| Church Square Park Church Square Park is | | | | secluded park that was created in 2000 to |
| bordered on the west by Willow Street, the | | | | help make the neighborhood more scenic. In |
| east by Garden Street, the north by 5th | | | | 2002 Troop 146 cleaned up Gateway Park for |
| Street and the south by 4th Street. Park | | | | Earth Day and also cleaned up nearby Jackson |
| Avenue is blocked by the park. Church Square | | | | Street. The park itself has trees, grass, and |
| park is surrounded by famous landmarks, such | | | | a bird feeder. There is an official sign at |
| as the OLG church, the Hoboken Public Library | | | | the park that says "Your Park", although it |
| (in top-left corner of picture), the Demarest | | | | doesn't say "Gateway Park" yet. The park is |
| School Building and St. | | | | about as big as a gas station. |
| | | | |
| Mary's hospital. | | | | Gateway Park is in the southwest corner of |
| | | | Hoboken. |
| The park has a fireman statue in the western | | | | |
| part of the park and a veteran statue in the | | | | It is at the corner of Newark Street and |
| eastern part. There is a gazebo in the | | | | Jackson Street on a block that is half in |
| center. The playground and swings are | | | | Hoboken and half in Jersey City. |
| slightly southeast of the Gazebo, and there | | | | |
| are also 5 fields, a dog run and many bushes. | | | | The park is shaped like a right triangle, |
| Recently, "no ball playing" signs have been | | | | with the bottom part of the triangle on the |
| put up in the fields to keep the grass in | | | | south, and the right part of the triangle on |
| good shape. | | | | the east. |
| | | | |
| In 1994, the wooden playground that had been | | | | Gateway Park is Hoboken's smallest park. |
| in place for a long time was destroyed and | | | | |
| replaced with a safer, more packaged | | | | The park is the southernmost park in Hoboken. |
| playground (see picture). The newer | | | | |
| playground has been in the park for 11 years | | | | The park shares a border with Jersey City to |
| and has remained practically unchanged since | | | | the south and to the west. |
| it was built in the mid-90's. | | | | |
| | | | Gateway Park is bordered to the south by |
| In 2005, a memorial grove, containing trees | | | | train tracks, to the north and west by Newark |
| dedicated to a fire victim, was uplifted and | | | | Street (which is always busy and full of |
| moved to a less attractive part of the park | | | | cars) and to the east by an abandoned |
| to make way for a toddler playground, despite | | | | building (the Windsor Wax Company). |
| public opposition. Questions have been raised | | | | |
| about the toddler playground's necessity, and | | | | On 2 of the 3 sides the park is lined with |
| those opposed to the project argue that there | | | | pine trees. |
| is no need for it since there already are 2 | | | | |
| playgrounds within Church Square park. They | | | | The "Your Park" sign says from top to bottom |
| also argue that the new toddler playground is | | | | the following rules: Dogs must be on a leash, |
| an eyesore and has removed too much open | | | | no alcoholic beverages, no defacing of |
| space (there used to be 6 major fields, and | | | | property, no littering, no barbecuing. (Those |
| now there are only 5 because of the toddler | | | | are the standard rules for Hoboken parks.) |
| playground). In March 2005, the oldest tree | | | | Jackson Street Park Jackson Street Park is a |
| in Church Square Park was killed because it | | | | park on Jackson Street near 1st street. Like |
| was in the way of the construction of the | | | | Leigon Park in Hoboken, Jackson Street Park |
| toddler playground. | | | | is surrounded on 3 sides by buildings and |
| | | | does not have a celing. It has a playground |
| Also, it is believed that David Roberts, the | | | | and a rock climbing wall. Most of the ground |
| mayor of Hoboken, funded the project to help | | | | is gravel. |
| him get re-elected in May. | | | | |
| | | | Madison Park Madison Park (also called |
| Despite the toddler playground's | | | | Madison Street Park) is at the corner of 3rd |
| controversial status and public disapproval, | | | | Street and Madison Street. There is a large |
| it was finished in April, 2005. It is used, | | | | metal slide there, and there's a large |
| but not as much as the other playgrounds in | | | | abstract painting on the building that faces |
| the park. | | | | it. |
| | | | |
| Columbus Park Columbus Park is a park near | | | | Pier A Pier A is an exceptional park in |
| Hoboken High School at the corner of 9th | | | | Hoboken, New Jersey. It was originally used |
| Street and Grand Street. There was originally | | | | as a pier for ships and was recrafted as a |
| a distinct and unique one-of-a-kind | | | | park in 1999. It extends from the southern |
| playground a tall as a three story building | | | | end of Hoboken, with a view of the entire |
| with unusual equipment found nowhere else. It | | | | Manhattan skyline and the restless currents |
| was destroyed in October of 2002 to make way | | | | of the Hudson River as it begins to clash |
| for a more normal, packaged (and safer) | | | | with the tides of New York Bay. Pier A has a |
| playground, in the name of Deborah Lynn | | | | water-jet fountain, bike paths, rows of trees |
| Williams, a woman who was killed in the World | | | | (some of them transplanted in maturity), a |
| Trade Center in the September 11 Terrorist | | | | big field, a fishing area (with water pumps |
| Attacks. | | | | and cutting boards), and a gazebo at its |
| | | | eastern extremity. It is an example of good |
| Because of the new playground's memorial | | | | civic design, particularly the grass field |
| status, the original playground will probably | | | | which is firm and natural-looking though its |
| never be re-built. The original playground | | | | sod is layered atop concrete. |
| was made up of 3 sections: the first section | | | | |
| contained a complex of chains for climbing, 3 | | | | In warm weather movies are shown on it at |
| platforms, and a very tall slide made of | | | | night, the blazing Manhattan skyline rising |
| plastic (probably the tallest in Hoboken), | | | | behind the screen. |
| which curved and could be seen over 6 blocks | | | | |
| away. The second section was a large | | | | Many people witnessed the September 11, 2001 |
| castle-like structure with a slide, two | | | | Attacks from Pier A because it had good views |
| entrances and a pole for sliding. The third | | | | of the World Trade Center. On March 11, 2002 |
| section was a series of unusual and unique | | | | a memorial service was held on Pier A. On |
| space-like metal domes, which kids could | | | | September 11, 2003 a section of land was |
| crawl through and create echos. All of this | | | | created as a memorial for the September 11, |
| equipment was trashed and thrown out in 2002. | | | | 2001 victims (by planting trees).Currently, |
| The new playground has only one section, and | | | | there is a temporary memorial to victims in |
| is considered by most to be unoriginal | | | | the form of a tear drop. A permanent |
| compared to the first playground. | | | | memorial, called Hoboken Island, is planned |
| | | | to be built. |
| There is also a separate memorial dedicated | | | | |
| to John A. Sacci, a man who was shot in 1997. | | | | This section is a stub. You can help by |
| To this day, the word "remembrance" is | | | | adding to it. |
| misspelled on the marble monument. | | | | |
| | | | Stevens Park Stevens Park is a park in |
| There is a statue of Christopher Columbus in | | | | Hoboken, bordered on the west by St. Peter & |
| the center of the park. The park is the only | | | | Paul Church, on the south by the Marineview |
| county park in Hoboken. | | | | Plaza complex, on the east by the Hoboken |
| | | | Little League Field, and on the North by |
| Hoboken Island Hoboken Island is a planned | | | | buildings of the Stevens Institute of |
| park7 in Hoboken, New Jersey, connected by a | | | | Technology. |
| bridge to Pier A's gazebo, honoring the | | | | |
| September 11, 2001 victims. The park was | | | | Within Stevens Park is a large playground and |
| among many designs submitted to create a | | | | one of the few unique playgrounds left in |
| Hoboken 9/11 memorial. The "Hoboken Island" | | | | Hoboken. Other one-of-a-kind playgrounds that |
| concept by the FLOW group was chosen in | | | | have since been destroyed include the very |
| September 2004. When the park is constructed, | | | | tall playground in Columbus Park, destroyed |
| a beam of light is planned to be in the | | | | in 2002, and the wooden playground in Church |
| center. There are 57 victims recognized in | | | | Square Park, destroyed in 1994. |
| the project. | | | | |
| | | | There is also a very rare exposed section of |
| Currently, there is a temporary memorial | | | | Serpentine rock in the southern portion of |
| already on Pier A, in the form of a tear | | | | the park, which has been eroded away over the |
| drop. | | | | years by people stepping on it. In the |
| | | | central section of the park is a dog run, |
| Frank Sinatra Park Frank Sinatra Park is a | | | | which is smaller than the one in Church |
| park along the waterfront, offering views of | | | | Square Park, and as a result, the park area |
| Manhattan. | | | | surrounding the dog run is cleaner. Also, in |
| | | | the western part of the park are two cannons |
| It is very close to Pier A. Built around | | | | facing west towards the St. Peter & Paul |
| 1998, the park's name honors Frank Sinatra, | | | | Church's cafeteria. |
| who was born in Hoboken. Sinatra Park has a | | | | |
| curved flat area aimed at Ground Zero. (When | | | | This section is a stub. You can help by |
| it was first built it was designed to face | | | | adding to it. |
| the World Trade Center.) There is also a cafe | | | | |
| and a Soccer Field open to the public. | | | | Elysian Park Elysian Park is a small park in |
| | | | Hoboken, New Jersey that is the last remnant |
| On August 24, 2004, CNN came to Sinatra Park | | | | of the Elysian Fields. Bounded on the west by |
| to shoot and broadcast live nationwide shows | | | | Hudson Street, and the north and east by |
| "Inside Politics" and Crossfire. | | | | Sinatra Drive, Elysian Park has two play |
| | | | areas, a basketball court, a sprinkler, a dog |
| Gateway Park Gateway Park is an official yet | | | | run and rest rooms. |