26.2 miles Through New Monmouth: The “Middle” of Middletown

Bernie Daus – Middletown BOE Candidate

My 26.2-mile run through the New Monmouth section of Middletown took me past High School North, New Monmouth Elementary School, Chanceville Park, Evergreen Park, Mater Dei Park and track, the Post Office, our Public Library, Tindall Park, and mile after mile of quiet residential streets. My son joined me, following on his bike, for much of this journey.

Somewhere along the way, a thought occurred to me – New Monmouth puts the “Middle” in Middletown. Geographically, it is the center of town.  Uniquely, it is exclusively surrounded by other sections of Middletown – it doesn’t touch a Middletown town border. After spending 26.2 miles there, I think the “Middle” description fits in another way too - New Monmouth feels like a hub of everyday Middletown life.

My impression of New Monmouth is that it is a true bedroom community. It is a quiet residential area where people live, sleep, play, educate their children, and raise their families. There is no dramatic waterfront, no major downtown, and no defining commercial district. Instead, the community centers on homes, schools, parks, recreation, a few main roads, and neighborhood streets.

One of my favorite discoveries was the network of pedestrian paths behind the Middletown Library and another shortcut behind New Monmouth Elementary School, connecting New Monmouth Road to Tindall Road. I also found the Oakdale Dr. path linking Alice V. Tomaso Plaza to Daniel Towers – another cool pedestrian shortcut!  I have driven through this area thousands of times without appreciating how these neighborhoods connect on foot.

That is a major reason I enjoy these marathon runs through Middletown.

When I cover 26.2 miles on foot, I see things differently. I notice the side streets, the shortcuts through the woods, the footpath beyond the end of the road, where children can walk safely, how neighborhoods connect, and where people gather. I see things that are easy to miss driving through on the main roads.

Tindall Park was another good example. I have passed it plenty of times, but on foot I got a much better sense of how active it is. Between the playground, off-leash dog run, basketball courts, and what appeared to be Middletown’s pickleball central, it is clearly an important place in the New Monmouth community. Nearby, the Middletown Library, New Monmouth Elementary School, and Middletown High School North create an educational and civic center for this part of town. Mater Dei Park, Chanceville Park, Evergreen Park, the Post Office, and other community spaces/amenities add to that network. These are the places around which families organize their lives. Schools are obviously a major part of that. New Monmouth Elementary and Middletown North are not simply buildings where children attend class. Families organize years of their lives around them. Friendships begin there. Kids grow up there. Parents meet one another there. 

New Monmouth feels so comfortable, established, exquisitely residential, and family-centered, and it puts the “Middle” in Middletown; it is our town’s hub.