A nice park next to the Maplewood train station. Paved trails, pond, benches. A great place to…read morevisit to kill some time before boarding the train. Very safe and serene

Very much enjoyed myself while attending the 2nd Annual House Music Festival at Memorial Park.read more

A brisk walk away, this is a midsize but feeling very spacious park with a basketball court, kids…read moreplayground/jungle gym (that has a bit of damage, but not unsafe), clean bathrooms, and a huge track for running/walking. Some picnic space, but I don't use it. Very woodsy for a park surrounded on all sides by houses, but I like it, especially for fall and spring flowering, scavenger hunting, and plenty of shade on a hot, sunny summer day. Always an option in getting out of the house for fresh air and exercise.

Love this park! Unami is a great sized park with a walkway, baseball and softball field, tennis…read morecourt, basketball hoops, and a jungle gym. It is clean and perfect for a nice walk or run. I love coming here and would recommend this park to anyone nearby!

This is a great neighborhood park. My daughter loves it!…read more It's nice and open without much trees or shade around, which makes this the perfect park for a chilly yet sunny day. The playground area is large with lots of various slide / tunnel / swing / climbing wall options. My daughter is 1.5 and there is plenty for her to do. In addition to a playground there is also a large basketball court, soccer field and a gazebo. There are always a ton of organized sports going on, especially during the weekends. Parking and benches are plentiful. Simons Park doesn't get as crowded as Central Park, but also has a bit more to do than Watnong Park. Because of that it's usually my go-to, and is the perfect way to get fresh air with my mini.

Simons Memorial Park has lots to offer the community of Morris Plains:…read more 1 small gated AstroTurf field 1 full Basketball Court 1 playground for 2-5 year olds 1 playground for 5-12 year olds 1 Gazebo 1 Concession stand for larger events (not always open) Fields for outdoor sports Restrooms for larger events (not always available) The playground located here is great as it has 2 play areas for larger kids (5-12 year olds) or smaller kids (2-5 year olds). There are both regular swings, toddler swings, and a see-saw in addition to the play structures. You can keep an eye on your little ones from one of several benches in or around the playground. If you would like to watch like a pro in the shade you can keep an eye on them from the gazebo that is located right next to the playground. The ground cover is made of recycled tires to protect your little ones from little falls. The trees next to this playground provide shade later in the afternoon so plan your sun exposure accordingly. There is a water fountain here between the basketball court and playground that is available seasonally. There is currently (end of Spring 2016) a blue porta-potty near the entrance to the parking lot near the corner of Hillview Ave and Mountain Way. The bathrooms attached to the concession stand are typically not available unless there is a large sporting or community event going on so plan your intake and output needs accordingly.

Great park. Large bc it includes childrens area, then softball area (sand play), and lots of people…read moreplay soccer in the field adjacent to sand. Clean. And at the right time of the day, most areas are shaded. Highly recommend if you're in the area

This Small Park is a Place to Go…read more I've been passing this quiet little park for about a year while going back and forth from Morris Plains and East Hanover. I always told myself that I should go check it out. Today the weather was nice, my Slurpee was cold, and my son was looking for a new place to play. The stars have aligned and this park has now been visited by yours truly. The Township of Hanover Central Park is located at the corner of Eden Lane and South Jefferson Road. East of the intersection off of Eden Lane is where you will find the entrance to the private parking lot. In this park you will find a pavilion with the very rare, open, and functioning Men's and Women's restrooms. It doesn't happen a lot in New Jersey so you gotta take notice when it does. The bathrooms are of the aluminum fixture variety so no worries of catching bathroom envy here. What you will catch is some relief, when you need it, while you are at this park. On the opposite end of the pavilion you will find a drinking fountain and 2 picnic tables under the roof line to keep you shaded from the sun and dry from precipitation. The pavilion is also the hub of the park. To the east you will find the grass soccer field that is to be used by reservation only. South you will find a sand volleyball court and the entrance to the Tot Lot. The volleyball court looked especially nice surrounded by a sea of green grass. The Tot Lot is for 2-5 year olds and contains a sand box area with an excavator feature, 2 toddler swings, 2 wooden benches, and a small play structure with a slide. The little excavator kept our Pre-K son enthralled for the majority of our visit. To the South West you will see the large wooden gazebo that has 2 additional picnic tables next to it. The gazebo and surrounding trees provide a good amount of shade for the area. To the West you will see a recessed area in the warmer months that is filled with ice in the colder months to be used as a small ice hockey rink. Township of Hanover Central Park is small and in an awkward place, but it really does have a relaxing vibe to it. There are a few mature shade trees that are strategically placed through the park to offer some relief from the sun throughout the day. Due to the size and location of this park I would normally rank it as a 3 star destination. This park gets the 4th star because it has dedicated bathrooms on site which is rare in this area.

Waterlands Parks is small park and far from the avenue. I came across it the first time when I was…read morewalking on 3rd street by the Gaslight Commons and noticed the Rahway River cuts through it. There's a nice walking path, which I like. For the kiddies, there's a playground area and little league baseball/softball fields. The only thing is that it gets dark there at night. While South Orange is safe, I'm not a fan of standing around in the dark, so I would recommend coming here during the day and leaving before dusk.

Black Brook Park is 11 acres of recreational area carved into the suburban woodlands of Whippany…read more It's a great spot for a bike ride, jog, or just getting your steps in thanks to it's paved path. You can also check out the smaller field and show your support as the local little league teams play baseball on the 60 ft diamond. There's also a full sized 90 ft diamond as well as lighted tennis courts, pickle ball, basketball, roller hockey, and volleyball courts.    In the warmer months they hold concerts and live events at the gazebo area and they also have a horseshoe pit which can sometimes get competitive. Not saying I'm a ringer or nothing but I have been known to throw a shoe now and again, just don't forget to bring your wallet Lol.    This park is always well maintained and clean and they're very serious about keeping that way. Dogs are welcomed as long as they're picked up after and there are restrooms located near the front parking lots. Come And Get Your Activities On!!

Wanted to explore a new park today and found Black Brook Park, an 11-acre multi-purpose family…read morefriendly park situated in lovely Whippany (Hanover Twp), NJ. Per the township website and as is apparent once you arrive at this well-maintained, clean and beautiful park, it offers the following: Basketball court Bike and jogging path around the perimeter of the park Four lighted tennis courts Gazebo Horseshoe Pit Little League diamond (60 feet) Picnic area Playground Restrooms Standard size baseball field (90 feet) Tennis practice wall Tot playground next to the small diamond Two roller hockey courts Volleyball court Black Brook also offers a snack bar during baseball season, as well as picnic rentals. Even with overcast skies, it was great to be able to enjoy the fresh air and get the endorphins released today at such a pleasant spot. If you're a walker/runner, you may not find the perimeter of the trails adequate in terms of the stretch of trails (you can do multiple loops) but what's nice about this park is that you can venture into the very nice surrounding residential developments to get more distance in, with inclines/downhills. Great place to bring your doggie(s) too! They also have a nice little playground for the little ones. Check out Black Brook in Whippany!! :)

A park I used to frequent often in my youth and even now occasionally if there is an event such as…read morethe Jazz Festival. The park has a neighborhood-like setting with houses and even the aforementioned elementary school across the street compared to some other parks in Essex county that are a bit more removed. The park has a nice mixture of park staples for its size. This includes a basketball, baseball field, tennis courts and open field. The unique part of this park is the community pool, another place I'd frequent, but on my most recent visit it was not open despite being a nice day so hopefully it is still being operated. The park has a few paths for walking but not as extensive as some other parks in Essex county. The park has a nice amount of benches, parking lot along with street parking and a nice MLK memorial as you make your way around the park. Not the biggest park, but a lively and decent one a little off from the growing center of downtown Montclair.

I checked out Nishuane Park a few weekends ago for the Montclair Jazz Festival. It's held here…read moreevery year. I've driven past the park on so many times, but never realized from Harrison Ave just how expansive the park is. If you drive past the fire station on the corner of Harrison and Cedar, you won't see the sprawling passive green, walking paths, baseball field, basketball courts, and playground. Apparently, there's also a public pool (I didn't see that when I visited). So the day of the Jazz Festival, I was surprised that Nishuane was able to contain all festival goers that Saturday. There was even an area in the park where there were a slew of food trucks and vendor stands. It's nice to know that this park serves as the locations for this and other community events. Also, if you like to walk, I'd also recommend checking out the massive mansions on Stonebridge Road, between Sutherland and Llewelyn. Stonebridge is parallel with Harrison Ave. Beautiful, old homes. It's a very family friendly park and a wonderful place to spend your Saturday.

While visiting Stonehill apartments today, I discovered the new West Orange Dog Park. It's huge! I…read morelearned the grand opening was a few months ago. There are two separate, gated play areas - one for small dogs and one for large dogs. Easy to use gate latches for getting in and out with your dog smoothly and safely. Watering stations with cute bowls are available. It's a lot of run room for dogs. The whole dog park with the car lot is 2 acres. Some benches there also outside of the play areas if you'd like to sit. You'll need a permit to go here ($10 for WO residents/$20 for non-WO residents), but it's a lot of space for dogs and ample, free parking. Heads up - one thing to consider before visiting is the current lack of trees, so there are not many shaded areas on sunny days (so I knocked a star off for that). I imagine this park will be popping in fall. Just maybe too hot right now.

Brand new spacious dog park with a side for large dogs and small dogs. Plenty of parking and…read morebenches to sit. (NO one is checking for passes) . A fountain for water is there as well as poop bags. Trees are planted for shade and close to Stonehill Luxury Apartments, which feel like a luxury chic mountain resort. Great addition to West Orange!