Kids and family members gathered at Berry Lane Park for Easter weekend (Jordan Coll / SOC Images).
When it comes to parks in Jersey City, some may think of the larger, well-manicured state and county-owned open spaces like Liberty State Park and Lincoln Park, or even municipal parks like Hamilton Park and Van Vorst Park.
But there’s more beyond the most touched up parks; 75 parks in total across Jersey City, including many localized public green spaces spattered across the city that are pale in comparison to the upkeep and attention of the aforementioned parks like Ferris Triangle Park, Audubon Park and Mary McLeod Park, which are primarily located in the western and southern parts of the city in the Greenville and West Side neighborhoods.
Slice of Culture visited several parks throughout Jersey City, which some residents have voiced concerns related to maintenance, upkeep and simple follow-through from city officials which have been at the forefront of residents’ feedback when it comes to spotlighting the “forgotten parks.” These issues have caused some residents to avoid parks they live amongst.
Slice of Culture put out a community survey together to grab a sense of how residents of the city feel about and interact with the state, county and municipal parks in Jersey City, garnering a total of 73 responses.
While Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has touted a number of park improvements since late 2023, some residents and park activists feel like multiple open spaces are still in need of major repairs.
Slice of Culture reached out to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is a current candidate for New Jersey’s governor race, in relation to the survey or inquiring on the state of the park, but none have been provided at the time of this writing.
What the Survey Pointed Out
A majority of individuals who responded to the survey live in the West Side neighborhood of the city (54 percent), followed by Bergen-Lafayette, including Liberty State Park (17.5 percent) and Downtown (14.3 percent), with the remaining respondents living in The Heights or Journal Square, according to Slice of Culture’s survey.
Most people reported living near Lincoln Park (49.2 percent), followed by Grover Memorial Park (14.3 percent), Hamilton Park (12.7 percent) and Berry Lane Park (11.1 percent), followed by smaller numbers for the other parks mentioned in the survey, including: Riverview-Fisk Park (1.4 percent), Sergeant Anthony’s Park (1.4 percent), and Liberty State Park, Arlington Park, Bayside Park and Audubon Park all had a (1.4 percent) response.
Following the thread of respondents based on the survey, a majority thought that Lincoln Park (41 votes) was the most cared for, followed by Hamilton Park (25 votes), Van Vorst Park (16 votes), Pershing Field Park (10 votes) and Berry Lane Park (9 votes).
Other parks received minimal responses, and some respondents felt all parks in the city needed a “Little Luvin,” others added they don’t utilize any parks in Jersey City and instead travel to parks in Bayonne or even outside of Hudson County.
However, the results of the survey indicated there was a larger number of parks that respondents felt were due for renovations compared to the number of parks they felt were well taken care of. This included Audubon Park, which received the most votes (27 votes), followed by Ferris Triangle Park (16 votes) and Lincoln Park (15 votes), then Lafayette Park (13 votes), Pershing Field Park (13 votes) and Berry Lane Park (12 votes).
While the data indicates that Lincoln Park and Berry Lane Park were considered by respondents to be the most cared-for parks in the city, an equal—if not larger—number of those who took the survey felt those parks were also in need of renovation. This may correlate to the fact that most respondents reported that they lived on the West Side of the city, where those parks are located in the vicinity.
In Jersey City, neighborhoods that are predominantly home to people of color have 15 percent more park space per person compared to the citywide average—but still 4 percent less than white neighborhoods, according to a study conducted by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization focusing on the quality and state of parks nationwide.
A further breakdown compares the city’s average park space per person to that of neighborhoods categorized by specific racial and ethnic groups, which Slice of Culture reviewed in the study.
Another report offered by the organization indicates that in 2022, parks in Jersey City received $31 per person through the allocation of state, county and municipal budgets compared to the national average of $124.
‘Some Parks Are Falling Apart’ – Analyzing Parks That Need Care
In Jersey City’s Lafayette Park, located in the Bergen-Lafayette area, the basketball court has missing or damaged tiles and edging and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea told Slice of Culture that it hasn’t been serviced in years.
“These parks are historical and they need to be preserved, in terms of redesigns of the parks that we have to take it up with the state (New Jersey).”
In Dr. Lena Edwards Park, also in the Bergen-Lafayette area, the playground and bleachers are also overdue for a spruce-up to its outdated equipment and amenities in need of replacement. The decking has nearly no protective rubber coating from the rotten metals below, and the safety surface is also damaged and dated, while both sets of bleachers face atrocious conditions, O’Dea noted.
Slice of Culture spoke with both Brett Miller and Pat Olsen, two local park activists who are particularly enthusiastic about Martyniak and Enright Park, which is in the Greenville section or southside of the city. They alleged it was hard to get feedback from local officials when it comes to problems that the park—among others—may face, including debris such as broken glass and metal. Additionally, the small park is packed with history, being named after World War II veterans, but there is no plaque or marker to acknowledge this.
“Some of these parks are falling apart, and I am not seeing a lot of repairs happening,” said Miller, a park activist, an active member of the City’s Open Space Trust Fund Committee and a past president of Ferris Triangle Park.
He added that many of the larger parks, such as Columbia Park between Bloomfield and John F. Kennedy Blvd. and Triangle Park Community Center in Greenville, “they [the city] build on these parks, but in terms of keeping the operations when it comes to the maintenance of the parks, seems to fall short.”
At Martyniak and Enright Park, an alleyway constructed adjacent to the park has actually extended into the open space’s boundaries.
According to the activists, there was previously a pool on the site before the addition of a constructed alleyway, the intrusion of which is in the park, as noticed by Slice of Culture.
“Little kids were playing on the sprinklers at one point, and the mothers were just laying on the floor,” said Olsen who has lived in Greenville her whole life, referring to the lack of amenities such as park benches at Columbia Park on 118 Bartholdi. “I went to show them a picture of a bench nearby the area, and they just answered ‘your welcome,’ they seemed not to speak English but we understood each other.”
In an interview with Slice of Culture, Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley said she was very familiar with that park, having resided in the neighborhood for some time. However, she was unfamiliar with any invitation recently from Miller and or Olsen, especially regarding Martyniak and Enright Park as she said the last time they spoke was regarding Triangle Park.
Another park that could use a “Little Luvin’” is Bergen Hill Park, located in Bergan or “the Hill” part of town, which has minimal landscaping and no benches or rest areas for residents, but “has potential for perhaps a dog park” added O’Dea to Slice of Culture.
At Monticello Avenue Park, there also remains room for many upgrades, particularly the basketball court, which O’Dea said “should not be accessible due to the many safety hazards present.” When it comes to the park as a whole, he believes “the beautiful community here deserves better.”
Edward Crincoli Park, between Terrace Avenue and Thorne Street, is another example of a park that needs a park uplifting, with no posts or net on its basketball courts, which is also cracked and has faded color, plus an outdated playground and loose rocks falling from the retaining walls regularly seen by Slice of Culture.
Up next is LaPointe Park near DeKalb avenue in Jersey City, which is: missing parts from its playground apparatus, home to a subpar-condition safety surface and the site of outdated park amenities.
At Bayside Park ball fields between Garfield Avenue and Bayside Park Dr., O’Dea noted how there are very few baseball events permitted there. He said the last “extremely successful” event was a outdoors.
In Audubon Park, between Stegman Street and adjacent to New Jersey City University’s main campus, the tiles on the basketball courts are also missing and damaged-creating safety hazards–neither of the two facilities have been serviced in years.
But a fresh batch of grant funding coming from the Jersey City Open Space Trust Fund was recently announced for Jersey City, which was awarded $5 million in grant funds to expand efforts when it comes to renovating open spaces, parks and any areas under historical preservation zones.
Applications for these grants are available until May 12, 2025.
What’s The Jersey City Open Space Trust Fund? How Can It Help?
In 2016, Jersey City voters approved a municipal tax levy or a way to settle the use of unused property aimed at acquiring, developing and preserving open or underutilized land. This helps to raise real estate property taxes–support local spending for schools, public safety and other public service sources.
The initiative also sought to revitalize sites for conservation, recreation and historic preservation.
By 2019, all six city wards had received funding from the program, resulting in significant improvements to parks and public spaces across the city. The new funding round offers up to $500,000 per project to expand and upgrade Jersey City’s outdoor spaces. The focus: lasting impact through historic preservation, new recreational development and the enhancement of existing public sites.
In addition, the Hudson County Board of Commissioners approved funding to the tune of $8.5 million for Bayside Park and Lafayette Park–these funds will be funnelled through the Hudson County Open Space, Recreation and Historical Preservation Trust Fund.
“The County is proud to support all 12 municipalities throughout the development of these 24 projects, the largest number of awarded projects ever, that will provide the proper infrastructure Hudson County residents deserve in their playgrounds, dog parks, skate parks, waterfronts, recreation centers and much more,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy on the county site press release.
Municipal parks and development projects that fall under the approved funding purview include: Martiniak-Enright, Skinner Park, City Hall Park, Bayfront Promenade Park Phase I (part of The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency) and Old Bergen Church Cemetery Restoration Project, according to the county.
Renovations for LaPointe Park, Edward Crincoli Park, William Gallagher Park, Monticello Avenue Park and Bergen Hill Park, which all fall under municipal parks, separate from the county, are not part of the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, confirmed in an email to Slice of Culture by the county.
The Real Person Behind Gallagher Park, Which Has Yet To Be Revitalized
Parks throughout Jersey City carry a trail of history, a thread that Slice of Culture has been following in the writing of “JC Parks that Need a Lil Luvin.”
“It made it more kid-oriented, for all the kids that lived on the block,” said Jersey City’s City Clerk Sean Gallagher who is the proud brother of William Gallagher, who the park, Gallagher Park in Greenville, is named after. “That was what it was all about, to be honest. And the renovation was beautiful. Everything was brand-spanking new.”
Gallagher said that his brother used to host basketball leagues inside the park back in the day before they were hosted by the city’s Division of Recreation, in addition to touch football, wiffle ball and other activities. He would have been 74 this year, and the interview between Sean and Slice of Culture actually took place on his brother’s birthday.
However, over time, things have fallen into disrepair with items such as broken glass, condoms and a few bottles scattered throughout the park, which Miller and Olsen have been advocating on behalf of the community in bringing reparations and spotlight to the city’s overshadowed parks.
“William was very dedicated and involved in the community,” Gallagher said. “He was a county committee person and got my mom involved in politics. And actually, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even be sitting here. I think he would be very proud of how I’ve climbed the ladder and the field that I went into.”
Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley, explained to Slice of Culture. that there are a myriad of parks across her ward, and most of them have been renovated by Jersey City, since she first took office eight years ago.
At Columbia Park, located in the Greenville section, the councilwoman said it includes resurfacing for the playground and even a new bench area proposed by students from the nearby Infinity Institute after winning a contest in Washington, D.C., as well as partnering with Home Depot to clean up certain areas of the park including gated-off planting areas and memorial sites.
“There were some updates made to Gallagher recently, but that’s another park along with the park that we first spoke about that is due for more updates,” Ridley said, “They did do some work there a couple of years ago, but that’s another park that’s on the list that they’re planning to circle back to and update.”
Ridley said that while she hosts a yearly “Trunk-or-Treat” every year for Halloween in Columbia Park, she is no longer sure about the status of that park’s neighborhood association, something residents in the Greenville neighborhood voiced to Slice of Culture in terms of lack of upkeep and long term maintenance.
A Cut To Accessible Parks And Playgrounds
Under the 2025 U.S. federal budget, the Trump Administration has removed funding that backs New Jersey’s Jake’s Law—which provided monetary incentive for the construction of accessible parks and playgrounds across the Garden State—these parks fall under American with Disabilities Act Standards for accessible playgrounds.
Ridley was unaware of the change in the U.S. federal budget that would get funding for Jake’s Law in the Green Acres Program. She said that, as part of city council, there is not much they can do to get those federal funds back, but noted inclusive playgrounds weren’t going anywhere.
“Unfortunately, I mean, we can always try to push back, but I really, don’t have an answer for that,” Ridley said. “This is my first time hearing about it. If it’s a federal law, I’m not sure what exactly would be within our wheelhouse to do at the local level to push back against that. That would have to be something that I looked into more and kind of discussed with our law department.”
“People with disabilities should feel like there’s a place for them to go,” Council President Joyce Watterman said. “So I’m definitely going to find out how this is going to impact our folks with disabilities. I know Recreation was trying to increase more opportunities for children with some type of disability.”
Council President Joyce Watterman
Despite the lapse in federal funding for Jake’s Law, Bill O’Dea reaffirmed to Slice of Culture, that doesn’t prevent the county from doing the work locally. The county has a playground that is designed for kids with disabilities, O’Dea said and will continue to comply with associated laws.
Slice of Culture reached out to Barkha Patel, who is the active Director of Infrastructure for the city, to inquire on how the impact of cutting funding from Jake’s Law would translate into Jersey City’s park’s statehood, a statement has not been provided as of the time of this reporting.
Meanwhile, parks like Thomas McGovern Park on 30 Sycamore Road, located near the Greenville section in Country Village, are getting a new playground—which is almost complete—in addition to other open space upgrades to parks like Gallagher Park in Greenville.
When it comes to residents not using parks near them, a suggestion supported by survey responses, possibly because they are not up to resident standards, Ridley asserted that the city has been reactive to the needs of residents when it comes to the needs of open spaces in Jersey City.
“We’ve been pretty responsive to those repairs,” Ridley said. She contended that issues with parks are first taken up and handled by the architecture or infrastructure departments; meanwhile, the City Council makes and amends laws and approves funds while the administration ensures the work is done.
Recently, the City Council approved a resolution awarding a contract for the repair of nine basketball courts twice throughout the year. For $78,922 this includes: Bayside Park, Audubon Park, Dr. Lena Edwards Park, Hamilton Park, Lafayette Park, Riverview Park, Mohammad Ali Park and Terry Dehere Park.
The Need For Open Space And Parking
According to O’Dea, the lack of street parking in Jersey City has resulted in the county taking on demand for parking by allowing residents to park in county areas overnight–in remedying the congestion issue. O’Dea said the County is going to start street sweeping the park so that cars don’t remain parked there for prolonged periods of time.
“We want the spaces to stay open,” O’Dea said. “We want people to be able to come in and park to use the park. Or you let teachers from two schools here park if there’s no place to park.”
Driving through the park with Slice of Culture, O’Dea listed the various renovations that have been completed at the county parks in recent years. The fountain was a $20 million restoration, it had been run-down and not operational for years before a “half of a half” of a restoration in the ‘90s.
Facilities at the park include: basketball courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, volleyball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, multipurpose fields, mini soccer fields, a nine-hole golf course, a picnic area, a running track, two dog runs, the View in the Park, an area that serves as a food pantry for grocery distribution and places to play bocci, as well as four parking lots.
“We always have money for open space- exactly how much we have left, I can’t tell you that off the top of my head,” Watterman said. “But for me, parks are a priority.”
She told Slice of Culture, not only are the largest of municipal parks important in terms of preserving their physique, but also the smallest of open spaces that spatter across the city, are also worth maintaining. She said that the focus often tends to be on larger facilities to the detriment of the smaller parks which are many times so crucial to the life of a neighborhood.
“When you go down certain blocks, there are little parks or little open space and that community really needs that. Not everyone can go to Berry Lane Park, that’s the city’s biggest municipal park. Whereas, Lincoln Park is a county park and Liberty State Park is a state park. So often, people don’t have transportation to get there.”
Council President Joyce Watterman
“For me, focusing on these small open spaces and small side parks is a priority so that kids can go and play in the neighborhood. Green space is important. If you have green space, you can help with growth and development, which is so important.”
In the same vein, Watterman added that she felt that the city needs more trees. She called for an increase in the municipal tree canopy given the amount of cars, pollution and other environmental factors.
“It’s important that we have a lot of open space for those side open space parks that are crucial to a neighborhood,” Watterman said. “Those are like little community parks where people won’t go out of the neighborhood. So you need those parks to be functional.”
According to Watterman, many residents don’t utilize the parks they live near. She said that she knows of people who take the light rail to what they deem to be nicer parks in downtown Jersey City. “She shouldn’t have to do that,” Watterman said. “She should be able to go to Triangle Park because that’s where she’s near.”
Watterman wants to look into the Open Space Trust Fund to see if they can give some tender, love and care to some of these many side parks.
“If you live in the neighborhood, if there’s a park, you should feel comfortable and safe to go into that park,” Watterman said. “So there’s a whole process that needs to be cleaned up with these parks. And not only that, we have a lot of people dealing with mental illness or addiction which needs to be cleaned up too, and homelessness too. There’s a lot happening in this world now, and especially after COVID-19, there’s more people who have mental health issues than we want to discuss as a country.”
She said that funding can be key to some much—needed enhancements to the parks and their safety, in addition to other funds like through the upcoming municipal budget.
Watterman continued, addressing potential budget shortfalls by the implementation of new Trump administration policies. “I’m quite sure, based on what’s happening in the federal level, something will definitely trickle down to us locally that they cannot fund fully. That’s just knowing how government goes. Will it affect our parks?”
“This year it could be challenging if he did any cuts on that. We have to figure out what we can do at that time because we still have to keep the City moving forward. You want to make sure that people are safe. Our priorities might have to shift. I don’t know based on what’s coming down from the federal government. Sometimes we do go out for bonds to keep things going to make sure we can still keep the City afloat. So there’s a lot of things that will be going on, but at this time we are gathering the final details.”
If you’d like to help with Park Clean Ups here is where you can find locations to help out in your community:
Slice of Culture made a request to council for any upcoming cleans up taking place for residents to take part of here are the responses we received:
Know more cleanups to include or ways to help our parks? Email us at [email protected]!
