Why Now?

The Great Falls Neighborhood is culturally diverse. On its east side, its Peruvian population has developed Market Street into “Peru Square,” a district of over forty Peruvian restaurants, bakeries, and groceries. On the west side of the neighborhood, a section of Union Avenue is known as “Bangladesh Boulevard” due to its shops and restaurants reflecting the neighborhood’s Bangladeshi community, which is its single largest immigrant nationality.

The neighborhood also has sizable Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Mexican populations, whose heritage is reflected and celebrated through parades, restaurants, businesses, place of worship, public art, and civic organizations. The neighborhood even continues reflecting the cultural imprint of its former inhabitants, such as through the numerous public sculptures of Italian-American artist Gaetano Federici. This cultural diversity forms the basis for the potential success of numerous plan strategies, including Strategy 5.2: Curate the Neighborhood with Arts and Cultural Works and Events, and Strategy 2.1: Support Local Businesses and Commercial Corridors.

While the National Historical Park takes center stage, the neighborhood also has a number of other parks, playgrounds, and green spaces. Westside Park consists of 26.6 acres sitting along the Passaic River waterfront. While in need of a significant redesign, the park nonetheless possesses tremendous potential. On the neighborhood’s east side, Lou Costello Park is in the final stages of a $1.3 million renovation that includes a new playground with features for children with autism, as well as improvements to the park’s lighting and landscaping. Separate from the park, Lou Costello Pool is a great community asset providing both fun and relief from the heat on warm summer days.

The neighborhood also has a great potential new park in the yet to be realized Vista Park. Purchased in 2016 through the New Jersey Green Acres Program, the undeveloped 8.4-acre tract sits on a cliff overlooking the Passaic River and “Valley of the Rocks” area of the National Park. This plan looks to finally turn Vista Park from a promising concept into a real park.