The Glen Ridge To Do List

Today's wake up began at 9AM without an alarm clock! Prepared for breakfast, I ate an almond croissant and then Greg made me eggs while I discovered the Business and Travel sections of the NY Times.

After fooling around on the piano for a bit, it was time for a run in cute, small town America! The humidity actually served as a plus to keep the morning from being too cold. Unfortunately, the Glen Ridge High School did NOT have a track to run on, so up and down the neighborhoods it was! The run did provide me the chance to find the EXACT gas lamp that I wanted to take a picture of. Before every trip, I organize a list of things that I must do (and perhaps do) on each journey.

At the heart of small town America

The Glen Ridge To Do List:
1) Picture of a gaslamp
2) Visit Freeman Gardens
3) Walk the GR Bike Path to the gazebo
4) Play the paddleball courts
5) Potential shopping spree (no tax on clothes in NJ!)

One of the trademark legacies of Glen Ridge is its many gaslamps. Although the city is only 1.3 square miles large, it boasts 665 gas lamps out of the 3,000 that remain in the nation.

One of 665 gaslamps the city is known for

The Paddleball Courts on Belleville had no people, so it was completely unexciting, but the opportunity was provided to take some nice pictures. The gazebo, on the other hand, was actually a nice sight to see as it lay next to small waterfalls and a small river and dam. Again, another photo opportunity!

The Glen Bike Path and Gazebo

Bloomfield College is quite nice with its Romanesque-style architecture for its theater. The 12-acre campus truly reflects the area's history and architecture. There is actually pretty decent shopping nearby as small boutiques abound Liberty and Broad Street.

The Robert V. Van Fossan Theater

The walk to Freeman Gardens took a bit, but soon I was at Maolis and Hawthorne. Now operated by the Borough Recreation, it is actually taken care of by resident volunteers. The rose garden was worth it as it was the perfect place to sit and read a book. There, I helped a senior citizen in his wheelchair where he soon blessed me and everyone in my family. Ahaha.

Freeman Gardens

It was time to go back to the 1950s house and take a nap! We soon jumped in the car to go shopping where we discovered a furniture store in the tail-end of a liquidation sale. Somehow, Greg and I negotiated a $1,200 rug for only $170! Skill, baby, skill.

That night, I had a good ole' Chinese take out dinner with Greg's parents while watching "Coming to America" (Yes, I know what I wrote). Gina Roco called and soon we were off at Club Bliss nearby in Clifton. It was pretty decent for a club in the suburbs! Good stuff, Glen Ridge!

Club Bliss in Clifton

Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Before moving to New York City, some time was spent in the little town of Glen Ridge, New Jersey! Greg, another traveler who I met in New Orleans, came all the way from Brooklyn to help me carry my bags. Taking the NJ transit was only $5 to reach thirty minutes outside of New York City, but apparently that is expensive! Go figure.

Although the weather was sprinkling, Glen Ridge seemed to have beautiful homes that look like they came straight from the 1950s. They were so nice that I made the mistake of assuming the Glen Ridge Public Library was another gorgeous home!

We had dinner at the local hotspot of Nevada Diner in nearby Bloomingfield. The little dinner actually provided a tasty chicken quesadilla and a good egg cream milkshake. Note: Make sure to ask for the vanilla milkshake!

Nevada Dinner quesadilla

Back at the parentals' house, I learned to play the bass (i.e. I used the bow to make somewhat of a sound) . Onto tomorrow and my Glen Ridge To Do List!