Welcome to the neighborhood(s), Aaron Rodgers! As you settle into your new $9.5 million contemporary mansion on the Montclair-Cedar Grove border, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you explore everything the area has to offer so you’re not in the dark.
From music and art to food and drink, here’s your playbook for enjoying Montclair and Cedar Grove:
Pools
Even though it’s a 4,000-square-foot mansion on nearly two acres of land, made of walls of windows, has a media room, wine cellar and a three-car garage with a charging station, your new home does not have a swimming pool. If you want to swim a few laps or layout and work on your tan, Bradford Bath & Tennis Club in Cedar Grove is popular with residents from both towns. You might feel at home at the Montclair Beach Club, which also has a two-town identity (Clifton/Montclair). Or, you could join your town(s) pool: Cedar Grove or Montclair Township.
Art & Culture
Music
You’ll be happy to learn that Montclair is a great town for music fans. You can catch a concert at The Wellmont Theater or Outpost in the Burbs, enjoy the annual Montclair Jazz Festival, see live music at Just Jake’s, Tierney’s Tavern and Pineapple Express and even sharpen your guitar playing skills by taking an adult music class at School of Rock Montclair.
Art
Montclair has a vibrant arts and culture scene. Explore the impressive collection of American and Native American art at Montclair Art Museum or visit one of the many galleries showcasing local artists, such as Studio Montclair or at one of the many Bravitas Group properties. And of course, you’ll want to catch a movie at The Clairidge.
Trivia
We know how much you love Jeopardy, so you’ll be happy to know several local establishments host weekly trivia nights: Pineapple Express in Montclair hosts Thursday Trivia Night, Montclair Brewery hosts Taproom Trivia on Wednesdays and The Grasshopper in Cedar Grove hosts Tuesday Trivia.
Food & Drink
Coffee & Tea
If you’re looking for a hot cup of tea or coffee, Montclair and Cedar Grove have plenty of options. They don’t sell Ayahuasca, but you can get a great British cuppa at The Tea Store. If you’re in the mood for coffee, Local Coffee, Paper Plane Coffee Co., Java Love, Red Eye Cafe and The Corner are all fantastic choices in Montclair! Cedar Beans in Cedar Grove is an excellent spot for a cup of Joe and great live music.
Bakeries
If you have a penchant for pastries, a craving for croissants or a weakness for warm, freshly baked goods, Montclair has just the treat for you. The Little Daisy Bake Shop offers delicious peanut- and nut-free treats, the Basque cheesecake at Vesta is life-changing, The Pie Store has fantastic sweet and savory pies, Montclair Bread Company is the place for donuts and Le French Dad Boulangerie has croissants that are c’est magnifique.
Restaurants
Montclair offers a wide variety of restaurants that offer a diverse range of flavors and cuisines. There are too many to include, but here are some restaurants that should be at the top of your “must-try” list: If you can get a reservation, pastaRAMEN blends Italian and Japanese in a hip and modern way; Faubourg is a gorgeous French brasserie; Raymond’s is a long time Montclair establishment on Church Street known for its French toast; Meet Me at Madison’s is a lovely family-owned Latin-fusion spot that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner; Samba offers a delicious gluten-free taste of Brazil; In the mood for steak? Check out The Maddox; We recommend the BBQ at Pineapple Express; There are many pizza options in town, but we’re partial to Brick + Dough and Porta.
Bars
Looking for a place to unwind with a drink? Check out some of the best bars in town. Faubourg, Halcyon, Porta, Pharmacie Bar, or DeNovo are all great spots to grab a fantastic cocktail. If beer is more your style, head to Egan & Sons or Tierney’s Tavern for a perfectly poured pint. And definitely try some locally brewed beer at Montclair Brewery.
As you can see, Montclair and Cedar Grove have a lot going on. We hope this playbook helps you settle into your new home and explore all the amazing things these towns have to offer.
As a Chicago Bears fan, I have lots of reasons to dislike Aaron Rodgers. But I do not. He’s a great quarterback. He’s also an iconoclast, a free-thinker who liked his Butte Junior College experience better than his time at Cal-Berkeley, a selective anti-vaxxer, and a conservative in more ways than a liberal. And he is not obsessed with politics. These are not reasons to dislike a person, but one wonders in this town. Perhaps a change in the terms of celebrity worship will do us good.
I suspect he’ll find the people of Cedar Grove more to his liking than Montclair, since he grew up in Chico, CA and spent the last nearly two decades in Wisconsin. Nonetheless, he chose Montclair. We should all be grateful, New York Giants fans included, every time he writes a big check to our profligate town government, courtesy of the Jets and their hapless enablers. Spend it well, oh ye beknighted bureaucrats, for he is not cut from the same cloth as we sad commuters, and his time on this sorry patch of ground is short. As in a max four years, or two more likely when he decides the New York media just isn’t worth it.
I always wondered why the sun set over First Mountain so much later in Upper Montclair. This explains it.
Actually Aaron won’t be writing out tax checks to Montclair. He’ll be sending all his money to Cedar Grove. Look up 349 Crestmont in the Essex County tax database. You’ll find 2 records – one in Cedar Grove and one for the small amount of the lot that’s in Montclair. The Montclair listing says “Assessed in Cedar Grove”.
https://www.taxdatahub.com/6229fbf0ce4aef911f9de7bc/Essex%20County
I remember when we moved to town, the Montclair Times devoted a special section welcoming us, and directing us to Charlie Brown’s and the DLV Lounge.
Charlie Brown’s was the Faubourg of a simpler time. Besides the difference in the cuisine you knew 3/4 of the crowd. A very different time and a very different town.
Yes, a different town. Last night at a Watchung literary event a young parent (early 30’s) asked Joyce Carol Oates how she stays relevant.
Time to go-go.
Frank,
Tik-tok?
Tik-tok? I don’t think so.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The color of the light at sunrise at sunset are magical in that location. The views are non plus ultra. Priceless.
Living in a glass house is rather challenging these days with the wildfires’ smoke. A good window washer charged about $2k about 10 yrs ago. Since then, I’ve just been using a garden hose and now at least once a week. I look at this website daily… https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Essex%20Fells&state=NJ&country=USA
I miss Charlie Brown. We went there for all the birthdays.
I loved that Charlie Brown period. It was the best.
If Montclair were Rome Italy, Charlie Brown’s was our Piazza Navona. We would go frequently as youngsters and my mother would enjoy her Manhattans. Even Mr. Berra would go there when it was too crowded…
Lofty thinking, Frank.
Maybe we ought to have a contest: “If Montclair were…” with a weekly winner chosen to fill in the sentence and complete the conditional.
How about, “If Sean Spiller were Mayor Daly…” or “If Bloomfield Avenue were the Champs Elysees…”. Even better, “If the Montclair City Council were the People’s Republic of Kampuchea…”
And Charlie Brown’s really was like home. Every town needs one like that.
TBTF,
I can think of two of our current ‘leaders’ who would be more in their element in the People’s Republic of Kampuchea than in Montclair. I believe a despotic streak is a prerequisite in PRK’s leadership.