It was a shame no one was watching the sunset from these benches. They were the perfect spot this night, amidst the flowers, overlooking the Hudson. This park is located in Cobble Hill on Hicks Street between Amity and Pacific, just above the buzzing BQE. It’s surprisingly quiet and a lovely spot to spend an hour or so reading in the afternoon light. …Or a good place to take a sanity break from the Long Island College Hospital emergency room, located across the street!

According to the NYC Parks Department, this park strip belongs to Van Voorhees park, which is predominantly on the west side of the BQE. Named for Tracy S. Voorhees (1890-1974), “an attorney and decorated World War II veteran” who eventually served as the President of LICH next door, this park celebrates the Van Voorhees family’s history in New York, which is definitely worth the read:

The Van Voorhees family traces its lineage to Steven Coerten Van Voorhees who settled in Brooklyn in the mid-17th century. He established himself in the neighborhood of Flatlands, became a magistrate, an elder in the Dutch Reformed Church, and the head of a formidable clan. His ten children bore 20 grandchildren. The grandchildren amassed 85 children themselves, among them Tracy Voorhees, to carry on the family name. The “Van” was eventually dropped from the name.

[ed. update] Thanks also to Brownstoner for featuring the shot!