Editing Asbury Park, New Jersey (section)

==Parks and recreation==

There are several parks and recreational activities throughout Asbury Park. Several of the parks in the city host various community events throughout the year, including many pop-up events, [[Farmers' market|farmer's markets]], musical performances, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke Canton Hintz |date=December 2019 |title=Asbury Park Master Plan & Master Plan Reexamination Report |url=https://www.cityofasburypark.com/DocumentCenter/View/398/City-of-Asbury-Park-2017-Master-Plan-and-Master-Plan-Re-Examination-Report |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=City of Asbury Park}}</ref>

The most prominent historical recreational spot is the [[List of boardwalks in the United States#Asbury Park|Asbury Park Boardwalk]] and the [[beach]]. The boardwalk has changed a lot over the years, and today hosts various restaurants and shops, along with the 3,600 seat [[Asbury Park Convention Hall]] and 1,600 seat [[Paramount Theatre (Asbury Park, New Jersey)|Paramount Theater]], which are both connected via an [[Arcade (architecture)|arcade]]. Other activities on the boardwalk include the Silverball Retro [[Arcade game|Arcade]] & Museum, the Asbury [[Splash pad|Splash Park]], an 18 hole [[Miniature golf|mini-golf]], [[volleyball]] nets on the beach, a [[playground]], and a [[dog park]].

Parks within the city include:

* Asbury Park Rain Garden - Founded in 2010 adjacent to the [[Asbury Park station|Asbury Park Station]] and bordered by [[New Jersey Route 71|Main Street]], it contains a [[rain garden]] and a [[plaza]] with seating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transit Hub Rain Garden – The Friends of Asbury Park Environmental Shade Tree Commission |url=https://friendsofapestc.org/transit-hub-rain-garden-2/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=friendsofapestc.org|date=March 2, 2023 }}</ref>
* Atlantic Square Park, Bradley Park, Fireman's Park, and Sunset Park & Lake - These four interconnected parks located between Sunset Avenue and Fifth Avenue together make up the largest park in the city excluding the beach. Atlantic Square Park and Bradley Park are two large grass fields with diagonal walkways that consist of two entire city blocks right behind the Convention Hall between Ocean Avenue and Webb Street, with Bradley Park having a statue in the center of Asbury Park founder [[James A. Bradley]]. These two parks host various events throughout the year, most notably the [[Pride festival|Pride Festival]] in June and AsburyFest in September. Past this, between Webb Street and Bond Street, is the five block long Sunset Park & Lake. The lake is divided by a bridge along Grand Ave, which connects to St. John's Island, a small island that often has community events and gatherings. Additionally, there is the Emory Street [[Footbridge|Pedestrian Bridge]] by the west side of the lake. At the other end of Sunset Lake, bordered between Bond Street and [[New Jersey Route 71|Main Street]], is Fireman's Park, another one block park that consists of a central seating [[plaza]].
* Bangs Ave. Playground - Located between Barack Obama Elementary School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School along Bangs Avenue, it contains a playground and an open field.
* Community Garden - Located behind the Asbury Park City Hall and adjacent to the [[Asbury Park station|Asbury Park Station]] is a small [[Community gardening|community garden]] that gives out vegetables on Saturday mornings during the growing season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=The Coaster Editorial |date=2021-08-26 |title=Asbury Park Community Farm Offers Produce for All Every Saturday |url=https://thecoaster.net/2021/08/26/asbury-park-community-farm-offers-produce-for-all-every-saturday/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Deal Lake]] - Located along the city's northern border, bordering [[Loch Arbour, New Jersey|Loch Arbour]], [[Interlaken, New Jersey|Interlaken]], and [[Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township]]., it is the largest lake in the county, and has a [[Slipway|boat launch]] ramp located next to Main Street.
* Fourth and Heck Street Playground - Playground.
* Kennedy Park - Located at the edge of downtown between Cookman Avenue and Lake Avenue and adjacent to Wesley Lake, with a [[John F. Kennedy|JFK]] centerpiece memorial.
* Library Square Park - Located adjacent to the Asbury Park library, it has a fountain in the center dedicated to Frank LaRue TenBroeck, a former Asbury Park mayor. The park contains a memorial grove for the [[Pulse nightclub shooting|Pulse Nightclub shooting]]. Plans for adding things to the park have been mentioned, such as a dog park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dog run coming to Library Square Park |url=https://asburyparksun.com/dog-run-coming-to-library-square-park/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=asburyparksun.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Locust Drive Park - Small triangular park bordered by Fifth Avenue, Locust Drive, and Bridge Street.
* Merchant's Square Park - Small park in downtown at the intersection of Cookman Avenue and [[New Jersey Route 71|Main Street]].
* Springwood Park – A park featuring a playground and pavilion that was established in 2016 adjacent to the Second Baptist Church of Asbury Park, a historically African-American congregation founded in 1885.<ref>[https://www.sbcapnj.org/our-history/ Our History], Second Baptist Church of Asbury Park. Accessed October 22, 2021. "It was the year 1885 and the time had come to break away from the First Baptist Church of Asbury Park, NJ (a predominately White church), located on the southwest corner of Main and Bangs Ave. A group of Blacks who had been worshipping at First Baptist decided they wanted their own place of worship."</ref> It is across from Kula Urban Farm and Kula Cafe, an urban farm and small restaurant that grows produce for local restaurants.<ref>Gladden, Michelle. [https://asburyparksun.com/interfaith-neighbors-kula-farm-cafe-grows-on-springwood/ "Interfaith Neighbors Kula Farm & Cafe Grows On Springwood Saturday Urban Farm & Garden Tour Features Master Gardener Tips, Seed Swap, Plant & Produce Sale"], ''Asbury Park Sun'', June 15, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2021.</ref> Springwood Park is home to Music Mondays, weekly live-music outdoor events in the summer months that are hosted by the Asbury Park Music Foundation.<ref name="MusicMondays" /> The park has been home to political and civil rights rallies.<ref>Gladden, Michelle. [https://asburyparksun.com/hundreds-gather-at-families-belong-together-rally/ "Hundreds Gather At Families Belong Together Rally Crowd Chants: No Hate, No Fear, Immigrants Are Welcomed Here"], ''Asbury Park Sun'', July 1, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2021. "The hundreds that gathered in Springwood Avenue Park Saturday sent a loud message, chanting in unison – No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcomed here."</ref>
* Soldiers Park - A triangular park locate on the corner of Grand Avenue and Cookman Avenue, centered by a memorial pedestal with a soldier on top in honor of [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] soldiers who died in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], however the [[Commemorative plaque|plaque]] uniquely refers to it as the "[[Names of the American Civil War#War of the Rebellion/Slaveholders' Rebellion|War of Rebellion]]", a name mostly found solely in the [[Southern United States|South]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asbury Park war memorial unique from others in our area |url=https://asburyparksun.com/asbury-park-war-memorial-unique-from-others-in-our-area/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=asburyparksun.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Wesley Lake - Located along the city's southern border between Bond Street and the boardwalk, acting as the city's border with [[Ocean Grove, New Jersey|Ocean Grove]], the lake contains footpaths surrounding the lake, as well as two [[footbridge]]s, and [[Pedalo|pedal boat]] rentals. Historically, the lake contained ten-person swan boats and later four-person motor-powered boats that ran along a track throughout the lake.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2013 |title=Asbury Park Historical Society Newsletter Spring 2013 |url=https://www.aphistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/APHS-newsletter-spring2013.pdf |website=Asbury Park Historical Society}}</ref>
Asbury Park is also home to numerous historical houses and buildings that can still be seen today, as well as containing nearly 50 registered [[historic site]]s with Monmouth County. Of these, four are also designated [[National Historic Landmark|national historical landmarks]]. These include the tourable [[Stephen Crane House]], residence of author [[Stephen Crane]] and home to the Asbury Park Historical Society; the [[George Theodore Werts|George Wurts]] home, the [[Trinity Episcopal Church (Asbury Park, New Jersey)|Trinity Episcopal Church]], the [[Asbury Park Convention Hall]], the Palace Merry-Go-Round, the [[Steinbach (store)|Steinbach Brothers Store]], and the [[Winsor Building]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Monmouth County Historic Sites Inventory |url=https://historic-sites-inventory-mcps.opendata.arcgis.com/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=historic-sites-inventory-mcps.opendata.arcgis.com |language=en-us}}</ref>