Marsh Nature Center each week and interested visitors can wander along the Salt Marsh Nature Trail to observe unique regional flora and fauna. Recreationally, the park offers amenities as varied as a golf course, bocce courts, cricket fields, and baseball diamonds, to name but a few. The park also contains multiple playgrounds, bicycle greenways, and a launch and landing site for canoes and kayaks at Gerritsen inlet. Portions of Marine Park were, in the 1970’s, joined with what became Gateway National Park, one of the first urban parks in the nation. Charles Downing Lay won a silver medal in town planning at the 1936 Olympics for the planning of Marine Park. Within the Marine Park community is the Hendrick I. Lott House, built in 1720. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a New York City designated landmark. In the 18th century, George Washington made a stop for several days on the land nearby. The Marine Park community evolved into a residential neighborhood of predominantly one and two-family homes and enjoys the recreational opportunities presented by its Gateway borders.