Hillside Park

Hillside Park is a half-acre park on Columbia Heights and Vine Street in Brooklyn Heights, occupying a steep hillside that descends from the neighborhood's bluff toward the waterfront below. The park's topography provides dramatic elevation changes and partial views of the East River and Lower Manhattan.

Brooklyn Heights occupies a bluff above the East River that was the site of defensive positions during the Revolutionary War. The neighborhood's elevated position provided strategic advantages that were exploited by both Continental and British forces during the Battle of Long Island in 1776.

The park features pathways, plantings, and seating areas arranged along the hillside terrain. The steep topography makes the park more suited to passive recreation than active sports, creating a contemplative green space in one of Brooklyn's most architecturally distinguished neighborhoods.

Brooklyn Heights was designated as New York City's first historic district in 1965, protecting its exceptional collection of Federal, Greek Revival, and Romanesque Revival row houses from the demolition that was consuming historic buildings elsewhere in the city. The park contributes to the neighborhood's picturesque character.

Hillside Park's steep terrain and intimate scale make it a hidden gem in Brooklyn Heights, offering a quieter alternative to the more famous Brooklyn Heights Promenade just blocks away. For residents of this hillside section of the neighborhood, the park provides a verdant complement to the brownstone elegance of the surrounding streets.