| |
Parks |
The Essex County Park System
Serving the County’s population of over 780,000 and including parkland in all of the County's 22 municipalities. The system offers over 6,000 acres of open space, including large undeveloped reservations and heavily used neighborhood parks which have an abundance of recreational facilities. The County also operates Turtle Back Zoo, Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain, the Essex County Environmental Center and three golf courses.
|
Branch Brook Park
(973) 268-2300
mail@branchbrookpark.org - website
Named for a branch brook that flowed through the valley into the Passaic River, Newark’s Branch Brook Park appears on both the New Jersey and national registers of historic places,
and was the first county park to open for public use in the United States. The park is bordered at the southern end by I-280. It crosses Bloomfield and Park avenues and Heller Parkway, terminating near the Newark/Belleville line. Comprised of nearly 360 acres, the park is the largest developed
park in the county and features open meadows, small patches of woodland and rolling terrain. Branch Brook Park also is the site of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the more than 4,000 cherry trees that blossom in April. The park is utilized for active recreation, as well as strolling, bird watching and other activities.
|
Weequahic Park - website
|
Independence Park - website
|
Washington Park
This 3.4-acre park is located at the intersection of Washington, Broad and Orange streets at the center of Newark’s North Broad Street “Quad.” Nestled amid commercial and public buildings, the park dates back to 1666, and includes statues of many founding fathers, such as
George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Seth Boyden and Abraham Coles. At the park’s north end stands The Indian and the Puritan sculpture by Gutzon Borglum, who has three other works in Newark.
|
Military Park
Located on Broad Street between Rector Street and Raymond Boulevard in Newark, the park was initially designed as a training ground for soldiers. In 1869 the park became known as the “Town Commons” or “Lower Commons.” The park houses seveµral statues of historic figures, including a bust of John F. Kennedy by Jacques Lipschitz, as well as the Wars of America monument created by Gutzon Borglum.
|
| |
| Recreation |
Weequahic Park Golf Course
Located on Grumman Street and
Elizabeth Avenue in Newark
(973) 923-1838
This 18-hole course is located in Weequahic Park and features 5,579 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. Designed by George Low, the Weequahic Park Golf Course opened in 1904.
|
| |
|
