Cadman Plaza Dressed in Holiday Style

Cadman Plaza is the closest thing to a "town square" in the borough of Brooklyn. Named for the Reverend Dr. Samuel Parkes Cadman, an early 20th-century Brooklyn minister, the Plaza is located on Court Street at the border of two historic neighborhoods: Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn.

If you live in Brooklyn for any length of time, you will surely have to pass through Cadman Plaza to take care of some sort of business. Nearly every subway and bus line stops here and the Plaza is surrounded by government office buildings including Borough Hall, federal and state court buildings and the main branch of the Brooklyn Post Office. Nearby are the Business Library (a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library), the offices of the International Red Cross and the headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Plaza is only a few minutes away from the Brooklyn Bridge and it serves as a gateway to historic Montague Street and its wealth of brownstones, small shops and restaurants. The space is filled with memorials, statues, benches, fountains and flags and includes lawns (currently being replaced), greenery, trees, shrubs and borders of fragrant roses. This is the location of a year-round Greenmarket and the site of many public protests and community events.

In a community as diverse as Brooklyn, it shouldn't be surprising that various groups choose to celebrate the season in the ways that fit their beliefs. Here are some of that holiday decorations that Brooklynites have placed on Cadman Plaza.


Christmas Tree sponsored by the Brooklyn Terminal Markets Association


Menorah sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch and Congregation B'Nai Avraham


Nativity scene sponsored by the Catholic Lawyers Guild


Menorah in front of Borough Hall steps


Cadman Plaza and Borough Hall

NYC: Cadman Plaza Park
Wikipedia: Cadman Plaza
The Business Library