When Park Slope's Fourth Avenue was rezoned to spur more housing, developers and elected officials predicted a dramatic transformation for a traffic-choked thoroughfare dotted with auto-body shops, a gas station and a taxi depot.
Seven years and hundreds of apartments later, the auto-body shops have been joined by a smattering of coffee shops, bars and restaurants. But the goal of a bustling, pedestrian-friendly Park Avenue for Brooklyn remains elusive. Instead it remains relatively desolate, attracting little of the street activity that has made Park Slope one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city.
"If you're going to bring more people to Fourth Avenue, you want it to be a place that's more comfortable to walk," says City Councilman Brad Lander, whose district includes the east side of Fourth Avenue. "Some of these cement walls turn their backs on the neighborhood and make it a much scarier place to walk."
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