It's a vibe. I love hanging out here whenever the weather cooperates and simply taking in the energy of Bushwick. This park really feels like the heart of the neighborhood. There's always something to see--from the regulars who gather here, to the occasional concert or community event, to an indie rock band playing an impromptu set, or local skateboarders showing off their latest tricks. It's also a great spot to spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic under the shade of the trees. I've made so many great memories here over the years, but one that always stands out is getting my second COVID shot here. It may not sound sentimental, but at the time it felt like a hopeful turning point--a reminder that brighter days were ahead. read more

Great park! Love how active everyone is. There are workout stations and place only soccer. I miss walking around and enjoying the fresh air. read more

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Great neighborhood park since forever! I've been gong here for 15+ years and it now makes me think of Woodstock & The Summer of Love. Killer vibe, extremely diverse crowd - locals & transplants - and tons of BKLYN Hipsters & Hippies! This is the Beautiful Nightmare the Far Right is afraid of but it's all Love, Peace & Music!!! read more

Maria Hernandez Park - Show Brains Presents A Place To Bury Strangers live - an AWESOME DAY of No Wave Music unless you're a guitar or amplifier! (07/19/2025) - Parks Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This is a decent sized Bushwick park. It has a good amount of bench seating. The central area attracts a lot of skateboarders and there's a nice set of mini hills that work for roller scooters as well. A nice place to catch a bit of fresh air. read more

We have a 6m baby and are looking for the parks which are suitable for calm walk with a stroller and baby's sleep. Unfortunately this is not the case. Central area is often full of skaters who make quite loud noise. Trail around is very close to the roads with its horns and sirens. Trails' quality is poor, stroller is shaking heavily which does not help baby sleep at all. Although we live not far from here, we prefer to go to other parks and playgrounds. Maybe when our daughter becomes older we will return here. read more

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Great park overall. Love the addition of the turf space for soccer. Lots of different ways to stay active and outside. Great place to see the whole neighborhood out especially on that first warm day of spring that gets everyone outside. The only issue is the management of the grounds itself. Always lots of dead grass and garbage everywhere. read more

This was my first time coming to the Park, so I am unsure of how it would normally be when New York is not in a pandemic. However, the park was very clean with plenty of benches. Social distancing is a little difficult because the park pathways are narrow, however there is plenty of grass to walk onto if you need to get off of the pathway. The hours are different due to Covid-19, today the park was not opened until 7:30am, and I would assume it closes earlier as well. I will definitely come back again because the park is in a very nice area and is beautifully landscaped. read more

It's a park. I'm reviewing a park. I'm going to see how many times I can say "park" in this review. It's actually a pretty big park. The park has basketball courts. And in the summer, the park has sprinklers for the kids. There's also handball walls at this park, and I was told a volleyball court, but I couldn't find it. There are also two dog runs at this park, one for smaller doggos, and one for bigger ones. Of course, there were also a bunch of drunks at this park in the middle of the day. NYC parks, amiright? Park. read more

This is a great place to go for a run, walk your dog, or stroll through with a friend. The tile mosaic is perfectly designed for running. I wouldn't spend much time here alone due to the amount of male strangers bored out of their mind, and I'd be mindful of the run down amenities and litter for more involved activities like having a picnic or spending time with children. Better to just run through it. read more

This park is beautiful! I am so happy to see a new redwood tree to make it even better. Thank you to the selfless people who volunteered their time to make it that much better for our community. read more

This park is named for Maria Hernandez, who used to live in one of the row houses facing the park and was killed by the same gang violence that she crusaded against for many years. I think it was accidental, the target was someon on the street and it came through her window. Beautiful mosaic in the middle. Gets a little crowded, but still a good place to be on a nice day if you don't feel like leaving Bushwick. Brooklyn Food Not Bombs does a a once weekly thing here, giving away delicious vegetarian food to anyone who would like some. I forget which day of the week. read more

I'm here several times a week, and within a few days of becoming its 4Square mayor. These fact makes me A) Qualified to offer a useful opinion about the park and its features and B) A complete dork. I mostly utilize the 1/3 mile track that encircle the park, but it also boasts a baseball "field, basketball, volleyball, and handball courts, pull up bars, monkey bars, and parallel bars, and a full playground with a water feature during the summer months. It also has amply benches where a healthy mix of women with small children, sunbathing elderly people, and drunk men chill. There's always a game of chess or checkers being played and skateboards doing tricks in the center of the park. I really love this spot, it's been a key feature of my summer workout regime. Although I get annoyed at that the track isn't better tended (it's often strewn with wood chips from nearby landscaping) I love how lovely and well utilized this park is. Also, the back story on Maria Hernandez (check out wikipedia) gives a sense of history to a park whose surrounding neighborhood is quickly gentrifying. read more

Do you like to smoke cigarettes while working out? So do we!!!!!! Do you enjoy getting destroyed in basketball by a pair of 12 year old kids??? So do we!!!! Does your dog enjoy a good old fashion dog park hump without being scolded by upper-west side bag ladies?? SO DOES ours!!!! Great Fricking Park, with some classic Brooklyn grime. Play and play hard BROOKLYN!!! read more

yoooooo we hung out wit cuzzo and freinds and we talked but we coukdnt stay long cuz we had to leave cus of the virus is affectin people. so, we left early before it got 2 dark. its a cool place but not my thing. i like the parks like they use to be wit alot of people and chillin and talking. its okay i guess its defintley clean one of the cleanest id seen eva. dont smoke blunts this place def people think they boojy. read more

Eat Tacos Play bocce And enjoy the Sunshine in this family friendly park. read more

I walk my dog here everyday. To tell you truth I have yet to come to the conclusion why people actually mention this park as a top amenity in bushwick. Don't get me wrong - I am grateful to have a park at all but can't help to notice the realistic aspects of it; - when the weather is good it is extremely crowded to a degree where I would question the safety of my future offspring(s). - when I walk through the park random people (- man) tend to say random things to me which I am not especially fond off. - through out the warm months it is badly littered - so let's give it up for all the hippies and yuppies who actually sit or lay down in the grass like in a well composed urban picnic scenery - brave! I still think one of the best amenities of this park is that I can cut through to the supermarket from Irving. (-boooo) Oh well, i said and I mean it. But undeniably there is a charm in watching folks drinking $5 lattes, standing in the doggie park (for big dogs) in the morning light. Will be certainly back. read more

This park is pretty average but an appreciated part of the neighborhood nonetheless. Amenities are decent and include a handball court, basketball court, and a running trail which measures a third of a mile for a lap. The overall feeling is vibrant and chaotic during sunny days and dark and furtive at night. The park does close at 10pm so there's really no reason to be here past that. I don't think the park is legitimately dangerous like it was a few decades ago, but just feels a bit questionable given its history and its generally rundown state of repair. While it is not exactly dirty, everything seems worn out and forlorn. We appreciate having a park in the inner city of an outer borough, but the municipal government can certainly do better. The NYC Parks Department really needs to show this place some love the way they have the more popular parks in trendy neighborhoods. Given the ballooning property tax rates in Bushwick there is more than enough funding to prop up this old standby. read more

This park is super packed and my little munchkin was a little overwhelmed with all the kids running and screaming (she's only 7 months), but it's my fault for taking her around the time all the kids get out of school. Not the cleanest park I've been to but cleaner than the other park on central (forgot the name) that had throw up by the swings lol. Would return since it's close to us just not in the late afternoon so that my daughter can enjoy the swings without a whole bunch of other moms grilling me to take her out already. read more

Pretty good size! Brought my class here to play for an afternoon. There were plenty of jungle gyms, slides, and swings to play on. The water fountain didn't work and it happened to be a really hot day. The bathrooms were open thank goodness. There were a few workers around cleaning up and someone was there doing measurements. Seemed like improvements are coming to the park. All in all, not bad. Will make another trip before the year is done! read more

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I love this park. Awesome skater kids in the middle. Grilled corn on the periphery. Handball, basketball, and volleyball courts always filled to the brim. An awesome place to hang out. read more

Rly cute and fun to be in. It's close to my house. Sometimes I pack a lunch and lay in the grass.

The children's playground is under kept and filthy. In the summer it's flooded with illegal vendors selling toys and the water from the sprinkler system over floods the entire playground. The musical instruments are all broken, and have been that way for years. The features that were once there have been removed and never replaced only to leave behind an empty spot or half destroyed piece of equipment. This is all once you actually get into the playground area if you can manage to pass all the drunks and druggies sitting along the benches at all main entrances as you enter. read more

This park is a great spot to enjoy on a nice day in Bushwick. It has a dog park, basketball court, and 1/3 mile running loop. The dog park is always popular because it has areas for both big and small dogs, and I always see people playing basketball as well. There is a large concrete area in the middle of the park where you'll sometimes see skateboarders or bmx riders practicing. This park has something for everybody looking to enjoy the outdoors in Bushwick. read more

I avoided this park for a while because of a shooting that happened a couple months ago. One sunny, spring day, I went for a walk around Bushwick and stumbled upon the park. There were a lot of people but not TOO much. The cherry blossoms were in bloom and they were just gorgeous. I sat on a bench to people-watch for a while. I don't know what it's like at night so I'll just steer clear at night for a bit. All in all, it's a really nice park. Not very big but not too small. It also has a little dog park, playgrounds, and some bball courts. read more

Also know by its original name of Bushwick Park, this small neighborhood park packs in a ton of activities. There are courts for basketball, softball, handball, volleyball and bocce, a 1/3 mile walking/running track circling the park, a fabulous playground for the kids, fitness equipment for adults, and so much more. Bathrooms are available as well. On nice days, this place is crowded with local families enjoying their local park. read more

Hipsters beware, Maria Hernandez is a great recreational park as stated above, but if you are coming home late at night from the bars and this is your shortcut home, take the long way. El Policia will pass out a quick ticket to those of you passing through after dark. They leave the gates open and have a undercover car at an entrance waiting, and at the first sign of a person walking through, a squad car will stop you and hand you your ticket. Its an easy way for them to fill their quota at the end of every month, and kill time by fishing for stray hipsters. read more

I love this park but sometimes people that work they're forget the toilet paper for the public bathroom lol but awesome park bring your own roll read more

Its hard to rate a small park, really. For its size, the park offers a lot. The dog park is large and adequate for the neighborhood. The trees provide lots of nice shade, and are a refresher to jog through. I love the cobblestone jogging/walking path around the perimeter too, its nice to run on an uneven (not concrete) surface. I am often there using the pull up bars since I broke my device at home, so yeah, there is some cool outdoors workout equip too. Also its very lit up at night (for an NYC park...), not that I hang out in parks after night a whole lot or anything. There are bathrooms, and what appears to be a really freaking cool playground for the kids. Like seriously, I WISH I grew up with a playground that cool looking. I just had sticks as a kid. Tennis/raquetball/handball/basketball/volleyball courts. Also there are some bbq digs. Im not sure if youre allowed to ride a bike around the park, but some people do it. I think theyre diqs tho, I mean come on, I am trying to jog! Looking back, this review really should have been in all caps. Oh well. read more

A fun little park that is great for running or just having a peaceful laze. Only complaints would be that it is sometimes crowded and the park staff could be more assiduous in collecting trash. But I understand that a small park that sees such high volume is not easy to maintain perfectly. Ultimately, it's a very nice place for the community. read more

Needs a dog run. Could benefit from letss trash outside the receptacle. And ,please stop feeding birds and rats. Well maintained,better in the fall and winter,less neanderthals! read more

Solid park probably best known to those not from the area as the one that's bordered by the sidewalk-blocking farmers market.

Great park- I go here for the running track. Safe, pretty clean, and a good spot for families.

Not my favorite park in bk but a great place if you live in the neighborhood. People watch. Bring your dog. Lay in the grass on a blanket and enjoy a small farmers market on saturdays read more

I'm trying to write a paper on Maria Hernandez and tell her story I was wondering if anyone has seen a photo of her or has one I can't seem to find one online. I was born and raised in Brooklyn Ny I lived at 854 Hart street my aunt n cousins lived on starr street we grew up understanding how much of a hero Maria Hernandez was to the bushwick community and how her and her husband sacrificed to clean our streets we've come along way since then I know she's watching over l!! If anyone knows how I can contact her children shawn Vasquez or Andrea Vasquez or if you have photos please get ba read more

Great park. Too bad it got destroyed in the tornado. Hopefully they invest the tax payer money to repair.

OVERHEARD AT MARIA HERNANDEZ PARK: (Woman on phone) "Hi im calling because my friend's dog just swallowed a rat" nuff said! read more

A great neighborhood park. Adjacent buildings and businesses are nice pre-war architecture, large dog run and dog park, lots of sun and shade, basketball and hand ball, a loop around which to run, everything I want in an NYC park! Would love to live closer. read more

This is a great place to sunbathe, picnic, and play Frisbee with friends. The dog park is fairly new and it's fun watching all the pups romp! The grounds can get littered because people don't always pickup after themselves. This is a very active and community - loved park. read more