The new owners have really fixed up the place and are still fixing. Had a great afternoon.read more

This "park" is comprised of 22 acres of land that the township bought from the owners of Kuser…read moremansion. The mansion was built in 1882 and is architecturally interesting, as are a few of the buildings. There is a tennis house that I would love to call my own( I have a thing for tiny houses) But as a township taxpayer I can't help feeling that this property is underutilized. There is a tiny playground that seems to be forgotten. An antique tennis court that appears not to have been played on for decades. A lawn bowling court that is meticulously groomed, but does anyone even know what lawn bowling is? And grape vines that are reverting back to their wild form. A few times a year there are tours of the mansion, and in the summer months there are some concerts near the very large gazebo. But this is not a park with much recreation going on. Not really advisable for walking or jogging unless you are within walking distance. Maybe a picnic spot if you live or work nearby. With all this land it would be nice to see some biking or walking trails, or an upgraded playground at least. Still, in a township where open spaces are evaporating, I guess it is good that this land was not sold to a developer. But for the amount of taxes that residents pay, it would be better to see this park become more utilitarian. It just squeaked in at 3 Yelps.

My wife, Lisa, and I had a wonderful tour of the Mansion with our guide, Joan, today (May 21 2022)…read moreand we loved every minute of it. Joan was a first class tour guide - as was Stephanie who gave the upstairs tour. It's a beautiful house, built in the late 1800s, with many fascinating artifacts and pieces of furniture and the history of the house and the Kuser family are very well presented. I highly recommend a visit - not only to the house but also to the park which has a wndmill, fountain, clay tennis court built in 1912, caretakers home, carriage house, gazebo, laundry house and gardens. Richard Moody Cranbury NJ

We were there for a family gathering after a funeral last weekend. Great food we had salmon and…read moresome other items. Greta place wish it wasn't after a funeral

This is for wedding held at cherry valley in Oct 3023…read more Very pleased with food, support in planning and facility. Both Melissa who coordinated event with daughter and Tina who managed the food and drink were top notch. Everything went as planned, could not be happier. Food, facility, service and wait staff were all 5 stars

The Van Nest Wildlife Refuge is an underused, 98-acre area located at the edge of Hamilton Township…read moreand adjacent to Mercer County Park. The trails stemming from the parking lot there all eventually lead to Mercer Lake--specifically leading to the dam there that creates and holds back the lake itself. You can create your own loop, and the trails are all pretty manageable on foot or bike, but leave the stroller at home. The area is full of wildlife and native flora, and makes a great nature walk to observe the animals and birds. I've never encountered anyone along the wooded portions of the trail. However, the Long Trail that runs through Mercer County Park and into the refuge along the Assunpink is popular with trail bikers, and you're likely to see one or two come through on their bikes. The area is accessed by a dirt road off the North side of Hughes Drive right at the intersection with Quakerbridge Road. It's easy to miss, and with traffic it might be hard to enter unless you're driving South on Hughes to make an easy right turn onto the dirt road. I've never seen a good map of the area, but if you have the Strava, Komoot, or Footpath apps, you can see the trails there and use your phone to choose your route. The NJ Trails Association map of Mercer County Park can be used in a pinch, but I found my phone to be a better guide. That said, there are a number of criss-crossing trails in area, so it can be confusing without a map, but as long as you pay attention to where you've walked, I don't think the lack of a map would be a reason not to go. It's not a huge area, and unless you're directionally challenged, you'll eventually (probably) find your way out

Played recently in an outing. Course is in great shape, staff was professional and friendly and the…read morefood was good. All in all good place to hold an outing.

Mercer Oaks in Mercer County operates a wonderful facility. Mercer oaks offers 2 courses, An East…read moreand West. Wonderful layouts with challenging holes. The facility offers 2 ranges, one off grass and one off mats. Buckets are $5 for approximately 40 balls. Tee times can be scheduled online through the county or thru golf now etc. This past Sunday we paid $75 with cart. The price is on par (see what I did there) with the gold standard of the Monmouth county courses. County residents and "members" receive a sizable discount. The tee boxes, fairways and greens were all in great shape. The cart girl was visible throughout the round. Beer, water and soft drinks only. No spirits on the cart. It seemed like every third hole had a water jug available for bottle fill ups. There is a dining facility, bar and catering hall at the clubhouse. The catering hall looked beautiful. I will be back to play there.

While the City of Trenton has fallen on hard times over the past 50 years, it must be remembered…read morethat in the 1950s and 60s it was considered an " All American City." A tour of the old neighborhoods reflects its faded glory, from the sweeping stone mansions in Hiltonia, to the riverside peacefulness of The Island, and the professional enclaves of Berkeley Square and Glen Afton. But, the beautiful heart of this capital city has been Cadwalader Park since the turn of the Twentieth Century. It was in the last years of the 19th that the city fathers decided the historic and economic importance of town required a public space equal to its greatness. New York City was creating Central Park with the help of the geniuses Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, so why not , "the City that built the Brooklyn Bridge?" They began by purchasing 90 acres of forested and meadowed land from George Farlee for $50,000 in 1887, and sculpted a park dedicated to the well being of its residents beginning the next year. Olmsted accepted the commission and spent the next decade coming to Trenton to design the park and oversee its development. The immense landscaping project was named after Thomas Cadwalader, a doctor and chief burger (mayor) of the city before the Revolutionary War (1746), and a founder of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia along with Benjamin Franklin. During its heyday the park held a zoo, Ellarslie Mansion, the original home of the McCall family who owned most of the land used as their summer home to escape the heat and disease of Philly summers, before it was sold to the Farlees. They planted many specimen trees and shrubs that were brought from around the world. As with any public works there were government administrations that did not agree with spending taxpayer money for "amenities", and economic hard times that led to benign neglect of the park over many years. The park fell into disrepair and became a dangerous place (just like Central Park). Yet, for those of us who lived nearby it was always a wonderful site to walk, jog, bike along its trails and play softball in its open fields. Today it is a bit disheveled, with an overhead canal running through it, and an interesting city oriented museum operating in the mansion (Olmsted visioned it as a restaurant). It is worth your time when visiting Trenton to drive over and do a walkabout. The trees are now huge and the paths and trails uncrowded. In fall it is awash with color. In winter the view extends down slope to the mighty Delaware River. In spring and summer the sounds of baseball, dogs barking and children on wheels echo throughout. It is my favorite place in this "Trenton Makes, The World Takes" city; struggling, but sprouting new roots and branches for the next century. In many important ways how Cadwalader Park engages with its residents going forward will determine the direction of this city, much more than its main business of state government. It deserves our love and protection. P.S. The Five Stars reflect not just the current status of the park, but its history and future potential. I know that if I were to move back to Trenton, I would want to live in Hiltonia overlooking Cadwalader Park, and have its 109 acres as my front yard.

Seems like a nice a place. They have a indoor pool, gym, pool tables, and several other rooms…read more Overall, it appears to be pretty clean. The gym is a little small for the size of the development. I haven't utilized the clubhouse much since I don't live here, but no major complaints.

This review is written from the perspective of a non-member. My two children take swim lessons…read morethrough Eggert Aquatics, which has and agreement with Ben Franklin Swim Club to use this pool as a summer location. The large outdoor pool is clean and well maintained. It has a large open swim shallow end, seven lap lanes, and a diving pool with a low and high-level springboard. There is ample seating around the perimeter of the pool with two fairly large canopied areas and numerous umbrellas. There are also two tetherball ball pits, a cornhole game and a ping-pong table. The main building has a small snack bar and utilitarian but clean changing rooms with bathrooms and showers available. This location is home to youth swim and dive teams and also has frequent social activities for members according the the numerous flyers posted. Members can also sign-up for swim lessons at an additional charge. As a non-member, I have no idea what membership or lesson fees are, so I can't speak to the value, but the facility itself seems rather nice.