NEWARK, JUST LIKE I PICTURED IT!
A long
long time ago in a galaxy far far away this humble scribe called Newark, NJ
home. I am really old school. I was born at St. Michael’s Hospital and was
raised in Harrison, NJ, just across the river. In 1981 I moved to the North Ward
in Newark, more specifically the “Forest Hill” section and lived there for
nearly 6 years just a block away from the beautiful Branch Brook Park and the
Althea Gibson Tennis courts.
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| Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark |
Branch
Brook Park is beautiful and as serene as Newark gets. The park serpentines its
way from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, one of the largest cathedrals
in the United States, all the way to Belleville. There are winding paths and
lakes, but most enchantingly everywhere there are cherry blossom trees. Branch
Brook Park, first laid out by the Olmstead Brothers, whose father had designed
New York City’s Central Park, has more cherry blossoms planted on its 360 acres
than anywhere else in the United States, including Washington, D.C. Every April
the canopy of soft pink and white blooms makes Branch Brook Park an especially
great place to visit. When I lived there my walks to the little trolley that
would ding ding ding me away to the tumult of New York seemed less oppressive.
Well, a
lot of people come to visit the park during the blooming of the cherry trees. Today,
April 6th, is the opening of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Thousands
of people visit from as far away as Japan to walk the park. The festival which
runs until April 14 offers free children’s activities, live music and
demonstrations of Japanese culture. Artisans sell their wares and food for
purchase is available at a marketplace set up at the Cherry Blossom Welcome
Center. There are other activities like a fun run, a 10k race and a bike race.
Even if
you can’t make the weekend activities and you’re in the area, take a detour and
drive the length of Branch Brook Park to see the beauty.
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