Central Park is open space, yet it has a zoo, restaurants, reservoir usage and other active uses.

When I first moved here the zoo was a sad little one and the arena a real dump.

I think we should be glad that this part of Essex county has turned into a multi-activity entertainment and recreation area that is a real destination and benefit.

Not everything government develops or does is bad.

Everybody's property tax got 1-2% EXTRA increase because of this.

Max is right, the first thing you notice when you return here from other places is the litter. I also notice the rusty lead-paint flaking bridges and the layer of grime coating everything - its from the air. Go elsewhere and then return, you'll see what I mean.

Mountain biking - although its a lot of fun, is dangerous to pedestrians who often are seen by mountain bikers at a stage where its impossible for them to stop or do much of anything except hit them or drive off the trail and risk serious injury. I know, Ive done mountain biking.. and its a lot of fun, but God help you if some elderly hiker who is hard of hearing appears on the path. Its a real disaster for all concerned. Mountain bike trails are the equivalent of a ski run, trails should either have speed limits for bikes that are STRICTLY enforced or be labelled single use, one or the other.

There are many recreation areas that do a great job of providing various types of paths for folks with different recreation needs/desires. Based on my experience on most of the trails in the res between South Orange Ave and MIllburn, you could create a relatively easy (green) bike path that would not really attract the extremist but allow for family biking and create additional recreation opportunities within the res. I do see folks biking pretty regularly even though technically they are not supposed to. I agree mountain biking can be dangerous but I have practically been run over by dogs who are not being well managed by their owners while running, so clearly marked trails and some level of personal responsibility are required. This is not a racial idea; It is well done in many parts of the country including other ares of Jersey. Essex county really lags behind in bike trail and route availability.

Agreed with Max that they should create a separate biking trail which could gear a bit toward family oriented trail. That is very much needed and very hard to find in this area.

Lovelier!? The corner was nothing but a mud pile. And as I said in another comment, the zoo and arena were dumps.

There is still plenty of Reservation that is in its natural state (and quite improved in condition from a decade ago).

I think that we have a lot of important things we should be spending our money on that seem far more important to me than expensive restaurants that quite possibly will (lacking success) either turn into money losers, or (if successful) will impact existing businesses.

It just does not strike me as making sense for the county to be entering the restaurant business on this level.

I also find Tavern on the Green to be offensive there in Central Park, because its too expensive for most NYC residents.

Where does it all end?

Just want to point out that Essex county is not in the restaurant business. The restaurant is privately owned and run under lease.

@MarkDS - really? So the $4 million of our tax dollars Joe D used to *build* this turkey was just an illusion? That's not "privately owned." "Privately owned" is when McLoone spends $4 million of *his* money to build Joe D's Tavern On The Reservoir. Some lease too, it'll take 15 years just for the taxpayers to earn back their "investment." That is if McLoone is still around to run it 15 years from now...

So I guess every restaurant, or any business for that mater, in any space that leases from a landlord, who built the building, is "owned" by the landlord?

The county erected this building for a specific purpose, with a particular lessee in mind. So yeah, in this instance the county is in the restaurant business. But I guess if you want to get technical, we can say the county is in the real estate business. But that isn't something that government should be doing either. As @Damian pointed out there are plenty of truly "private" restaurants right across the street.

Do they own the building they are housed in? I bet not all of them do.

So? Do the taxpayers own those buildings? No! That makes them 100% "private."

The taxpayers do not need to own buildings that are then leased out to politically connected third parties. Buying Kips Castle was a waste of money, and now building this restaurant is another waste of money too.

Isn't the Highlawn Pavillion owned by the county but leased out? That seems to be successful.

A great many permanent houses these days are built on land that has a 99 year lease, and when that 99 years is up, the owner of the land often can say, "Im not renewing the lease, you have 3 months - or worse, 30 days- to leave. Anything that remains, attached to the land, is the owners, not the lessees, once that time expires. Millions of residents of trailer parks are now in the same situation, They tried to responsibly take an intermediate step between renting and the uncertainty of renting not knowing what your landlords plans are for a building, and home ownership, where you have much more control over your life, but often cannot afford the mortgage payment plus interest if your job situation changes. They are vanishing very quickly. So, how is a restaurant lease different. I think that if its the county's land, and the lease fails to pan out as planned, they should cut their losses and replace it with another. Otherwise how is it different from sweetheart deals like the ones that enriched so many nascent would be capitalists when the USSR collapsed and the free market took over. State owned assets and land were sold off at kopecks on the ruble of their true value, if that, to the most well connected of the "new Russians" (code word for mobsters) Millions of pensioners who had thought they could remain in their apartments until they died found themselves hounded day and night by work crews with jack hammers and professional building emptiers who would threaten them out.

Yep. "Eagle Rock Reservation is a 408.33-acre tract of wooded land located in the central section of Essex County on the crest of Watchung's First Mountain. The mountain got its name in the early 19th century, when bald eagles were said to nest in the rocky cliffs on the eastern edge. The reservation is primarily undeveloped, and is laced with bridle paths and hiking trails. Lookout Point provides visitors with a spectacular view of the New York skyline

The first purchase of land took place in 1895, and the entire tract was finally assembled in 1907. Frederick Law Olmsted created a preliminary design for the reservation which was further developed by the Olmsted Firm in the early 1900's.

A historic structure that sat on the crest is the old casino built in 1911. This was an open masonry shelter with a series of arches. It has since been transformed into the Highlawn Pavilion restaurant. This saved the structure, which had been subject to vandalism and slated for demolition. (The term "casino" refers to an Italian style county dwelling or summer house.)"

The same thing is happening in American cities. Working people are being tossed out of longtime residences to make way for condo conversions. An multi-bedroom apartment that used to house an entire family becomes a pied-a-terre for a single globetrotting bachelor or bachelorette, for use a few times a year, usually playing host to a drunken party, members of the new "Trustafarian" class.

Good point Damien, about the existing restaurants in that area. This is the payback they get for being good citizens and paying taxes, to have the county go into competition with them.

Is there any chance that building the big arena was a mistake and its losing a lot of money, and the county is desperate to hide that loss with a money maker? The only reason I ask that is that all across the country, lots of cities and counties have built arenas, often for local sports team owners, and often with the promise of job creation as bait, but then they end up standing deserted, while requiring round the clock security, huge money losers. Its even worse when eminent domain was used to acquire the land to build them (not uncommon). So they often used eminent domain to forcibly acquire control of the land, seeing dollar signs, usually partnering with a developer who inevitably was not exposed to risk but who was cut in on the profit.. But then the crowds dont come and its a huge loss..

That kind of thing is a very real risk when you live like we do in a nation that is flirting with banana-republicanism.. The powerful basically use government spending as a way to funnel tax money to them and put the people of the country on the hook for their losses. Its a looting strategy, plain and simple.

What restaurants? As far as I know, other than McDonald's, the other restaurants on that strip of Northfield have all been shut down for a good amount of time. Pretty sure McDonald's doesn't care.

No one will invest in a restaurant with a 5 year lease, it's too short.

Good point. You know, I'm sure you're right. And that would be a deal killer.

You know, I don't know enough about this issue to be pontificating the way I am on it. It might well end up to be a unique, positive place to eat, that I enjoy going to. So, maybe I should shut up at least until after I've been there and had a meal.

I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

+1 on that max, me too. That's really important.

I like the zoo and I appreciate the fact that a lot of people visit it. We are lucky to have it.

Yeah, waiters and bartenders are infamous for making $2,000 political donations each election cycle.

Let me guess, youre a Republican, right?