There Is Now an Adam Yauch Park: And the Stories Behind the Names of 10 Other Brooklyn Places.
McCarren Park
So, we’ve all been to McCarren Park, right? But who exactly was McCarren? Did you think you’d just never know? Has this lack of knowledge been slowly killing you all this time? Probably not. But now you will know and you can handily impress your friends with this knowledge. So! McCarren Park is named after Patrick Henry McCarren (1847-1909) who “rose through the ranks of the Brooklyn Democratic Party to win election to the State Assembly in 1881 and the State Senate in 1889.” Now, in case you’re wondering if the reason the park is named after McCarren is that he was a totally stand-up politician who battled corruption and vice, I have to tell you right now, that this is not the reason. Not the reason at all. In fact, McCarren was an enemy of populist movements and always allied himself with banks and trusts. He was also a major gambler. Basically, he was the archetype of a dirty local politician. And he’s the namesake of one of Brooklyn’s most frequented and frequently maligned parks! Which, actually, makes perfect sense in its way. Not everyone is Adam Yauch, you guys. Not at all.
McCarren Park; N. 12 St., Lorimer St., Manhattan Ave. bet. Bayard St. and Berry St. – Nassau Ave., Williamsburg
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