Founded and incorporated as a township in 1666, then as a city in 1836—the third oldest city in the nation.

ACREAGE
12.69

LOCATION
Van Buren St. & Walnut St., Newark
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HISTORIC PROFILE

THE NEWLY COMPLETED PARK, 1901

THE BOYS’ PLAYGROUND, 1907

Independence Park is found in the eastern section of Essex County, in an area of Newark known as the "Ironbound" or "Down Neck" section. Its 12.69 acres are bordered by Walnut Street on the north, Oliver Street on the south, and Adams & Van Buren Streets west and east. It is adjacent to East Side High School.

The term "Ironbound" refers to the neighborhood's physical boundaries of heavy industry on three sides and the Pennsylvania Railroad on the fourth. The latter term is derived from the fact that the area is located to the southeast of the main body of Newark and is connected by a "neck" of land. Nestled in this thickly populated area, Independence is one of the County's smallest parks, second only to Riverbank Park, which is located nearby.

"East Side Park," as it was first known, was acquired in 1895 to fulfill the Commission's pledge to build "neighborhood parks" in densely settled areas. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers, it constituted part of the original park system. It is characterized by a bandstand at the center of a formal design that is symmetrically flanked by winding walkways and tree-lined promenades. In olden times when the park was just open space, local residents used it for volleyball, tennis, and bocce—all popular at that time. Its current facilities still reflect these activities.
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CURRENT IMPROVEMENTS

• Construction of synthetic grass surface soccer field, and installation of new equipment and rubberized safety surface in the playground
Cost: $759,270 Status: Completed in 2005

• Installation of new practice soccer field
Cost: $245,000 Status: Completed in 2007

• Renovation of senior building
Cost: $341,700 Status: Completed in 2010

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DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

• Playground.
• Three heavily used youth softball fields, lighted.
• Lighted bocce, basketball, and volleyball courts.
• Soccer field and hockey rink added in 2002.
• Symmetrical layout of winding walks
• Fieldhouse structures at each end. One is now a Senior Citizen Center while the other serves the playground and playcourts.
• In the center of the park a unique gazebo acts as a bandstand. A brick wall surrounds the
seating area where people once attended concerts "in the round."
• Park has an international flavor—Portuguese and Italians make up the surrounding neighborhood.

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS

From New Jersey: Take Route 21 South/McCarter Highway. Turn left onto Raymond Blvd. Merge onto Market Street. Turn right onto Van Buren Street. Park is on the right.

From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Take Exit for Route 21 South. Follow above directions.

Use the intersection of “Van Buren Street and Walnut Street” when obtaining driving directions from the Internet.

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