On our random visit, entrances to the Lambert Castle and Tower were closed, but the road was open…read more We were able to admire this lovely structure from outside. Our intention anyway was to go hiking. That was accomplished. From the area of the tower, which sits higher than the castle, some panoramic views can be seen ofthe surrounding cityscape. You can also find other hiking trails that lead you further along the hilltop. A perfectly beautiful day also makes this spot... - lovely for a picnic - picturesque for a photoshoot - ideal for a background in your vlog - an escape from the noise of a busy week - nice for a nap or daydream - sweet for something romantic - zen for meditation

I took a tour of Lambert Castle a couple days prior and felt the need to explore the tower up the…read morehill. It was beautiful! Elegant stone work. A trellis covered in vines. Views of nature all the way to NYC that would've been glorious many decades ago. The valley is a bit over developed now, but still impressive. This tower would've been an extension of the extravagant home below. Just walking around it gives you a sense of power and incorporation into nature on this unique mountain in the middle of a densely populated city. Garret mountain, holds this gem, and many others. Well worth a visit!

Came here on a trip a few years ago...its a landmark in New Jersey...a long history on this house...read more

This site has the most amazing history, architecture and collections. I came here when I saw the…read moreroad sign and ended up staying the whole afternoon. There was a walking tour going on and buildings open on a Sunday event. My dog was ok, I just couldn't bring him in the historic houses. There was cooking over a fire in one of the buildings. They are all stone except for the barn.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, I'm used to larger parks-- parks that offer baseball, soccer, and…read morefootball fields, hiking and running trails, hockey rinks, picnic tables, outdoor grills, facilities for large groups to gather indoors, water fountains, bathrooms, ample parking lots, even...disc golf. Sunset Memorial Park is miniscule in comparison to them, and it offers...well, benches to sit down on and enjoy the scenery that presents itself. Just to be clear, I don't mean that as a dig. I like the park, although I've never spent a lot of time in it. And...at the risk of belaboring my life story...I had virtually no familiarity with Rutherford at all...its parks or anything else about it...until my birth mother located me (with the somewhat reluctant assistance of the Lutheran Agency through which I had been adopted many moons earlier) and reached out approximately 20 years ago. At that time, my maternal grandmother resided not far from where Sunset Memorial Park is located. This is the area where my birth mother spent her teenage years (she spent her childhood years in Hoboken). It's where I first met my genetic relatives, who were...thankfully...warm and welcoming. I never felt I was replacing the family I was raised with...they were, and always will be, my family...but I have expanded that family, and consider my relatives...both genetic and adopted...family. My late grandmother loved this park and would come here often up until her final years, when her son (my uncle) moved her down to North Carolina and out of the old family residence. I've only actually walked in the park once or twice, and found it pleasant enough, but I pass here often when driving to visit my birth mother. She tells a story of how her father, a decent guy by all accounts, but a bit of the tyrannical puritan (he died years before my reunion with my genetic family took place, and I unfortunately was never able to meet him, but I think, if I can play the dime store psychiatrist about someone whose genes I carry but never actually encountered face to face, he was probably somewhat conflicted emotionally and perhaps psychologically; his father's family were wealthy Protestants originally from New Hampshire, which certainly clashed...religiously and culturally...with his mother's Brooklyn working-class Irish Catholicism; he insisted his children be raised as Congregationalists, but when he had had a few beers and was feeling no pain, he was not adverse to singing "Danny Boy" and other Irish classics, often in the company of his maternal Irish relatives, whom he revered), came upon a teenaged couple "making out" in the park and brusquely told them to move on and to take it somewhere else. My birth mother was mortified and embarrassed. (It's ironic, perhaps, that I was "conceived" in a house just a stone's throw from the park and born to teenagers who were also "making out.") In addition to being small, the park is sort of on a tilt, so when you walk around it, you're almost walking at an angle. It's well cared for and landscaped with thorough professionalism (U.S. Veterans have worked together to revitalize it), and it does have more than enough benches for sitting. Is there much to see from those benches? Well...Rutherford is a nice Bergen County town. It seems to have aged well. The houses surrounding the park are not new, but they're well kept, and there are abundant trees in the vicinity (Rutherford is often referred to as "the borough of trees"). Of course, not far distant, across the polluted Passaic River (with numerous homeless people living on its banks), is the grimy, often dangerous, always depressing city of Passaic. As invariably happens in life, grim reality is never far off from intruding upon whatever peace and restorative tranquility we can temporarily find for ourselves. But, for all that, it's still a nice place to sit, reflect, meditate, and contemplate life in all its ramifications and complexities. To relax, maybe have a conversation with a friend, or friends. It's definitely an old park (according to a marker set up near its perimeter, it was established in 1905 on land donated by Henry Jackson, whoever he was), so it has that certain timeless quality and sense of history about it. Just don't expect to play any disc golf while you're here.

The story goes that Rutherford landowener Henry R. Jackson use to enjoy watching the sunset from…read morethis rolling hill area of his land.  He later donated the plot of  land to the town with the cavit that it would remain as an undeveloped recreatiomn area.   110 Years later on street named after Jackson sits the small park which also serves a memmorial to WWI, and WWII local servicemen, a  memmorial  is here dedicated to their memory and sacrifice. Other than that hardly anyone is seen at this park, and due to development across the Passaic River those sunset are not the same as they where in Jackson's time.

I was in New York earlier this year for a friend's wedding. We stayed in New Rochelle but the…read moreceremony was in Yonkers so I wanted to make sure to check out some of what Yonkers had to offer. Unfortunately, when I visited, the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site was closed due to Covid. As a result, I was only able to check it out from the outside. After parking in their parking lot, we walked around the exterior. There were a few placards to read. And we peaked through the windows to see what we could see inside. I'd definitely like to return one day and get the full experience! Within walking distance from Philipse Manor Hall is a park and several restaurants.

It used to be nestled in a vast area, now this mansion is reduced to small lot. Newly renovated…read morelast year, the house is not that big but it's super interesting. There are many displays that you can play around. We didn't think we would spend an hour here. We thought, maybe 20 minutes at most. If you love old historical building and its interiors, this one might not for you because the house itself now is just a shell. But if you like history from different perspectives, you'll love this place. The stories here balance between Munsee tribes, slaves and Philipse's family. The staff here were very friendly, polite, and helpful. Admission $6. Oh and if you collect NPS passport stamp cancellations, this place is part of Hudson Valley NHA passport program.

Formerly known as Thomas Paine Park. Named after Thomas Paine (1737-1809) patriot, humanitarian,…read morepolitical visionary and author of a pamphlet "Common Sense," published January 10, 1776. This triangle plaza public space park operated by NYC Parks is located in New York's Civic Center was the site of the most notorious slums in the country: Five Points. (source: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/thomas-paine-park/history) Every time I think of Thomas Paine I think of the 2004 movie "National Treasure" where his pamphlet "Common Sense" was mentioned. This triangle plaza is within vicinity to many historic landmarks State and Federal court buildings. There are park benches for resting in transit of one's travels can intake lunch while waiting for jury duty or awaiting for trial; waiting for disposition of inquest; waiting for Law & Order exterior filming locations NY County Court House at 60 Centre Street; and mindfulness walking in passage of one's travels. A small park, yes. This park does provide a sense of "the calm before the storm" or a moment of solitude during New York's daily grind upheaval.

Thomas Paine Park / Foley Square It's a beautiful park with…read morewater fountain and interesting sculpture near the court house. The court house and the surrounding buildings are all amazing architecture to enjoy. Now has enormous interesting sculptures in the park, come and check them out!

1 of 3 Yelp Reviews. Make sure you buy your tickets from…read moreStatue Cruises, NOT street vendors. Be safe. Quality/Quantity - Crazy busy, but fairly organized and moves fast. What an amazing, fun, historical, and educational experience. The Statue of Liberty is a must visit, glad we finally made it. In our previous attempts, previous years, the weather was so bad that we have always skipped this attraction. Also, it gives some insight on Ellis Island into how my family (many generations ago) came to this country. Tourist attractions, an amazing # of people visiting. Ambiance - A short quick ferry to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. Plan to spend approximately 4 hours for this event. A small snack bar on the ferry. You can spend as much time as you want at each location. Visitor center, museums, tours, etc. Just need to book/reserve your appointment going there. Open 7 days a week from 8:30am to 6:30pm; seasonal hours apply, check their website. Service - Booked our tickets online and got here early. Audio Tours of Liberty and Ellis Island are included. Departure details, cut and pasted from their website: "The Security Screening Facility and ferry departure are located behind Castle Clinton, on the waterfront side of Battery Park. Easy access via public transportation, including major subway lines and bus routes. We recommend that you include ample time and maintain a flexible schedule to include boarding the ferry and clearing the Screening Facility." Price - Prices start at $26.30 per person. Very reasonably priced in my opinion. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success 1886. 1924 - National monument. 1993 - National Park Service.

I would argue this is the most important historical site in all of New York. As a direct descendant…read moreof European immigrants who actually sailed passed this statue this site is especially meaningful to me personally. now how you get there is by a quick 20-30 minute ferry ride. The lauch point is inside another national park called castle Clinton. Inside is known as Battery Park and you just follow the signs to get to the docking station. You will go through airport style security so keep that in mind. If you come from the New Jersey side you go to liberty state park and catch the ferry from there. Use the official website that will take you to the website of their official partner that does the boating. If you go to any other site and book it you may get charged more. You absolutely need to book it at least a month in advance as they do sell out. The fee is good for both the statue and ellis island. if you want to climb up to the pedestal that's another feel. if you want to climb up to the crown that's yet another fee as well. I opted for the pedestal only. The crown is small and there's no ventilation so keep that in mind. inside the pedestal is a small museum with some interesting things to see. There is also a much larger museum in another building on the island. You should see both. The much larger museum houses the original torch that had to be replaced some time ago.

Grove Street impressed me as a calmer and very pleasant street that offers a completely different…read moreatmosphere compared to the busy parts of Manhattan. It has an authentic urban character, architecture, and a slightly cinematic feel. I liked how life here seems to flow more slowly and naturally, with plenty of small businesses and places where you can sit down or simply take a walk. It's an ideal spot for a short break when you want to escape the rush of the city and soak in the local atmosphere.

When I was on a walking food tour of the West Village, our tour guide pointed out this beautiful…read moreprivate secluded little area to us. Grove Court consists of six three-story Federal-style homes hidden by ivy inside of a gore (a triangular plot of land). It is nestled in a passageway protected by an iron gate between numbers 10 and 12 Grove Street. Grove Street has a rich history and was nicknamed "Mixed Ale Alley" back in the day because of its residents' drinking habits. Grove Court was first laid out in 1848. This area was the setting to O. Henry's novel "The Last Leaf." It is easy to miss these three story "cottages" as you are walking by because they are hidden. One of these were listed on the market at around $4 million awhile back. If you are in the area, take a second and peak over the gate and check out these pretty red-brick homes that date back to pre-Civil War days. It is worth a look.

Pretty cool museum where you are able to learn all about Alexander Hamilton and his life! This…read morebuilding used to be where Alexander Hamilton used to live, it was moved from another location and relocated here. Alexander Hamilton was a true Renaissance man; he was a lawyer, war hero, banker, economist, journalist, and a slavery opponent. The first floor covers information about his life, while the second floor there are tours of the rooms. This place is kind of crowded and had a lot of people, but a fun museum! You can spend around 30 minutes to an hour here looking through everything. The staff was friendly and nice. This museum is also free. It's a cool museum if you want to learn more about Alexander Hamilton and his life and his work. Also fun fact, he died of a duel between him and Alan Burr. Rating: 8/10

Our recent Hamiton pilgrimage with the place and we had to make all things Hamilton happen while in…read moretown and make the most of it! We went to everything, only thing left was somehow going into the birth canal he came out of! Yesterday we Shaw the play and today we took Uber all the way to the Bronx and visit his uptown home Granger. FIRST-- THANK YOU NATIONAL PARK SERVICES for providing staffing and caring people to take us back in time to see how Hamilton lives and all the efforts it has taken for this special and cherished home to be available for the public to learn and explore. All free including a tour to the pain living quarters and bonus explore th vibrant, historical and picturesque Bronx neighborhood! Definitely if your interest in Hamilton goes beyond the theater and the person, this is a must! Did I mention free j using the docent tours?! If you're traveling with some history buffs do it! Not all artifacts are originals but this house has been through quite a bit but preserved to the best possible way. One treasure that livest there the actual piano Angelica purchase a piano for Phillip. Worth the visit to learn the history and stroll around the park and neighbor hood to appreciate the brownstones. THANK YOU PARK RANGERS!