Park Groups
Jesse Allen Park
Located on eight acres in the Springfield neighborhood in Newark, Jesse Allen Park sits between Avon Avenue and Muhammad Ali Avenue, adjacent to Louise A. Spencer School, the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, and the Grace West Manor residential tower for seniors. Its name honors a prominent Newark community organizer who in 1974 won a seat to represent the Central Ward on the Newark city council. The Trust for Public Land led the renovation of the park as part of its Parks for People-Newark program, in partnership with the City of Newark, Newark Public Schools, The State of New Jersey, Essex County, The Friends of Jesse Allen Park, the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, the Springfield/Belmont Super Neighborhood Council, and other local partners. The renovation occurred in three phases, with the first set of improvements being completed in 2009. The amenities in the redeveloped park were designed in collaboration with local residents and community groups. Jesse Allen Park features a playground and water play area, outdoor exercise equipment, a walking path, and areas for tennis, skateboarding, volleyball, basketball, football, soccer, and baseball.
Mildred Helms Park
Nestled in the Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood of Newark between Hedden Terrace and Seymour Avenue and behind the Achieve Clinton Hill Charter School, Mildred Helms Park is a 3.3-acre outdoor gem. But this was not always the case. By 1999 the park had become a haven for illegal activities that discouraged school leaders and parents from taking children there. That’s when a group of concerned residents, clergy, and other community leaders joined forces and formed the Mildred Helms Park Resurrection Committee. By 2005, they had successfully partnered with The Trust for Public Land, along with the City of Newark, Newark Public Schools, the National Park Service, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, The Prudential Foundation, and Victoria Foundation, to rebuild the park. The park design was created through the participatory design process used by The Trust for Public Land. The Mildred Helms Park Resurrection Committee coordinated participation by community residents and teachers, parents, and students from the nearby elementary school. The park includes a paved exercise path, picnic tables, benches, game tables, water fountains, a gazebo, a play-spray, and play equipment for children of all ages.
Nat Turner Park
Nat Turner Park, the largest city-owned park in Newark, sits between Muhammad Ali Avenue and 18th Avenue, across from Central High School and adjacent to the former 18th Avenue School. In the 1970s, activists from Newark’s Central Ward demanded green space in their community. Eventually, the group won the right to 9-acres of land, which they boldly designated as Nat Turner Park, to commemorate the revolutionary’s contribution to Black freedom from slavery. Developed on a site that lay fallow and undeveloped for decades, Nat Turner Park became a model of creative placemaking, through a strong, committed partnership of The Friends of Nat Turner Park, other community members, city agencies, and local schools led by The Trust for Public Land. Through these interactive sessions, the community identified a cultural motif for the park – interpreting the evolution of African and African American music using public art mediums. Tiles produced by community members as part of a mosaic project led by artist Katherine Hackl adorn the stairway risers at the amphitheater. Colorful steel sculptures by local visual artist Jerry Gant welcome visitors at each of the five entrances to the park. In addition to this exquisite artwork, Nat Turner Park has a running track and playing field, tree plantings, playgrounds, and picnic areas.