Who Uses Parks in Hoboken, NJ?

With temps hovering around 70º and no rain in the forecast, I took my kids to four parks this week in Hoboken, NJ. It's easy to strike up conversations with parents when you rescue their child from crawling out an open gate. I took this opportunity to find out who uses Hoboken parks.

Church Square Park – Garden Street between 4th and 5th Streets
One of the largest parks in Hoboken, Church Square is centrally located in midtown so it attracts kids from all over the city. With brand new plastic playground equipment in the toddler and big kid sections, six schools in a one block radius, dog park, library, pizza parlor, cupcake shop and permanent ice cream truck stationed at the south entrance, Church Square is constantly jampacked with kids of all ages. Where are these kids from? Predominantly Hoboken.

A Yelp review states, "A little out of the way from the hustle and bustle, it's a place you can escape to without having to worry about all sorts of drunk hustling."

Pier C – Sinatra Drive near 4th Street
This futuristic island connects by narrow walkways to the Hoboken waterfront. The most prominent feature? The huge metal slide that rises two stories above the rest of the park. Wooden playground equipment abounds at Pier C, along with climbing structures that double as modern art and make it a hot spot for older kids. Located near the PATH train station, Pier C has a steady stream of traffic and can get extremely crowded on weekends. An informal poll in the gated toddler section showed 50% of attendees were visitors to Hoboken. The other 50% were mostly native German speakers, reflecting the international population that makes up a large portion of Hoboken families.

With views of the Empire State building and lush landscaped lawns located literally on the Hudson River, Pier C is a favorite spot for engagement and wedding photo shoots. A Yelp review states, "It has an awesome winding trail, good for running and walking, and a really good scenery--you are as close as you can be to the Manhattan skyline while still being in Hoboken."

Jackson Street Park – Jackson Street between 1st and 2nd Streets
One of many pocket parks wedged between apartment buildings in Hoboken, Jackson Street Park received a facelift in April 2012 with brand new playground equipment. Intended for toddlers, this park is largely deserted during naptime and weekdays. Apartment-dwelling families use the park as a communal backyard, walking over to meet friends for a quick play session before dinner. Attendees are exclusively Hoboken residents from the southwest part of town.

A Foursquare review states, "Remember to bring a suit/towel for your kid as the water is always on during the summer."

Newport Green – Washington Boulevard and 14th Street, Jersey City
Not technically located in Hoboken, Newport Green Park is so close to Hoboken that it is a go to destination for downtown families. Serving as the termination point for the waterfront walkway connecting Hoboken Lackawanna train station with downtown Jersey City, you can step off the Light Rail and be at Newport Green within two minutes. With an urban beach dotted with lounge chairs and permanent sun umbrellas, carousel, and playground equipped with sand pit and state-of-the-art climbing structures, Newport Green attracts toddlers and elementary school students from Hoboken and Jersey City. The majority of attendees? Are Asian.

A Yelp review states, "Totally free (it's a park after-all), lots of street parking available, comfy chairs to lounge on, a beautiful green lawn as you enter if the sandy beach along the Hudson is not for you." There is a steady stream of traffic at Newport Green, with commuters walking through the beach area on their way to the train, but the park layout lends itself to peaceful usage by both singles and families. No dogs are allowed, so leave Fido home.

More – Preschool Population Explosion – Washington D.C. and Hoboken NJ

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Kathy Zucker, CEO of Metro Moms Network, mother of three young children, New York Life #KeepGoodGoing Shorty Award winner and judge, writes about juggling career and family in an urban setting. Read her MomCondoLiving blog, follow her on Twitter (@KathyZucker), friend her on Facebook and watch her on Youtube.