Morris Canal Park

Okay Okay. I know this place is not being taken care of properly, but I love it. It’s a unique little strip of land that is destined to be undeveloped forever due to it’s history. You can tell that it’s neglected by the city/​county/​state, whoever is supposed to maintain it. Literally, until Hurricane Sandy hit, there was still a plastic plaque at the East End of the park, showing the skyline of Lower Manhattan — pre ⁹⁄₁₁ — with the Twin Towers standing gloriously, and describing the view that you were apparently looking at. I was bummed when that relic got washed out to see after the storm. As others mentioned, many JC locals take their dogs there to dump all over the place, which isn’t awesome, but the pups also dive into the Hudson, which is cool to watch. The views of Downtown Manhattan, and LSP are unparalleled. I have faith that one day, this place will get the love it deserves from the powers that be. Also, I happened to propose to my fiancée here, while my boy sniper-​photographed it from Goldman.

My house lawn is bigger and cleaner than this «park».
It’s a place for locals to walk their dogs when they have to go poo poo.
I’ve seen yuppies try to do yuppie things here… and fail. No, you should NOT play Ultimate Frisbee here, dum dum… it’s tiny and dog/​goose-​crap filled.
Yah, I said it… poo poo.

Kind of dumpy for a park with such nice views of Manhattan. I wish they would just turn it around into a official dog park already. All they would need to do is construct a single fence, considering the unique orientation of this strip of land as a little peninsula.
The existing dog runs in Jersey City leave MUCH to be desired. They’re much too small for running around and have zero drainage in place, so they also reek.
Anyway — my wishes for a decent dog park aside — this park as a «people park» isn’t very well kept. The view is the only thing going for it.

I really wish someone would step up and do the right thing at the Morris Canal Park. Where is Leslie Knopp when you really need her?
This little stretch of land boasts amazing views, and in theory is a great place for Paulus Hook residents to congregate with their dogs, get some sun, play volleyball, picnic, or just hang out. Problem is that the park is a mess. It is often overgrown. Goose poop seems to reign supreme, and you will often find a lot of litter. A lot of dog owners like to take their dogs off leash here to stretch their legs and play, however you risk a hefty fine if the police or animal control happen to be patrolling. Seems like a good use of JC Police time.
There seems to be some development going on around the park, so hopefully this will lead to an upgrade to this little stretch of land.
One plus of this area is that there is a small farmer’s market here on Saturdays from Spring to Fall. I think it goes from about 11 – 4 each Saturday.

Morris Canal Park was unbeknownst to me until only recently, but I’m very glad to have discovered this little area. It’s a very relaxing, peaceful park where you can take a short stroll, jog, take photos, walk your dog, sit back, enjoy the views, etc. Not sure if it’s the best place for picnics though. Grass lands seems to be slightly unkept, and I don’t believe there are any tables around. They have a lot of bench seating though, wide open areas of grass for outdoor activities, and breath-​taking views of Manhattan across the water. This park also includes a dog park — I saw plenty of dogs running around and about freely on my first visit. Right in the heart of Paulus Hook, it’s in a wonderful, neighborhood friendly part of JC and only a few blocks away from the light rail station and by great local bars/​restaurants. With a little more TLC, this park would certainly draw more residents. Make sure to also take a moment to observe the Korean War Memorial adjacent to the park as well.