Branch Brook Park Alliance

I don’t live near this park but I drive here every year since 2012 to admire the beauty of their cherry blossom trees during blossoming season.
It is amazing. I love cherry blossoms.

I haven’t been here in years… this park as changed so much from what it was to what it is now… still nice for a morning jog lol…

It is truly a beautiful park. …I try to drive through everyday, walk or just sit and think to clear my mind before going home after work. When the Cherry Blossoms are out the park is mesmerizing!

This past year I have become obsessed with Branch Brook park. I come here to run, read, explore, relax, write, have a picnic, you name it. It’s in the heart of Newark, but you would never know it. It’s also walking distance from the absolutely breathtaking Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. During the spring, they have a beautiful Cherry Blossom festival, but even when there are no events going on, it is a great place to explore. This is my go-​to spot when I want to read a book or grade papers with a nice atmosphere. It’s also a short drive away from where I live.
Lots of people bring their dogs or small children (no, I am not insinuating they are one in the same. Hah!) to run around and have a good time. Great place for photographers and smart phone picture lovers, like myself. You will see the touristy selfies in the Cherry Blossom trees (everybody has to do it at least once), but it makes sense because the trees are beautiful. Last time I went I saw a couple taking what appeared to be engagement photos by the lake.
I can’t comment on the park aside from the spring months, but it’s definitely a great spot in April and May.

Great place to go for a jog. Also when place blooms in spring it’s a wonderful place to walk around and lots of photography
opportunities! Toward north side there is baseball field, tennis courts and by middle has large running area and field for outdoorsy sports

We were at Branch Brook Park on Sunday and it was absolutely gorgeous! I have never been to this place during the peak of Cherry Blossom and I was stunned by the view I saw! It was breathtaking! So dreaming! I was so happy that I don’t have to travel to DC this year and can enjoy the beautiful Cherry Blossom 30 minutes away from my place.
I will definitely return next year!

I despise the fact that residents of New York and New Jersey have to pay such a significant amount to cross the Hudson River. It is a dictatorial practice in a nation that is a self-​proclaimed democracy. But I will go out to Branch Brook once an year to marvel at the cherry trees. It is cheaper that going to Washington and I do not know if it is not all the more astounding. DC is lovely minus the politicians but Branch Brook knows how to use its respective space.

Branch Brook Park the number one Cherry Blossom spot in America. I am sure you have seen the beautiful pictures of the Blossoms. What else does the park offer you multiple baseball and softball fields, soccer and football field, basketball courts, roller rink, kid play set and a nice size lake. The lake offer trout, large mouth bass, catfish, carp, sunfish and turtles. Ducks and geese swim by you don’t suppose to feed them but people do. Now if you are hungry and have the taste for hotdogs Tony’s on Park Ave JJ’s on Bloomfield Ave and Ray’s on Mt. Prospect Ave. There is a truck on Heller Parkway too. You can bird watch the migrating birds stop by for eats and rest. Essex county offer many parks Branch Brook being in the top 2 with a little love from JoeDi it would be the absolute best park.
The Cherry Blossom scene is so freaking beautiful it get people from all over the states to visit. Yes there is a battle between Branch Brook and D. C which Branch Brook clearly is the winner. People there are Cherry Blossoms all through the park not just that one section. There is a park in Belleville named Belleville park which is only Branch Brook in Belleville. So with that being said Cherry Blossoms continue into Belleville. Visit it’s worth a drive from anywhere.

Beautiful NJ park in the middle of urban Newark and spans to Belleville in Essex County. Obviously, spring time is the best, when the cherry blossom trees bloom. I took my engagement photos here back in 2012 and they came out absolutely gorgeous, accentuated by the stunning background of water, bridges, fountains, trees and even a French-​Gothic style cathedral in the distance. It’s nice to just drive, bike, run or walk through the park and its winding roads. This is a park that reminds you why they call NJ the Garden State.

Came here for the cherry Blossom Festival with our friends and all of our kids. The cherry blossoms I believed, bloomed late this year but there was still some that were out. The kids loved it, so I was a happy mama!

My favorite place to go during cherry blossom season. Cherry blossom festival is nice but too many people and we usually need to park our car far away from the field. It is good to walk to the festival site through the cherry blossom, but going back to the car after the festival with little children is little tiresome.
But this year we went to the park around 5 PM, weekday, mid April. We were able to park our car at the parking lot inside the park. We saw a lot of people at park taking pictures. Also few families doing Hanami, having picnic under cherry blossom. While we were there we saw 2 police cars circling around the park, 1 police tower in the parking lot, and also 1 police on the bicycle to keep everyone safe and enjoy beautiful sight.

This is a true hidden gem of Newark, NJ. On a sunny day by the pond, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Add the cherry blossoms to the picture, and… well, you get the idea.
Definitely drive here, as the neighborhood around it isn’t the safest. There’s free parking!
The park is HUGE. I definitely haven’t seen all of it. There’s a football field, baseball field, tons of paths to run/​bike on, water fountains by some of the paths, and I’ve seen people fishing at the pond.
The yearly cherry blossom festival is one of the best in the nation.

Breathtakingly beautiful in the spring time! Went here on Monday and it was packed. Maybe everyone was trying to get their picture on before the forecasted rain on Tuesday.
This park i think spans the newark and Belleville area if I’m correct and it’s just rows and rows of cherry blossoms. It’s just great to drive or bike through the winding roads with pretty pink and white blossoms on either side of you. It’s other worldly really! If you fancy a walk there are trails and a pond that you can have a picnic by. There’s even a roller skating rink and baseball fields etc.
But if you came here for just pictorials then you can park your car at the tourist center because this area has the oldest cherry blossom trees. The branches are way thicker and the blossoms are so heavy that they weigh the branch down and it leans downward giving you a great opportunity to take a selfie next to a bunch of blossoms.
Tip: if you’re shy and you want to have a pictorial but you don’t want cars passing you by or a bunch of other tourists around you while you strike a pose… if you drive past the tourist center there is a road with a dead end sign that’s great! There aren’t many people there and the cherry blossoms are still lush and beautiful so you can pose to your hearts content.
If you can’t go all the way to Washington, D.C. To admire these blossoms then you can certainly admire them here…

Their cherry blossom is so beautiful! It’s the season to take beautiful pictures there! And seriously no need to spend $ 25 to Botanic Garden for it! The park is free!

Did you know that there is a park in Newark?
Did you know that there are geese in Newark?
Did you know Cherry Blossoms grow in Newark?
Did you know there is a Cherry Blossom Festival… in Newark?
I was skeptical about going, but it turned out better than expected. It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good. The park is very photogenic, you can park your car anywhere (and parking is free), you can ride your bike around the loop, take in a few youth soccer games, or fish in the brook. You’d have to pay me Fear Factor money to eat any fish that came out of that body of water…

I love this place. We live like 4 blocks from here. Go now as trees are simply beautiful. You might want to go early as I have seen people looking for parking for hours.
It’s a family spot. Good for day out. We been there like 5 times already in this month.

Early April Cherry Blossoms festival is very worth it. The trolley tour is $ 5.00 2013 and takes you the length of the park. To me, the park is able to bike.
Not all the trees are Cherry but the main areas are the beautiful Sakuras.
Light Rail and Newark Penn station is very close.

This was the first time going to the festival. The event was posted by Stephanie Y. and I was looking forward to possibly meeting my Unilocal friends. Even though it didn’t work out that way, «Feel Better Steph!» My wife and I spent a couple of hours walking the park and the festival and had a good time. Though, next time we are definitely taking the train. I had parked too far from the festival and our feet are hurting! lol though we did get to see much of the park which is beautiful. Looking forward to next year.

Park itself is beautiful. Especially now, in Spring, with Cherry trees in bloom…
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed Central Park and many others) park has a certain character to it I just love. Aqueducts and bridges add to the feel.
I visited during 2013 Cheery Bloom festival — and it is absolutely beautiful… There are so many tints and shades of pink and white all around you, a fairy tale coming alive…
I have only highest praises for the park and Cherry blossoms — for festival event itself not so much (hence taking down one star).
While I enjoyed the stage performances and tea ceremony, selection of vendors is nothing different from any street fare — other than couple vendors with ikebana & calligraphy, 99% had nothing to do with Japanese culture or Cherry Blossoms. Even food was ordinary street fare — funnel cakes, kebobs and sausage & peppers, all with long lines. Would be nice to see something as simple as bento boxes to keep with a theme…

Go Go Go! But you must hurry!
Most of the cherry blossoms are in full bloom!
The park has done extensive renovations and it looks great!