Manalapan Recreation Center — Local services in Manalapan Township

As a long time Manalapan resident, we used the Rec Center for the first time today. Was a last minute decision to celebrate my 16 year old's birthday with 12 of his friends outdoors. We arrived around 11:30a and we found an empty seating area and an openl field near Dreyer Pavilion. Within an hr 2 Rec Center staff approach us asking if we had reserved the spot, we said no. They said we need a reservation, we said next time we will. They said what if someone with a reservation shows up. We informed them that we would gladly move. We saw lots of people occupying other seating areas at nearby fileds. But they seem to have singled us out.

Couple of hours later 2 other Rec Center staff show up around 2:58p. They asked if we had reserved the spot, I again said no. They said we need to leave the place and remove all items by 3p. I told them I can't pack up in 2 mins. They said fine, someone with a reservation is coming at 3:30 so do it before that. The park was almost empty, including the parking lots, I doubted anyone would show up. We packed up everything by 3:30p and waited until 4p to see if anyone would show up. No one did....surprise surprise!

The Rec Center staff lied to us and even though the park was pretty much empty, forced us to pack up and leave. The kids were playing soccer and we saw many groups/families of 4-8 using various Rec Center facilities. I doubt most had any reservations and the Rec Center staff didn't seem to mind that.

These township employees decided to enforce "reservation requirements" on us, even when the spot we used was available, and no one else showed up to use the spot. No one in my party caused any trouble, we cleaned up after us, the pictures are proof of that. The Rec Center and the Park & Recs Supervisor should avoid misusing it's authority and harass township residents in this manner. During COVID-19, gatherings indoor can be risky. They should understand that families sometimes cannot make arrangements weeks ahead. Alternatively they should have a real-time online reservation system, so people can reserve available spots/facilities same day. Instead they have an archaic paper based system that take 10 days to be approved. Instead of harassing residents, the Township should improve their services.

I took pictures between 3-4p today to show how...

Creepy Uncle Dave here. I’m sitting here at the Manalapan Rec Center watching my Nephew’s baseball game and started thinking about how nice this place is. In the town I grew up in there wasn’t a lot of extra space for a place like this. Sure I had baseball fields, soccer fields but they were scattered throughout the town and were not nearly as nice as these. I told my boss one time that my town was so poor that my schools football field doubled as the parking lot of the local Texas Wiener. The only good part about that was that after the game we would all get free hotdogs if we won. I never got a hotdog though. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we don’t always appreciate what we have. This is a really nice park. The one bathroom could use some updating but it’s usable. I mean you’re not eating off the floor or nothing. Check out the fitness trail, the awesome soccer fields and the pickleball courts. I’m still not really sure what the hell pickleball is. They look nice though. Check it...

Pickleball review. The pickleball courts are nice and enclosed in an old hockey rink. 2 of the courts have large and noticeable cracks in the concrete and lumps in the concrete. Week nights the courts are usually full and you can put your paddle on the wall and easily find a game. It's hit or miss. Sometimes the crowd is a bit more aggressive, running to put paddles on the wall, or slamming balls in your face. Other nights it's much more inviting and friendly. It just depends which crowd shows up. Overall it's a good experience for a pickleball player looking for a bit more competition during peak hours in the evening. Lights stay on until 9:55....