Verona

Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the township population was 13,533. Located in the valley between the First and Second Watchung Mountains, Verona is primarily a residential community, although it also has commercial areas. In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as “Top Places to Live in New Jersey”.

One of Verona’s most charming features is Verona Park, the fifth largest in the Essex County Park system. The 54 acre park features twin lakes and a picturesque bridge that is a favorite location for wedding photographers. There is a modernized expanded boathouse that is adjacent to the 13-acre lake is used for boating and fishing. Craft shows and concerts are special events held in the park. It is home to many joggers and runners who make their way through the 1.2 mile course around the lakes. There are also tennis courts and several playgrounds. Kip’s Castle.

Verona is also home to many other parks and recreational facilities including:

• The Verona Community Center, built in 1997, provides a gym, game room, ballroom, and conference room.
• The Verona Pool featuring an Olympic-Size pool with 2 springboards and 2 water slides; child’s pool; playground; basketball; volleyball; racquetball and shuffleboard.
• Sports Fields including: Veteran’s Field (2 softball/baseball fields as well as an athletic field); Centennial Field, an artificial turf field; and Everett Field, a small baseball and football park dedicated to the family who donated the land to the township.
• Other major parks include parts of the Eagle Rock Reservation; Hilltop Reservation, on the grounds of the former Essex Mountain Sanatorium with its many hiking and mountain biking trails; and the newest addition to the park system, Kip’s Castle Park, located on 10.5 acres and featuring a turn of the century castle-style mansion with a large carriage house.