Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Heights Promenade was the result of 1940s battle over BQE

October 4, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan
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With all the controversy about the Brooklyn Heights Promenade possibly closing on a temporary basis due to repairs on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway underneath, it may be worth taking a look at the promenade’s history.

Before the promenade was constructed in the late 1940s, Montague Street sloped down to the waterfront, spanned by a footbridge known as the “Penny Bridge.” Many of the mansions overlooking the waterfront had elaborate rear gardens that were situated where the promenade stands today.

The promenade as it now exists was a consequence of city planning czar Robert Moses’ plans for the BQE, according to Brownstoner. Heights residents were concerned that the expressway traffic would impact their quality of life,

The solution was a walkway, or promenade, above the BQE’s cantilevered structure that would mitigate the impact of traffic noise and exhaust fumes while also providing great views of the river and the Manhattan waterfront.

More than 1,500 people attended the opening of the promenade’s southern portion on Oct. 7, 1950, Brownstoner said. The walkway’s northern portion and two adjacent playgrounds opened in December 1951.

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