The other day, a friend invited me to join her on a walk in Cedar Grove Park, a beautiful expanse that I’d passed once while driving but hadn’t yet made time to visit.
We pulled into the ample parking lot, made a quick stop in the immaculate restroom, wandered over to the pristine bocce ball courts and playground, and all I could think was: [...]
I live about a mile from the drug store. A post office and a Starbucks are across the street. One block north is one of my favorite gift shops.
When I walk "uptown" to run some errands, it absolutely takes more time than if I drive. But the experience is 100 times better.
I love looking at people's gardens on my way to do my errands. I'm a sucker for pretty flowers - they remind me to pay attention to what's beautiful in the [...]
I'm practically breathless, and it's not from the pollen. May in Montclair is in full bloom and there is truly not enough time in my days for it all.
"May in Montclair" is not simply a town during the spring. "May in Montclair" became a "thing," in 1979, when the town first distributed a calendar of events listing everything to see and do. [...]
If you had asked me decades ago, when I first moved to this area, whether a walkable suburb was for everyone, I think I would have said no. I think I'd have assumed that only those of us coming from New York City - the walker's mecca of the U.S. - would have understood and appreciated the benefits of living in an area that is easy to [...]
I've gone through years of outlandish resolutions (lose 25 pounds by February, finish all the half-read books on my nightstand, eat kale at every meal), and I've greeted the New Year with no resolutions at all. But this year, I've thought about how I can take better advantage of this amazing community I live in -- and also how I can give [...]
This Saturday (August 15) is the Montclair Jazz Festival, an all-day music-fest that takes place at Nishuane Park. This rain-or-shine event includes performances by Jose James, The Paquito D'Rivera Quintet and The Christian McBride Big Band as well as many other ensembles and big bands.
People show up at noon with blankets and lawn chairs [...]
I guess it goes without saying that a walkable town is also a bikeable town, but there are things a town can do to make biking easier and safer, and Montclair keeps doing them. Community group Bike and [...]
A few years ago I rode my bike to the local farmers' market to get some Swiss chard for dinner. PAWS (Pound Animal Welfare Society) had a booth set up with orphaned cats and dogs. I did not come home with chard that day, but instead with a beautiful Siamese kitten. (Too little to ride safely in my bike basket, I pedaled home so I could [...]
As a longtime resident of Montclair, I've always thought of my town as a very friendly community. Apparently the U.S. Department of Transportation thinks so too; Montclair was just designated a [...]
