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The Prospect Park Alliance, the nonprofit in charge of “Brooklyn’s Backyard,” has tabbed Ekstein Development Group to take over management of the 26-acre recreation center. The company already operates City Ice Pavilion and World Ice Arena, both in Queens.

Changes at Lakeside include a revamped restaurant, pickleball courts on top of the covered skating rink, and new programming. Perhaps most important for parents of little ones: Each of the 41 jets at the massive splash pad have been replaced, and efforts are underway to perfect the water flow.

During the reopening celebration, kids of all ages frolicked across the splash pad in the sun. A handful of birthday parties were underway at picnic tables nearby, and families were trying out the food at the new Duck Island Café and Bar.

The revamped restaurant is now operated by Purslane, which also runs the café at the Prospect Park Boathouse. Older kids were quick to notice the absence of the free video game machines that once stood inside the restaurant. Parents seemed to be more focused on the new menu. While there’s still plenty of classic kid fare, like chicken fingers, hot dogs, and pizza, the café also features salads, sandwiches, bowls, and patties—a nod to Lakeside's proximity to Brooklyn’s “Little Caribbean” neighborhood.

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Kids learn to play floorball with former New York Ranger Cristoval “Boo” Nieves.

Hundreds of people took advantage of a slate of free activities to celebrate reopening weekend. In addition to the always-free splash pad, there were arts and crafts tables, face painting, and lots of roller skating. Kids ages 5-12 even had the chance to take part in a floorball clinic with former New York Ranger Cristoval “Boo” Nieves.

Floorball (think ice hockey without the skates) is one of Lakeside’s new offerings for kids. The center will also continue to host ice skating and ice hockey in the winter and boating in the summer. As for the rest of the programming, Lakeside’s new director, Andrew Frey, told Mommy Poppins he’d like to hear from local families.

“We’re looking to create more programming,” Frey said. “We’re open to ideas. We want people to come to us and say, ‘Hey, this is something we haven’t seen here before.’

“Feel free to approach us," Frey added. "We don’t know what we don’t know. We want to make things better. We want to make it available to families and to everyone.”

Photos by the author

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