Heart of Brooklyn
Encyclopedia
Heart of Brooklyn A Cultural Partnership, was founded as a non-profit organization
in 2001 by six cultural institutions located near Grand Army Plaza in central Brooklyn
: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
, Brooklyn Children's Museum
, Brooklyn Museum
, Brooklyn Public Library
, Prospect Park
and Prospect Park Zoo
.
to see New York City
's other four boroughs, the six organizations came together to promote Brooklyn as a cultural destination. Although it was officially founded in 2001, the organizations had been working together on an unofficial level since 1998 with the launching of the program's summer camp, called Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program or BCAP. Through the formal partnership established in 2001 and launched on Valentine's Day
in 2002, the group was able to expand its offerings and better pool its resources.
Heart of Brooklyn's goal is to make its organizations more visible and accessible. The partnership runs a free shuttle service called The HOB Connection, announced in November 2008, which delivers passengers to its cultural institutions. The new service is designed to help tourists in Manhattan and residents of Brooklyn reach the cultural hub surrounding Prospect Park.
HOB also works with local merchants and community leaders on neighborhood revitalization efforts, having been selected as a Core Provider for Avenue NYC as well as participating in the NYC Clean Streets program. HOB is a member of and active participant in the Washington Avenue-Prospect Heights Merchants Association (WAPHA).
In addition, HOB's collaboration with Brooklyn Borough Hall
has produced tourism initiatives geared toward marketing the borough as a whole, such as Brooklyn Pass. The Pass includes free or reduced admission to participating organizations as well as discounts at other venues throughout the Borough.
HOB publishes a monthly newsletter entitled Heartbeat, and in May 2009, published the Extraordinary Places in the Heart of Brooklyn coupon booklet in cooperation with neighborhood shops and businesses.
and Commerce Bank
, was awarded an Encore Award by the Arts & Business Council of New York
. The award recognized the efforts of these institutions to link local economic and cultural activities, most notably through Heart of Brooklyn and American Express’ Keep It Local campaign.
On July 13, 2009, HOB was presented with a 2009 Neighborhood Achievement Award presented by the Mayor and Department of Small Business Services, in recognition of its efforts in the neighborhood of Prospect Heights
.
Heart of Brooklyn’s BCAP program was selected as a 2009 Coming Up Taller semifinalist by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
in 2001 by six cultural institutions located near Grand Army Plaza in central Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a botanical garden in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, and Park Slope neighborhoods, the garden includes a number of specialty "gardens within the Garden," plant collections, and the Steinhardt Conservatory,...
, Brooklyn Children's Museum
Brooklyn Children's Museum
The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a general purpose museum in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Founded in 1899, it was the first museum in the United States and some believe, the world, to cater specifically to children and is unique in its location, predominantly a residential area...
, Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
, Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
, Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
and Prospect Park Zoo
Prospect Park Zoo
The Prospect Park Zoo is a zoo located off Flatbush Avenue on the eastern side of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. Its precursor, the Menagerie, opened in 1890. The present facility first opened as a city zoo on July 3, 1935 and was part of a larger revitalization program of city parks,...
.
History
Seeking a way in which to encourage visitors to ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to see New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's other four boroughs, the six organizations came together to promote Brooklyn as a cultural destination. Although it was officially founded in 2001, the organizations had been working together on an unofficial level since 1998 with the launching of the program's summer camp, called Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program or BCAP. Through the formal partnership established in 2001 and launched on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
in 2002, the group was able to expand its offerings and better pool its resources.
Activities
HOB runs the Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program (BCAP), a program and summer camp based at HOB's member institutions. The camp is designed to engage children in cultural activities during the summer as well as introduce them to the organizations and their collections thereby attracting a new generation of cultural consumers.Heart of Brooklyn's goal is to make its organizations more visible and accessible. The partnership runs a free shuttle service called The HOB Connection, announced in November 2008, which delivers passengers to its cultural institutions. The new service is designed to help tourists in Manhattan and residents of Brooklyn reach the cultural hub surrounding Prospect Park.
HOB also works with local merchants and community leaders on neighborhood revitalization efforts, having been selected as a Core Provider for Avenue NYC as well as participating in the NYC Clean Streets program. HOB is a member of and active participant in the Washington Avenue-Prospect Heights Merchants Association (WAPHA).
In addition, HOB's collaboration with Brooklyn Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough Hall was designed in 1835 by architect Gamaliel King, and constructed under the supervision of superintendent Stephen Haynes. It was completed in 1849 to be used as the City Hall of the City of Brooklyn...
has produced tourism initiatives geared toward marketing the borough as a whole, such as Brooklyn Pass. The Pass includes free or reduced admission to participating organizations as well as discounts at other venues throughout the Borough.
HOB publishes a monthly newsletter entitled Heartbeat, and in May 2009, published the Extraordinary Places in the Heart of Brooklyn coupon booklet in cooperation with neighborhood shops and businesses.
Awards and recognition
In 2008, Heart of Brooklyn, in conjunction with American ExpressAmerican Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank is the name of several unrelated banks and bank holding companies in the United States, including:*Commerce Bancshares, based in Kansas City, Missouri, which does business as Commerce Bank in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Colorado and Oklahoma....
, was awarded an Encore Award by the Arts & Business Council of New York
Arts & Business Council of New York
The Arts & Business Council of New York , also known as Arts & Business Council, Inc., is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop more creative partnerships between the arts and business communities in New York, enhancing the business skills of the arts sector and the creative...
. The award recognized the efforts of these institutions to link local economic and cultural activities, most notably through Heart of Brooklyn and American Express’ Keep It Local campaign.
On July 13, 2009, HOB was presented with a 2009 Neighborhood Achievement Award presented by the Mayor and Department of Small Business Services, in recognition of its efforts in the neighborhood of Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Prospect Heights is a neighborhood in the northwest of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The traditional boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway to the south, and Washington Avenue to the east...
.
Heart of Brooklyn’s BCAP program was selected as a 2009 Coming Up Taller semifinalist by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities was established in Washington, DC in 1982 by an Executive Order from President Ronald Reagan and works with each Administration to incorporate the arts and the humanities into White House objectives....
.