Manalapan Recreation Center

A wonderful and spacious park with ample parking and multiple well-maintained fields for basketball, baseball, soccer, football, and more. The kids’ play area is clean, safe, and thoughtfully designed—great for families. The lush greenery and peaceful surroundings make it ideal for fitness walks and outdoor relaxation. A perfect spot for both sports enthusiasts and nature lovers.

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 out!
-Creepy Uncle Dave

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. Plenty of parking.