Juan Pablo Duarte, Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Antonio Maceo y Grajales and Christopher Columbus are a few of the Latin-American heroes who are immortalized at Union City’s Ellsworth Park. Their statues are scattered throughout the two-square block park between New York Avenue and 24th Street. The traffic surrounding the park is notable, but a walk in the park alleviates any stress the city may cause.
Ellsworth is often referred to as the "Park of Heroes" by residents because of its statues. It has a playground for children during the warm-weather months, and it hosts the Hudson Shakespeare Company during the summer, according to Union City spokeswoman Gail Kaufman.
"It’s very heavily used by the residents and it has a real neighborhood feeling," Kaufman said. "It’s just a great little park."
The park was built after World War I as a memorial to the city’s veterans. It was renovated several years ago to include a toddler recreation area. During the school year, parents walk their kids through the park, and local retired folks sit at benches to read periodicals.
During a recent visit, we spoke with Roberto, a Union City resident who frequents Ellsworth to read Spanish newspapers. He has lived in the neighborhood for more than three decades, and commented on the changes he has seen.
"The park used to be really bad a long time ago," the old man said in broken English. "They fixed it up nice. It looks much better now. Kids play here. I come here too."
Every Thursday at 7 p.m., the "Theatre in the Park" series takes place in the center of Ellsworth. It features music, poetry, and plays.
The Current will be visiting a different Hudson County park each week throughout the summer. Do you have a favorite park in Hudson County? Let us know by writing to current@hudsonreporter.com. q