Mentioned as the centerpiece of a downtown Jersey City neighborhood and historic district, Van Vorst Park is located in Jersey City, New Jersey. While it has been positioned as the town square, the plain features and overgrowth of plants prevent it from truly being recognized as one, despite the prominence to the past and present of the neighborhood.
In 1835, Cornelius Van Vorst deeded a 1.8 acre parcel of his land to become what is now Van Vorst Park. Created to be a Victorian park at the center of a historic Jersey City neighborhood, the park features numerous walking paths are set amidst a deep collection of trees. This oasis of green allows people to do everything from relax to take their dog for a walk to congregate at the playground. However, a plain gazebo, fountain filled with overgrowth, and non-descript benches are the most notable features in the park, limiting the potential is has to be a true center of the community.
The local community has embraced Van Vorst Park in an active manner with the creation of the Friends of Van Vorst Park that was founded to assist in the development and maintenance of the gardens and public spaces within Van Vorst Park. This along with the prominent positin that the park sees on various maps and guides highlights the many ways the community continues to make the space a center of the community.
Surrounded by brick and brownstone rowhouses from the late 1800s that feature Victorian architectural styles, the park has the space and scenery to be one of the most prominent parks in the region. Renovated in 1999, Van Vorst Park has the support and prominence to be one of the most notable spaces in the entire city but doesn’t have the sort of distinctive monuments or landmarks that make it a place where people beyond those in the direct vicinity have a reason to visit.
By taking advantage of the substantial history that the area already contains, Van Vorst Park has the potential to create engagement in a way that benefits the neighborhood and resonates with audiences across the region.
