Spring Creek - Brooklyn, NY

Once part of New Lots, there were big plans to develop this parcel of land in the early 1920’s. The plan was soon abandoned, as the marshland was considered unsuitable for building and the far-reaching location, undesirable. During the 1930’s, a Jewish organized-crime syndicate used the land as a body-dumping site. Two landfills later opened in Spring Creek, one in the 1940s and the other in 1961.

Despite being part of the cultural mecca of Brooklyn, there are no museums or concert venues within Spring Creek. When residents need a cultural fix, they can take advantage of the options across Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center, the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden are all accessible via mass transit from Spring Creek.

Several residential communities hold their own yearly events, which include Spring Creek Gardens Family Day and Black History Month.

Dining-out options in Spring Creek can be somewhat limited. Located in the Gateway Center are popular chain restaurants Applebee's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Each of the residential communities have at least one local restaurant or take-out place either on the premises or in the immediate vicinity.

Armando's Pizza has been a fixture in Spring Creek since 1976. Former residents return to the area just to enjoy the cheesy goodness of the regular pie.

On Pennsylvania Avenue, outside the entrance to Spring Creek Towers, Armando's is open daily, with lunch specials on weekdays. Pizza is definitely king at Armando's; regular customers love specialty pies like buffalo chicken and caesar salad. The menu also includes traditional favorites like penne al la vodka, fetuccini alfredo and chicken parmigiana.

Nightlife in Spring Creek is practically non-existent. There are no local bars within its borders; residents who want to enjoy a cocktail or a beer without venturing too far from home go to either Applebee's or Buffalo Wild Wings. One place which is right outside the neighborhood is Lindenwood Diner & Restaurant on Linden Boulevard. A popular dining spot in East New York, the restaurant has a full bar and an extensive drink menu that includes margaritas, cosmos, martinis and specialty cocktails like the French Connection, a concoction of Hennessy, Grand Marnier, cranberry and grenadine. The Lindenwood has entertainment several nights a week, including comedy shows and a live DJ.

Four MTA bus routes, the B13, B82, B83 and B84, service the Spring Creek area, travelling to parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The subway does not run through the community, but several of the bus routes make stops at various subway stations. Its location at the extreme southeastern edge of Brooklyn means the commute time to Manhattan via a bus and a subway is just under 90 minutes. The express bus from Spring Creek to midtown shaves some time off the trip, which takes approximately an hour depending on the drop-off point.

The Long Island Rail Road has a stop in East New York, but the Atlantic Branch does not go directly into Penn Station. Riders can take the eight-minute ride to Jamaica and change trains for one into Manhattan. The Jamaica station is also a transfer point for trains going to various points on Long Island.

The housing complexes in Spring Creek are very walkable, and with retail establishments and other services located within the developments, most errands can be accomplished on foot. For cyclists, there are protected bike paths in Spring Creek Park that connect to the Shore Parkway greenway trail. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, at the edge of Spring Creek Towers, bicyclists share a path with motorists.

For those who need a lift, or a ride to either JFK or LaGuardia Airports or other parts of Brooklyn, hailing a cab isn’t possible. However, there are a few local area taxi/car services available to local residents. Eastern Car Service, for example charges $28 to ride from Spring Creek to Park Slope and around $40 to nearby JFK. Residents can also utilize Uber, though calling ahead is recommended.

There are no major car rental companies or Zipcar in the area. The housing complexes offer parking for residents; Spring Creek Towers has eight parking garages. Trying to find a space on the street may result in endless circling and may not be the safest option. For those who want to leave Brooklyn by car, Spring Creek is adjacent to the Shore Parkway, which leads to points in Queens and Long Island to the east and to Staten Island and New Jersey to the west.

Built on the site of the former Fountain Avenue and Pennsylvania landfills, Spring Creek Park contains the largest amount of undeveloped land and wetlands in the northern Jamaica Bay area.

The city spent $200 million to turn the landfills into a 400-acre nature preserve, restoring native habitats that disappeared from New York City years ago. The land was topped with plastic and clean soil and 33,000 trees and shrubs were planted at the two sites.

Almost entirely marshland, the park is perfect for bird-watching, attracting various species of birds including great blue herons, egrets and red-winged blackbirds. Animals such as deer, raccoons, and muskrats can also be spotted in the park. In addition to bike and walking paths, Spring Creek Park is also home to the city’s very first field dedicated solely to the sport of cricket.

Each of the housing communities provides recreational activities for its residents, including basketball courts and playgrounds. Special events include the JFK runway 5K and a mini indoor triathlon. The renowned Starrett City boxing club has turned out numerous World Champion fighters.

The Moe Finkelstein Athletic Complex, formerly part of the now-defunct Thomas Jefferson High School, includes a well-utilized baseball field.

As part of New York City, residents of Spring Creek have a high cost of living. Though six percent lower than for New York City as a whole, the cost of living in this section of Brooklyn comes in around 32 percent higher than the rest of the state. The typical price for a one-bedroom apartment runs $1250 per month.

The base fare for a one-way ride on the bus costs $2.50; those taking the subway in addition to the bus need to double the cost. Discounted rides can be had with the purchase of a 7- or 30-day unlimited pass. The express bus to Manhattan costs $6.00 each way. Gasoline prices are approximately 11 percent higher than the national average. While there are no local bars or pubs in Spring Creek, a beer at Applebee’s or Buffalo Wild Wings costs around $6 a bottle.

Although Brooklyn is traditionally a haven for mom-and-pop stores, they are the exception rather than the rule in Spring Creek. Open since 2002, the Gateway Center offers suburban-style shopping in an urban setting. The shopping center, which draws customers from all over Brooklyn and Queens, is home to many major mass-market retailers, including Target, Home Depot and Best Buy.

Each of the residential communities in the area has a handful of stores for the convenience of residents. The largest of the communities, Spring Creek Towers, has the most options, both on the property and just outside, along busy Pennsylvania Avenue.

Starrett City Florist and Fruit Baskets, part of the community for over 20 years, offers a beautiful selection of flowers and exotic plants for every occasion. The shop specializes in roses, with over 100 varieties flown in daily from Ecuador and Colombia. In addition to fruit baskets, Starrett City Florist can create custom gift baskets with products ranging from Swiss or Belgian chocolates to elegant liquor and champagne.

The Brooklyn Sports Club, on the property of Spring Creek Towers, provides one of the largest and most complete health and fitness facilities in New York. Facilities include a six-lane heated pool, a full-court basketball gym and over 60 fitness classes each week. This club offers discounted memberships for residents of the Spring Creek Towers.

When it comes time for grocery shopping, Spring Creek residents have several options, three in the Gateway Center alone. Residents who prefer to buy in bulk can visit the BJ's Wholesale Club, a 90,000-square-foot Shop Rite store services Gateway, and Aldi offers shoppers store-branded items of high quality for low prices. At the edge of Spring Creek, on Linden Boulevard, the Farm Country Outlet carries West Indian and Caribbean specialties in addition to American grocery items. Known for fresh produce and a fish market, Farm Country also has a butcher on the premises.

Farmers markets exist throughout the borough, though none in Spring Creek itself. Residents can take advantage of some nearby markets, including the Brownsville-Pitkin Youthmarket, selling fresh, locally grown produce on Saturdays from mid-July through November, and the Cypress Hills Youthmarket, which operates on Fridays from July through the end of November.