Brookdale Park, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Brookdale Park is a county park located in the towns of Montclair
and Bloomfield
. 43 acres (174,015 m²) of the Park are in Montclair, 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) are in Bloomfield. Brookdale Park is part of the Essex County
park system. It is partially forested and partially lawns, with paths going through.
On the outside of the roadway there are many paths through the wood of stately trees that is the western half of the park. This part of the park is mostly in Montclair. Many minor facilities and areas are in the Western half. On this side there is a road entrance, the Rose Garden, the Tennis Courts, and the Dog Park. In the south there is another car entrance. In the northwestern corner there is a smaller field and the Archery range.
. The Brookdale area was originally called Stonehouse Plains by the Dutch.
Land started to be purchased in 1928 and all the land, 121.41 acre (0.4913292726 km²) in total, were purchased by 1931. Frederick Law Olmsted Firm was chosen as the firm to design the park, and they completed most of the park by 1930 but the Great Depression
slowed work down. It was finished in 1937. This firm is well known for designing much of the National Mall
in Washington D.C. and Central Park
in New York City
.
Old timers recall the park being the site of the area's ash dump. Off Grove Street and down what is now Wildwood Ave., the dirt lane saw horse-drawn ash wagons carrying the discarded ashes and clinkers of coal burning furnaces collected from homes in the surrounding towns. As coal was replaced by oil and then gas as a heating fuel, the dump became the future park site.
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
and Bloomfield
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
. 43 acres (174,015 m²) of the Park are in Montclair, 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) are in Bloomfield. Brookdale Park is part of the Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
park system. It is partially forested and partially lawns, with paths going through.
Overview
Going through the park is a circular, one way road, with three roads leading out of the park. There are many entrances for pedestrians, and there are two parking lots of approximately forty spots each. The road goes around parts of the park that have many athletic fields, park buildings, and other facilities. In the southern end of this area is the great meadow, and on the northern side there are the playgrounds, baseball/softball fields, and the stadium with the grandstand, track, and turf soccer field.On the outside of the roadway there are many paths through the wood of stately trees that is the western half of the park. This part of the park is mostly in Montclair. Many minor facilities and areas are in the Western half. On this side there is a road entrance, the Rose Garden, the Tennis Courts, and the Dog Park. In the south there is another car entrance. In the northwestern corner there is a smaller field and the Archery range.
History
Before Brookdale was a park, the area was used by the Leni-Lenape Native Americans as a gathering ground. Then in the late 17th century, Dutch pioneers took over the land and farmed on it and put their houses there. This was the beginning of what would grow into Speertown and then be merged with Cranetown to make MontclairMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
. The Brookdale area was originally called Stonehouse Plains by the Dutch.
Land started to be purchased in 1928 and all the land, 121.41 acre (0.4913292726 km²) in total, were purchased by 1931. Frederick Law Olmsted Firm was chosen as the firm to design the park, and they completed most of the park by 1930 but the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
slowed work down. It was finished in 1937. This firm is well known for designing much of the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington D.C. and Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Old timers recall the park being the site of the area's ash dump. Off Grove Street and down what is now Wildwood Ave., the dirt lane saw horse-drawn ash wagons carrying the discarded ashes and clinkers of coal burning furnaces collected from homes in the surrounding towns. As coal was replaced by oil and then gas as a heating fuel, the dump became the future park site.
Amenities
- 1½ mile fitness course
- softball/baseball fields
- Archery field
- picnic grounds
- Bike and running races
- Grandstand
- Restrooms
- Interpretive Trail
- Playgrounds
- Annual arts and crafts festival
- 11 Tennis Courts
- Formal rose garden with over 100 different species
- Summer concerts and Fourth of July celebrations
- Fireworks displays
- Dog Park
- Soccer Fields
- A block away from Yantacaw Brook ParkYantacaw Brook Park, New JerseyYantacaw Brook Park is a town operated park located in Montclair, New Jersey, United States. The park takes up of land. It has a small pond and the stream that feeds it and is surrounded by trees and small sloped hills with benches, with paths going through. The stream that empties into the pond...
- Mountain bike trail
External links
- http://www.essex-countynj.org/p/index.php?section=parks/sites/br&ImgLoc=images/br