A Brief History of The Park Brookdale Park is located in what once was a gathering place for the Lenni Lenape Indians. During the 17th Century, Dutch settlers transformed the area, then called Stonehouse Plains, into farming and grazing land. In the 1800s, when the area got its own post office near the Third River, the neighborhood came to be known as Brookdale. In 1928, land purchases began and the basic work was completed by 1930. With the onset of the Depression, construction schedules slowed as money was needed elsewhere. As unemployment spread, agencies such as the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) were organized and subsequently provided most of the funding and labor needed to construct the park. Brookdale Park was completed in 1937. About The Park Brookdale Park, designed by the renowned Olmsted Brothers firm, which also created New York’s Central Park, is one of Essex County’s largest parks. With 78 acres in Bloomfield and 43 acres in Montclair, Brookdale is a serene oasis in an otherwise densely populated area. A rose garden featuring more than 100 species of roses, trails for walking and running, lush groves and extensive lawns, playgrounds, sports fields, track facilities, tennis courts, an archery range and stadium grandstand are some of the attractions that make Brookdale Park a magnet for nature lovers, families, and physical fitness enthusiasts for miles around. Our Mission PRESERVE the 121-acre Brookdale park by maintaining and improving its trails, infrastructure, ecology
and landscaping so that it respects the original Olmsted design, and so that this unique Essex County resource can continue to provide natural beauty and lasting value to the residents of northern New Jersey. PROMOTE the wise use of the park and environmental awareness through activities, educational programs and public service efforts. MAINTAIN moderate and balanced use of the park for community,
family, charity, recreational, sports and other appropriate activities. PARTNER with the Essex County park system, community groups and allied organizations in support of the above objectives. |
Do You Know What Brookdale Park Offers the Community? 1 3/4 miles perimeter walking/jogging course plus a quarter-mile synthetic running track 11 tennis courts, operated by Elite Tennis Archery field and annual tournaments Family playgrounds Formal rose garden with over 100 species Annual Independence Day fireworks and concerts Annual fine arts & crafts festivals Summer concerts, including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Dog park Charity bicycling, walking and running events Annual cross-country competitions Interpretative nature trail being planned Tree planting plans to replace scores of trees lost to recent storms Soccer and softball fields A picnic grove |
