I am Lakewood born and raised so my review might be a little biased or it might be full of years of experience, I'll let you decide.
I've been coming to the Lakewood Park since before the new playground, which is no longer new, I think it's about 15 years old now... but anyway, the park has gone through some major changes, all for the better. The addition of the waterfront walk way has made the park even better (again this isn't a new addition it's like 9 years old, I'm really dating myself aren't I?)
They also have wonderful programs that they put on during the summer like the Friday Night Flicks and the Sunday band concerts. This place is great fun for the entire family, they have the playground, open fields for play, beach volleyball, paths for walking, baseball fields, the pool, and the skate park.
I cannot recommend this place enough for anyone looking to get outside anytime of year, but especially in the summer. You'll see so many friendly faces and hopefully make some memories as fond as the ones that I made there in my youth.