I always see this as the "hub" before going on a hike in the reservation or perhaps before a fancy…read moreouting to the nearby Highlawn Restaurant. The Memorial is a sort of nook with a nice amount of benches, honorable memorials remembering 9/11 appropriately framed with a great view on New York City in the distance. There is a fair amount of parking and nearby there is a gazebo, field for open play with children and picnics. With that memorial is a good brief history lesson should you come up here accompanying children. Another reason I also call this the hub because although you can park near your desired trail, or outside the restaurant, this can be your first stop before or after going on to do any other activities - hiking or dining. The memorial area always appears to be well kept and visitors seem to do their part as well which is of course appreciated so coming here can be all the more enjoyable.

I'm surprised this doesn't have a page yet. Its a memorial built after 9/11 from one of the…read morehighest points in Montclair that has a terrific view of Manhattan. Its where tons of people went to watch on that fateful day. And for days afterward. Next to the Pavillion, which is a nice place to eat or go to a wedding/event, is this space. It was always there, offering a great view of NYC skyline. Now its a Memorial. Easy parking, its free of course and well landscaped and taken care of. I spent a lot of time in Montclair after 9/11 (after we were allowed to leave the city anyway), and had been coming to the vantage point for years already. Great hiking nearby. It can get windy up here, so be aware of that if coming on a windy day. If you come from the Montclair side you drive up a beautiful road to get here. Great place to come and reflect.

Verona/Montclair, NJ - this medieval castle-like mansion was the cozy home of industrialist…read moreFrederic Ellsworth Kip in the early 1900s, and, saved from the ignominious fate of being developed into a row of townhouses during the modern era, the estate is now part of the historic Essex County Park System and thankfully is being preserved as an eventual resource center for the arts & culture. Although the 11-acre grounds of Kip's Castle Park is open from dawn to dusk year-round, the house itself is normally closed to the public except for a brief few days around Christmas, when the home is decorated in vintage holiday splendor and the first floor is open to viewing. The home looks grand but is charmingly intimate inside. It doesn't take long to tour but makes for a lovely little visit if you happen to find yourself in the area over the holidays.

I absolutely love castles! First visit!…read more Kips Castle is a replica of a Medieval Castle! Located in Verona and Montclair New Jersey. The Castle was closed but you can explore the 11 acres of land on the ridge of First Mountain. You have beautiful views of the New York skyline. On our way out, saw the deers!!

Inspirational historical spot! Visited on a rainy day. It is the perfect place to reflect on…read moretechnology.Edison didn't invent the lightbulb. He improved the filament to make it accessible.This mirrors today's AI wave. Big tech controls the major models. However, the real revolution will be turning AI into everyday productivity tools.AI needs its "highway" to transform how the masses work.Highly recommend visiting for tech inspiration.

12/7/25: (Update) We stopped in the visitors center to pick up a visitors pass to the Glenmont…read moreEstate of Thomas Edison in Lewellyn Park (West Orange, NJ). We had previously purchased Glenmont Estate tickets online. After a visit to estate, we stopped back in again to view several of films: The Wizard of W.Orange The Glenmont Estate Tour The Invention Factory The Great Train Robbery (Silent Movie) The Visitor center has restrooms along with a nice gift shop of cool Thomas Edison souvenirs. A large parking lot is available across from the historical park.

Did you know, Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey, has the largest single collection in the…read moreUnited States, with about 5,300 trees in 18 varieties. April is the time to go as they are in their peak bloom season. You will be rewarded with beautiful and scenic walking trails and picnic lunches under cherry blossoms. The park runs its annual Cherry Blossom Festival as well as multiple events such as the Cherry Blossom Bike Race Challenge, and the Cherry Blossom 10K run that happened last Sunday, April 12th. The weather was excellent, and there was plenty of community pride as everyone showed up. You can also be a spectator, should you choose to, if you don't want to partake in the run. Family Day will be taking place on April 18th. For those who wish to take in the scenery only, the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center renovation has been completed since last Fall of 2023. Inside, there are comfortable bathrooms, an artificial but exceptional-looking year-round cherry blossom tree in full bloom, and a souvenir center where you can purchase sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. Proceeds benefit Branch Brook Park Alliance in care of the park, according to the Branch Brook Park's website. The entire Welcome Center has a modern and open feel throughout the building as it has plenty of natural lighting and high vaulted ceilings. As you enter, to your immediate right, you will find the gallery space with historical displays and a mural depicting the vast collection of cherry blossoms and their history. If you are ever in the area, this is absolutely worth a visit and yes, it is completely free.

THE GOOD -----------------…read more+ Large, scenic park with LOTS and lots and lots of cherry blossoms (more than in Washington D.C.!) for viewing during Cherry Blossom season. + On specific days, during the Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival, there are special events - such as Family Day, Bloomfest - which include the presence of food trucks and activities (bounce castles, music) for kids. + Trails are easily walkable by people of all ages. + There is a clean, large playground, basketball courts towards the southeast end of the park. + A majority of the park encompasses a lake and a pond, which makes the walking very serene. + Parking is allowed inside of the park along the roads, so feel free to drive into it instead of parking outside of the park. THE NOT SO GOOD ----------------------------- - On those verrrrry popular days to visit (e.g., weekends during the Cherry Blossom Festival), parking can be chaotic inside of the park, so come early in the morning and bring your patience. MIXED THOUGHTS ---------------------------- = Nada. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Nada.

Joe made my trip! I had an excellent experience…read more My father was born and raised in the Bronx, but this is my first time in NYC. I am very interested in my father's upbringing, and wanted to see his neighborhood, as well as important personal landmarks. Several people- including other local tour guides, told me this neighborhood was too dangerous and I should do something else with my time. Joe met me at my hotel, and we took the subway together to the old neighborhood. Not only did Joe make me feel safe, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared. He brought pictures of special landmarks, like my father's apartment building (which no longer exists) and my father's favorite candy shop, which has been a bodega for decades. He was also able to tell me a great deal about the history of the neighborhood. I strongly recommend Joe to anyone looking for a tour guide.

Joe is awesome! If you are thinking about a tour of Harlem or any tour that Joe offers, do it. We…read morebooked the Harlem tour at 10pm the night before. He met us at our hotel promptly the next afternoon, took us on the subway and chatted with us the whole time. Joe is very personable. We arrived in Harlem in 15 -20 mins later and began our tour the minute we exited the station. We were stopped a few times, because Joe is well-known in Harlem, being a native. Folks love him, and we understand why. He is a genuinely nice guy who loves his city and is proud of his and its culture. Joe's knowledge of the city and it's history made for an informative experience. If we had more time in NYC, we certainly would have booked him again for another tour in a different part of the city. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Joe!

I've been following Crystal on Twitter and on her website for a few years now. She's always on…read morepoint and provides great clarity on timing and on the "whys" in our lives. I've gotten an horary reading from her in the past and recently had an official reading and was blown away. Can't wait to see the planets in action this coming year. If you have those "why" and "when" questions I definitely recommend getting a reading from her. Super savvy and always on the pulse.

Having consulted astrologers on and off over the past 20 years and studying it a bit myself, I can…read moredefinitely say Crystal is the real deal. Her focus on predictive astrology is perhaps one of the more difficult tasks to do because she has to look at 50-100 different elements, know which ones will have a stronger influence vs a lesser impact, then synthesize all of these into how they will personally affect her client. I have found her predictive readings to be quite accurate and definitely appreciate her ability to clearly explain astrology to whatever level her client is at as well. I highly recommend her professional astrology skills which are nicely matched to her compassionate conversational style - she's really easy to talk with. What's more, her fee when compared to others at her level is a really good deal!

Nothing better than free summer concerts at this park. There's a seat behind the fountain where…read moreyou get to be close to the band while enjoying the misty water spray.

What I enjoy most about this location is the Live Music series they host during the summer. Usually…read moretakes place on Friday and/or Saturday evenings; the line-up contains a variety of talent. That aside, parking is scarce on site but plentiful nearby and surrounding area (near/at SOPAC). There's no shortage of eateries, at all!! So it's a great central location.

Came here a few times as they host a cheese festival where vendors and cheese makers from around NJ…read morecome to serve up cheesy bites and meals for sampling. Along with that breweries from around the area come by too, including Hoboken, Montclair and Ironbound. The back area where the festival takes place is a decent size holding a sizeable amount of people. This year they opened up some of the rooms to the historical society where I learned a bit more about it. The Montclair Historical Society is a museum of sorts that holds a lot of history of the early days of Montclair and many of the surrounding towns and cities in the county. Much of this includes old county maps and roads from circa 1800's, early contributors, the start of the YMCA and more. There are tours held here and even opportunities to have wedding receptions here. Aside from events like the festival, this is a cool little history held domain.

I recently had an appointment in this building and thought it was a very interesting place. When I…read morefirst saw it, I thought it was just someone's house. I drove into the driveway and into the back, which is a parking lot with many spaces. It is nice that there are so many places to park because I know they give tours and have many events here. I entered through the back of the house and that is when I really felt like I was inside someone's house! I went up the large staircase to the second floor where my appointment was and the upstairs consists of a few rooms where people rent space. The woman I had my appointment with said there are historical maps in the closet of the room where she rents from the 1700's! I thought that was very interesting. I'm going to have to come to one of the tours or events here so I can learn more.

The Passaic City Clerk Office is one of the Best professional offices in City Hall…read more Everyone in the office is very helpful. Thank you (Amada and Danna) for taking care in my case. I'm city resident for 20+ years and I feel Human treatment there in my experience. I have to recognize my good experience from the passaic city clerk. A+

Impressive change that has the administration of the city hall of passaic!…read moreI am impressed by the great idea of ​​merging the inspection, code and zoning departments. Very smart decision to put in charge of the department someone who grew up inside him (Joe's colon). He really knows how to manage that department and has improved in the social field. Previously, the city inspectors were not sociable or friendly. When visiting the codes department, it is a pleasure to be there, people interested in helping the community. I also found a wonderful person (Alberto Ventura), who is an example to follow (kind, humble and positive). Many blessings for the new team of inspectors who are doing a good job (Jonathan, Jennifer, Alvin, Nagy, Peter, Thomas and Julio), as well as Hilda and jacqueline cruz who are always willing to help. It is my positive view of your good team work. thanks to everyone.

Nice park! 1) I…read moreactually enjoy the view of the skyscrapers and skyline you can see from this park. 2) It has nice statues and seating. 3) Small and cozy park.

Nice urban park in Newark. Near downtown and PAC center. Good for walking and relaxing .read more