Cadman Plaza

Cadman Plaza is a 10.25-acre civic park in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, serving as the borough's primary public square and the front lawn of Brooklyn's governmental and judicial buildings. Named for Reverend Samuel Parkes Cadman, a prominent Brooklyn clergyman and early radio preacher, the plaza was created in the 1950s as part of Robert Moses' civic center development plan.

The plaza's creation required the demolition of several blocks of buildings, including the former Brooklyn Eagle newspaper offices, to create an open civic space in front of the Brooklyn Borough Hall and the surrounding courthouses. The resulting park provides a green corridor connecting Brooklyn Heights to Downtown Brooklyn.

The park features a central monument honoring Brooklyn's war dead, extensive lawns and shade trees, a playground, a dog run, and walking paths. The Brooklyn War Memorial at the park's center contains a lasting tribute to the Brooklyn residents who served in World War II.

Cadman Plaza serves as Brooklyn's primary venue for public gatherings, political rallies, cultural festivals, and community events. The plaza's generous open space can accommodate large crowds, and its central location makes it accessible from multiple neighborhoods and transit lines.

The park sits at the nexus of several distinct Brooklyn neighborhoods: the brownstone elegance of Brooklyn Heights to the west, the commercial energy of Downtown Brooklyn to the east, and the courthouse district to the south. Cadman Plaza provides common ground for all of these communities, functioning as the civic heart of Brooklyn.