Sunset Park is a Brooklyn neighborhood that lies on the west side of the borough between the neighborhoods of Greenwood Heights and Park Slope to the north and Bay Ridge to the south.
The community of Sunset Park is a gem, the best kept secret for those who reside here. The community holds the largest Federal Historic Housing District and has some of the oldest cooperative apartments in the country. Neighborhood landmarks include St. Michael Parish which was established in 1870 and built in 1905, The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which is an architectural landmark for the borough of Brooklyn, as well the Green-Wood Cemetery which is a national historic landmark that is now a part of Greenwood Heights, but was originally within the Sunset Park boundaries.
The neighborhood of Sunset Park is diverse in ethnicity and rich in culture. Families residing in the community of Sunset Park consists of those of Latin, Asian, Indian, and European descent. The flavor of the neighborhood can be seen and felt on the streets of Sunset Park and in the park, Sunset Park, which shares it’s name with the neighborhood.
Sunset Park Revitalization and Improvement Group synonymously known as SPRIG was founded by residents of the Sunset Park Community who initially wanted to rebuild Sunset Park’s playground. The park and it’s playground command the best view in Brooklyn, and we feel that by extension Sunset Park deserves to be the jewel in the crown of Brooklyn parks.
The group focused at first on revitalizing the playground to make it a safe and enriching environment for children of all ages. That initiative created an unexpected and overwhelming positive response, and the group expanded to push for a long-term revitalization and improvement plan for the park as a whole. In addition to liaising with the Parks Department about using capital money allocated in 2011 for the playground’s renovation, SPRIG is also organizing regular clean-ups of the playground, planting spring bulbs in conjunction with the Sunset Park Garden Club, advocating for safe access to the park at the 6th avenue entrances, raising funds for interim playground repairs and improvements, and working together with other park volunteer groups to benefit and serve the park.
SPRIG welcomes anyone who would like to be involved to join us at our meetings and our events. By joining together and working to raise funds and awareness of the park’s needs, SPRIG hopes to improve the best view in Brooklyn and turn Sunset Park back into the jewel in the crown it was meant to be, so it can provide a safe and peaceful respite for generations to come.
For more information you can reach SPRIG at sprigbrooklyn@gmail.com