While some Brooklynites were digging out their cars or clearing sidewalks a day after Winter Storm Fern dumped up to 12 inches of snow across the borough on Jan. 25, others headed to Brooklyn’s most popular winter playground, Prospect Park, on Monday for cross-country skiing and sledding.
Families and thrill-seekers flocked to the hills near the Tennis House at Prospect Park West and 9th Street, as well as the Long Meadow, taking advantage of the fresh snowfall.
Nyesha Priestley and her three children — Princess Trinity, King Mason and Prince Cannon — told Brooklyn Paper they had been eagerly awaiting the snow. Instead of sleds, they came prepared with heavy-duty tire tubes.
“This is the old-school way to go fast,” Priestley explained.
For her children, the day was about more than just sledding. It was also a chance to meet new friends, have fun and enjoy hot chocolate afterward with “lots of” marshmallows.
“It’s a good time interacting with people that you never knew. People come out with anything they find in the house and enjoy themselves all together as a big group,” Princess Trinity told Brooklyn Paper.
Her brothers were focused on the thrill of the ride, especially the speed.
“It’s gonna be fun, because we do this every year. Many people get together, and they just sled and they have fun,” said 13-year-old King Mason, who was also looking forward to going down the hill “super fast.”
Twelve-year-old public school student Ian also made it to the park with his mother, Page Travelstead, after finishing his remote learning assignments.
“They only had to do a few assignments in the morning, so he did his thing,” Travelstead told Brooklyn Paper. “I wish he had just had a snow day, but better than adding a school day on at the end of the year.”
Ian said the remote learning session wasn’t too torturous.
“I only had to do one assignment and go on a Zoom call for 15 minutes,” Ian said, adding that the snow conditions were ideal for sledding.
“It’s really fast,” he said.
Park Slope resident Sarah Brown McLeod said her children, who attend a private school, had the day off and were able to enjoy the calmer weather.
“We were out here yesterday with the snow and the wind, which was like little razors,” she said. “So today is perfect, because it’s calm and lots of snow.”
Brown McLeod said she was unsure how effective online learning is for public school students, particularly for a single day.
“I was in public schools until last year. So we did the pandemic, and we did all the online schooling. It’s a pain in the rear for parents,” she said. “You have to juggle something, log on, and be in charge of their learning on top of it all. I don’t know how much it benefits for one day.”
