About
Anderson Park is a 14.85-acre, small suburban park in Upper Montclair, bordered by North Mountain Avenue, Parkside Road, Bellevue Avenue, and NJ Transit train tracks. The park is unstructured and is generally used for strolling, Frisbee playing, and informal picnics.
Anderson Park is a favorite among strollers, dog walkers, and children learning to ride bicycles. Its meadow is used for volleyball, soccer and lacrosse. The 3/5-mile of paved pathways attracts joggers and is wheelchair friendly. Bathrooms are at the southeast corner. Each fall the park is host to the popular Art in the Park arts-and-crafts show. Year-round the park serves as a village green for the historic Upper Montclair shopping district nearby.
Historic Profile
Anderson Park is a 14.85-acre, small suburban park in Upper Montclair, bordered by North Mountain Avenue, Parkside Road, Bellevue Avenue, and NJ Transit train tracks.
Originally called "Montclair Park," this parkland was transferred to the Essex County Park Commission from the Town of Montclair in 1901. In 1909 the town requested the name be changed in honor of its original donor, C.W. Anderson.
As in the case of much of county parkland, this land was originally low and swampy. With underdrainage and fill, the trapezoidal-shaped tract was transformed into a beautifully landscaped park, featuring large shade trees and sprawling lawns. The design for the park was completed on August 4, 1903, by the Olmsted Brothers firm.
The park is unstructured and is generally used for strolling, Frisbee playing, and informal picnics. Therefore, no construction has been planned for this park. The passive scenery suits this quiet suburban neighborhood, in contrast to the heavily developed parks of Newark, illustrating how park design is dictated by the needs of the surrounding community.
