Manhattan Beach Street Corner Co-Named In Honor Of Community Activist Ed Eisenberg

Family, friends, and elected officials gathered at the corner of Kensington Street and Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach Sunday to dedicate a new street sign in honor of the late community activist Ed Eisenberg.

Eisenberg, beloved for his oddball humor, passed away in March, 2014 from heart-related complications. He was a longtime community board member and involved in numerous civic groups throughout southern Brooklyn. He is best known, however, for his advocacy of local parks.

“Ed was an advocate of the parks like no one else,” said Community Board 15 chairwoman Theresa Scavo, who attended the street naming ceremony. “You name it, he fought for the parks to get funding for improvements. He would go to each one of the parks and check the grass and get the trees cut. He was truly a lover of the parks and the community.”

Community Board 15 voted unanimously last year to support a proposal to co-name the corner of Kensington Street and Oriental Boulevard in honor Eisenberg. City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, who pushed the street co-naming through City Hall, elected to place the sign at the corner of Kensington Street and Oriental Boulevard so that it could be on the street where Eisenberg lived and adjacent to Manhattan Beach Park.

“To Ed, the park was about giving families a place to relax, unwind, and spend time with friends,” Deutsch said in a statement. “This tribute to Ed will stand on the corner of Kensington Street– where Ed’s wife continues to reside – and the south side of Oriental Boulevard, alongside the park that Ed held so dear.”

Senator Martin Golden, who attended the co-naming ceremony, said in a statement that Eisenberg was a crusader for the neighborhood and was proud to honor his legacy.

“It is individuals like him that know that a strong community is a great community, and his career of community activism has made a lasting difference. Ed truly deserved this special honor and I do hope that his legacy will live on and inspire others,” said Senator Martin Golden.