This park is huge with plenty to do but I only came for the rose garden. It is small, some labels are missing, and several beds need maintenance. It feels more like a city park than a quiet garden. I personally would not return, though I see why neighbors enjoy having green space nearby. When I visited, a large group had formed a circle that occupied an entire section of the small rose garden. There were no signs indicating the area was reserved, and their gathering unintentionally made the space feel closed off to other visitors. In shared public spaces like this, especially in smaller gardens, it is important for any group, whether local or new to the community, to be mindful of the park's norms and not treat the small public garden like it's only for them. Many people visiting or living here may not be aware of how these spaces are typically used, so a little consideration goes a long way in keeping the park welcoming for everyone. read more

I grew up with Brookdale Park. I would bike over with Daddy - or in the beginning, trike over - and we would ride the paths together. Down the little dirt trail by the stream near Watchung Ave., see if I could make it down the ditch under the bridge, then back up near the duck pond to look at the birds. Over to the playground, down the tall metal slide (burning in the hot sun), on and under the wooden playground (splinters and the occasional scary bee), and riding the swings, both pony-themed and regular. Slow forward to 2025. Brookdale still has the same paved paths. The old dirt trail gradually became a bunch of bumps for dirt bikes instead of my regular bike. The duck pond was filled in years ago but is now a wetlands area. The playground has been modernized a couple of times and is now modern, safe plastic. Still pony-themed swings. The old gravel track is now modern plastic for running or similar sports - though there was something special about sliding my bike around the turns on that gravel track. You just can't ride on a running track. There's an annual softball tournament there we still play, and the fields really haven't changed, though I've heard it's been getting tougher to get things reserved properly. So it's still a wonderful park, but without the ducks and with the complications to holding in park events, the fifth star has gone away with my childhood. That's OK. It will always be 5 stars in my heart. read more

Love this park, especially in the fall. I think its size is what I love the most. I enjoy parks that are so big (with ample parking) you have to know which side you'd like to tackle. Who doesn't love a beautiful park during summer, right?! But, witnessing the fall foliage as the season transitions to autumn makes Brookdale Park look so whimsical to me. As big as it is, it never feels overcrowded. There's plenty of space to stroll solo and not feel completely alone because people are in the distance - walking the track or trails, too or having fun on the soccer field. It feels safe to just be! read more

Brookdale Park - Parks Near Me

See all

What a beautiful park !!! They have trails for walking. There's a place for kids to play, as well as an area with rose bushes that are in bloom! Plenty of parking. This park is HUGE. I LOVE IT!!! read more

See all

What a super cute park! Its only downfall is the crazy loop around for driving. My wife and I bring the kiddo here at least 2x a month when the weather is nice. He loves running around the kids area! He is only 15 months at the time of writing this review, but each time he goes, he experiences more and more of the place. Lets start with the elephant in the room. They have a road that goes around it, but it does not make a full loop, and then there are no u-turns... They can make it a full loop, but they decided not to, so if you have to get to a specific part, good luck! The park itself is huge! Everything here is really well cared for. Last summer we saw several programs run by kids to do flower gardens and stuff. We usually stick to the kids area, and maybe do a lap around the walking track. My kid loves climbing on things here. They have 2 gates, one on each side to get in and out. Make sure that you lock the gate behind you!!!!! They also have a nice little picnic area next to the back exit. They also have a public restroom! I have never used it, but it is great to have just in case. All in all, if you are looking for a nice way to spend a beautiful afternoon, this is the place to do it. read more

Great! 5 Stars! This park is massive, and much beloved by the local community and residents in Bloomfield and surrounding area. One of the nicest parks in Essex County. read more

I love Brookdale Park so much that I wish it was a bit closer to where I live. I did not know this park even existed until my friend told me about the dog park that is located within it. The dog park is great with a large dog and small dog section. There is plenty of room for the dogs to run around and it usually seems like everyone (people included) are having a good time. I've walked the trails multiple times at this park and it makes a nice loop. There is an outer loop and an inner loop. I just like to meander all over the place. I took my daughter to the park there for the first time and she loved the swings. She also liked the different animal statues she could sit on. There is a huge rope climb tower looking thing that is quite frightening in my opinion, but a bunch of children obviously did not think so as they climbed all the way up to the top. There is a large play house area. Even though it was crowded there on the warm winter day when we visited, there were plenty of different activities to entertain my child the entire time. Sometimes it can be hard to find parking. I've never had to leave because I couldn't find parking, but sometimes it takes a few loops to find a spot. It's definitely worth it because there is so much to do at this park. I love it there! read more

Brookdale Park - She loves her turtle friend at Brookdale park! - Parks Near Me

I love this park! So bummed I didn't discover it sooner. It's clean and green, dog friendly and child safe. Another pretty cool feature is these scattered stations throughout the park that give instructions fir people to perform a specific exercise. I used this park to train for my half marathon; there's so much to roam through! Lovely place to spend your Sunday afternoon:) read more

See all

Beautifully maintained park all year round. Something for everyone in the park. A beautiful rose garden in June. In the summer, there are different free concerts. There is art and crafts in the park. A Wonderful walking path all year round. Athletic fields etc... Mostly it's a safe park. read more

Massive park, clean and impressive. Sports fields, tennis courts and dog parks. It also has a lovely rose garden and an archery field on top of it all. Great trails for walking or biking. Loads of parking. Great for a picnic. Lots of pathways and huge trees. Not to many people so it has a good private feel to it. A really expansive park in Bloomfield, love it! read more

See all

Love this park! I use it mostly to go on walks with my daughter as it's big and there are a lot of paths. There's also a playground, dog park, and large field. A lot of places to sit and relax. read more

Brookdale Park is a county park located in the towns of Montclair and Bloomfield, New Jersey. 43 acres of the Park are in Montclair, 78 acres are in Bloomfield. 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. Also you will find the Rose Garden, Tennis Courts, and the Dog Park. A little bit for everyone. During the summer it hosts many activities, festivals and concerts. My favorite time is for the 4 of July they have a concert then fireworks!!! Absolutely beautiful!!! Come down take a walk, ride your bike or simply have a picnic. One of the best parks you will ever have the pleasure visiting. read more

See all

I've been coming here for a couple years now but only recently realized how BIG this place is (121 acres.) I come here to run. I either run here from my apt or drive up and run the track and the bleachers, or most recently, I ran the trail. This is when I realized how large this place is. As I ran this seemingly never-ending trail that had more path-change choices than a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book, I came across the following: -softball fields -soccer/football fields -soccer field/quarter-mile track/bleachers -open stretches of green with people enjoying the sun. lounging. playing. reading. and some in bikinis. nahmean? -archery? yup. saw that too. okay, let me not run that way... -sporadic water fountains and portajons (i've been in a couple, they're fairly clean.) -a dog park section -a rose park -a gang of tennis courts -i think i saw a basketball hoop? maybe not. -a kids playground -a field house - not sure what's in there. pretty much everything. except for like grills and cooking areas. i didn't see that. i guess it's not that kind of park. i see an ice cream truck occasionally though. fine by me, i just come up here to run, and if i'm not rolling dolo, i'm trailing behind the favorita, unless she's laying in the sun, taking pics or reading. read more

See all

Love this place. So peaceful after coming back from this hectic life. :) totally would recommend to anyone who goes through everyday life stress. read more

Brookdale Park - Park - Parks Near Me

I absolutely love this park and that the town has set aside so much space for recreation. My daughter has been running here for her track practices and I'm fascinated by all of the fields and the use by SO many kids. I'm definitely going to have to start using this park for my own exercise. Well maintained, clean, lots of clean porta-johns, cars giving the right of way...I wish we had parks like this in my hometown. read more

Love this park! I frequently run and bike through it, but it's also a quiet place to go to hang out and read. There's plenty of open space to sprawl out and soak up some rays and parking is never an issue, unless the Arts and Crafts festival or some other big event is going on. Plus, if you're feeling like getting up for a snack, the park is right between Brookdale ShopRite and Rita's and Holsten's Ice Cream. Mastriano's Deli is also close by if you're looking for a great sandwich. read more

Love that this park is dog-friendly. Also enjoy the vendors they bring some weekends. The exercise machines along the walking path are great! read more

I've been coming here for a a couple of years now. I discovered this place when I signed up for the ARC 5K. I didn't get to run it this year because my gf at the time is not a morning person. I've ran that 5K for 2 years straight but the streak was broken :( I'm really bummed out that I didn't get to run it. I would love to live closer to here. I love the fact that they added mile markers and a map. The rose garden to just read and reflect on days I don't run, a dog park for you canine people is a very nice touch. The people are nice. I like that you can't bbq and make yourself at home like people from the 'hood' in Garret Mountain do so offend. The park here is clean. I step on leaves and twigs, not cigarette buds and plastic. People smile and say hello as you walk or jog pass them too. read more

I never even knew that this park existed until I got my dog. Now, I've been coming here for a few years. This is really a very large park which has something for everyone. There's a paved walking path which I believe is 1.75 miles around. There's a football/soccer field with a regulation track. They also have several baseball fields, a big open field usually used by the local soccer leagues. There's a children's playground and a dog park. There's even an archery field where I let my dog run free when archers aren't using it. In addition, they have several tennis courts and I think you can even sign up for lessons. There's many benches and other nice areas to sit and relax, like the rose garden. It's really a beautiful park where you can do as much or as little as you'd like. read more

This is a really nice park. Decent size, places to park and very well kept. I assume by residents as well as the town which is always good. The park also has a dog peak section for people to specifically bring their pooches where most parks prohibit dogs. This welcomes pet owners to come out and let their dogs have a little fun. The park features a track area for running and walking which is where I spend time helping for the annual Special Olympic competition. There is a payground, open restrooms and concrete spectator area where the track area is. This park is definitely nice place to come for any of the above recreation with the best part again being how well kept it is which is wonderful and is a good example of how a park should be in any community. read more

Brookdale Park - Special Olympics competition is held here every year - Parks Near Me

See all

Wonderful park that will make any type of visitor very happy. Great for families, dog owners, and athletes. The grounds are well kept, there are various types of fields, dog park and playgrounds. I own a performance training business and almost all my company's outdoor private or group sessions as well as Saturday Boot Camp are always held in this park. Everyone we meet here is always nice and friendly and this park is a pleasure to visit at any season. read more

See all

Absolutely awesome park! No wonder lots of people from Brooklyn move to Montclair, because this park looks and feel like one in Brooklyn! Great jogging path, very very well maintained field with full track, multiple kids play ground, and lots of space with generous parking spaces all over!! What else would you expect from public park? This should be a template of what public park is supposed to be! read more

Brookdale Park - Parks Near Me

I love this park particularly since it's extremely dog friendly! There's a dog park area separated into two sections - big and small dogs. I usually go past 4pm during the week and around noon on Saturday's and it's usually packed with tons of other dogs! It's so cute and you get to meet lots of other dog owners. There's also free concerts during the summer and other events throughout the year. On busy days, parking can get pretty awful and you may end up a block or two away. read more

Brookdale Park - One of the paths during autumn! - Parks Near Me

No idea why you're checking out a review of a park. Also, no idea why I am writing a review of a park. After all, how do you rate a park? It's just nature - trees, grass, hills... If I gave it one star would I say, It's because these trees aren't as good as the ones in Central Park? Or because the people who come here are cool. Or because the people who take care of the park do a good job? No idea, but this park rocks. I trained almost exclusively at this park for a marathon I ran earlier this year. For speed, there is a full track. For long runs, there is one big hill, one long downhill, and the rest is nice and flat. A loop of the entire park is a little over 1 mile. Well designed - 5 stars to you Mother Nature. read more

Favorite local park. Perfect place to wander around on a nice day. Also a great place to come for local events, etc, whatever is going on at the time. Always an adequate amount of parking. Lot's a cute doggies to watch. read more

I like Brookdale!! It's non-creepy, and it has really old trees, which I love. Mostly, it's a great WORKOUT park. (And people use it for sports and dogs, too, but I don't care about those things too much). You can get a few miles of walking or running or biking in, and have different scenery and varying inclines throughout your workout. There are enough winding paths where if you get sick of your route, you can mix it up. At the top of one of the hills, there's a rose garden, which is great if you need to take a break or want to come there just to relax. Sometimes, old people come and play various musical instruments on the benches. I would definitely recommend it! I only wish it was bigger and had MORE trees. But I don't think the park can do anything about that now! read more

So many great times in this park for me. But here are some that standout for me til' this day. Went here when I was a kid to play in the playground area and near the pond that used to be there. Had my first legal beer on my 18th birthday when it used to be an 18 year old drinking age. But it was probably illegal since you're not supposed to drink in the park. One of my friends totalled his 73' Cuda racing somebody in the park and he broke his jaw.Very tough summer for him. They actually changed the way you can drive through the park based on all the accidents. We had our wedding pictures taken in the rose garden on a beuatiful October day.Took my youngest daughter to the park when she was five to have a leaf war in the fall. She won...I love Brookdale Park read more

This is a beautiful park. It's well maintained and safe. There are tennis courts, a soft track circling an athletic field, playgrounds, dog park, and grand lawn area. Traffic running through is slow paced and respectful. Parking is easy most of the year--though clearly not for major events like concerts or July 4th which is to be expected. Again, during warmer months they have regular events like concerts, shows and festivals. It's really a great park to bring your family, have a run, take a bike ride, athletics and general exercise--or just to sit out in the sun and relax. There are several food options nearby, including Ice Cream, Italian Ice, bagels, deli, Chinese, Greek, pizza, etc. I feel better just driving my car though and taking in the sights. read more

Very clean park and bike path Path is too rough for rollerblading. Dog park was full of dogs. Separate fences for large and small. No permit required. No grills Parking was not an issue Bathrooms hard to find read more

My now-wife and I had our very first date here. The park in the daytime is very clean, and an eclectic mix of great people and pups from Montclair and surrounding areas. I will say DO NOT go when the park is closed (the rebels we used to be first came here way after hours to drink wine in the dark) and in typical Woody Allen / Annie Hall fashion we tried to recreate the date 2 years later only to have a very questionable guy watching us from the bushes about 8 ft away doing God knows what. Again, I realize we were there after hours but in case you have the same idea as us....avoid until the daylight. read more

Brookdale Park is a highlight of living in Suburban essex. Not only is it a family, local park, it hosts festivals of large scales. I have went to wine festivaks, craft festivals and music festivals. In the Spring and Summer they have a weekly line up of jazz, blues, folk artists. It also hosts a cherry blossom festival. Regulars cone here to work out on the track and trails. Beautiful park. read more

Brookdale Park - Nice park to get a soft walk in. The track is soft and shock absorbant. - Parks Near Me

Well maintained park! Nice to run in! Lots of families here! Great for families and just being out! read more

Brookdale Park - Poison Ivy! Be careful!! - Parks Near Me

This review is only based on the dog park- My friend lives in Bloomfield and he has a super energetic pup who LOVES to go to the park. The only issue is he prefers socializing more with the humans than his fellow kind. The park has a small breed dog area and a separate large breed dog area. Each area has its own double gated entrance as well at a double gated fence between the two. Both have tons of fun stuff for the pups; ramps, jump bars, tunnels etc. They also have water fountains that run during the warm months, benches for the human friends as well as waste bag stations. The dog park is always super clean and everyone there is very attentive of where there pup is and what they're up to. There seems to be breed meet ups here as well, last time I was there it seemed to be pug day. read more

I am from Delaware, but sneak back as often as I can. 54 years ago I lived as a small child in Bloomfield , NJ Every sunday we would take "Bunny Rabbit", load him up in the old Mercury , where the back window slid down...and we'd spend an hour at Brookdale Park. Then , if you were good, my grandfather would treat you to a scoop of chocolate icecream at Holstein's . Was just there recently. The coloration of the trees was lovely. Nothing like it !! read more

So much to do!! Running, walking, picnics, tennis, dog parks and play grounds. They have huge soccer fields and baseball fields. They also have a big track to walk and run. The kid parks are very high tech. They have things I didn't even have when I was young which I wish I did. The dog parks are so adorable. They have a park for small dogs and one for bigger dogs. They also have amazing fireworks on the 4th of July. I would say the best I've ever seen. read more

the park itself is amazing place to do so many things as walk around w your kids, play sports , exercise but there is a problem lately I'm seen a lot of people bringing their dog and walk around with them around in the field where people walk and do exercise which's makes me feel uncomfortable because they have their own session in the park "Dog Park" which is the area assigned to them. but for some reason people are not respecting others by bringing their dog to field area. we should have to worry about any dog poops in. the field. hope someone look into it read more

I definitely have to go back to this park with both of my dogs. I last brought my dog here and was able to throw the ball around for him on one of the less crowded grassy areas. We took him to the dog park there which we separated into 2 dog parks (1 for big dogs and 1 for small dogs) but I'm not sure if I like my dog being in the dog park mixed with other dogs because some of the dogs aren't as friendly. We walked around for a bit, my only suggestion is that they should put lights around the roads at night because as it gets darker it's hard for cars to drive through or out of the park so much as to even see pedestrians as they pass. P.s, if you are a novice at playing tennis, do not even think of playing tennis here. It seems like only pros are allowed. Lol All in all great park for family fun. read more

Brookdale Park is a wonderful place that is an absolute pleasure to visit any season. Great for walking, biking, jogging, soccer, football, tennis, rugby, archery, and playing with pups, and that's just some of the things you might see while cruising through. Brookdale is beautiful in the Spring and Summer, and surprisingly pleasant in the heart of Winter even after heavy snowfall. This park is where I find inner peace and relieve stress. read more

My friends and I all took our dogs there today. The fellow dog crowd was very friendly. The dog park was clean. Everyone cleaned up after there animals. I can't wait to go back when it gets warmer. read more

Having spent the first seventeen years of my life on a street which dead-end's into Brookdale Park it would be an understatement to say that the Park has been a key part of my development. From playing with friends and neighbors daily, to sledding in the winter, playing soccer in the warmer weather, more "colorful activities" as a teen and so much more, I love Brookdale Park. The fifth star was lost when they drained the lake and "sanitized" many of the areas. read more