Westfield News Archives - Luxury Homes/Top Towns

Westfield Named in Top 10 Best Places to Live in NJ 2020

July 31, 2020 by Scott Gleason

There are so many things to love about our fair city. Great food options. Lots of shopping. And we always help others in whatever way possible. So it should be no surprise that Westfield ranked in the Top 10 of Niche.com’s Best Places to Live in NJ for 2020.

Niche.com ranked Westfield #9 in its Top 10 Best Places to Live in NJ List for 2020 and #6 on its Best Suburbs to Live in NJ 2020.

Westfield Among Top 10 Best Places to Live in NJ

At #9, Westfield was the top-rated Union County city in New Jersey to make Niche.com’s list. The only other Union County city on the list was New Providence. That makes three years in a row that Niche.com bestowed this honor upon Westfield. Our real estate market has seen an increase in buyer demand even with COVID-19.

Niche.com bases their rankings on 12 different factors. These include public schools, jobs, health and fitness, outdoor activities, nightlife, and whether it’s a good place for families. All of these received “A” grades, with public schools, health, and fitness, and good for families receiving an A+ each. Commute time, housing, crime and safety, diversity, and weather all received “B” grades.

The majority of Westfield residents own their homes. This shows in how well-maintained our properties are. That shows a pride of ownership. The city offers a wide variety of restaurants, boutiques, and coffee shops as well as parks. Its easy commute into the City makes it a fantastic option for workers who desire a more suburban home life. (It’s also #6 on Niche.com’s Best Suburbs to Live in New Jersey 2020, too.)

Best Places to Live in New Jersey 2020

#1 – Princeton
#2 – Princeton Junction
#3 – Upper Montclair
#4 – Ridgewood
#5 – Mountain Lakes
#6 – Princeton Meadows
#7 – Springdale
#8 – Monmouth Junction
#9 – Westfield
#10 – New Providence

If you’d like to purchase a Westfield home, contact me. I’d be happy to show you everything this town has to offer.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Westfield Virtual Pizza Run 2020

June 26, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Every July for the past 19 years, the Downtown Westfield Corporation has hosted a pizza run. It has become a summertime ritual enjoyed by thousands of people every year. But how do you host an event like this amid COVID-19 concerns? You go virtual. How do you participate in a Westfield Virtual Pizza Run 2020? It’s pretty easy, actually.

This year, the Downtown Westfield Corp changes up their annual pizza run due to COVID-19 concerns. This year, it's the Westfield Virtual Pizza Run.

What: Westfield Virtual Pizza Run 2020
Where: Anywhere in Westfield
When: Sunday, July 19th
Cost: $35 per person
Contact: Downtown Westfield Corp (908) 789-9444 or via email

Westfield Virtual Pizza Run 2020

Instead of crowding together at a starting line in the downtown area, this year’s pizza run lets you start from wherever you decide. And unlike weekday pizza runs of the past, this year’s virtual run takes place on a Sunday. Why? To get more people involved.

How the Virtual Run Works

First step, register. Do so before July 2nd and receive an official Virtual Race T-shirt. Wear it with pride while running on July 19th. When you register, you receive instructions for what to do on race day. Download the Trackster app to track your progress and race time. You’ll need to upload that information by the end of race day to determine race winners.

Instead of grabbing yourself a slice of pizza at the finish line, everyone who registers receives a $3 coupon to use at any Downtown Westfield pizzeria. You have until the end of July to use it. In addition, 50 lucky people receive “golden tickets” with their registration. That entitles you to one free pizza pie in the future. All race winners receive a free pizza, too.

Fundraising

All proceeds raised from the Pizza Run go towards beautification and recovery efforts in the Downtown Westfield area. If you’d like, you can either create a fundraising group of your own or join one already in progress. Coach Sam Tooley with the Alpha Fit Club hosts a special Virtual 5K workout station on Quimby Street at 9 am this Sunday, June 28th. It’s free to join. Plus, he also has his own Alpha Squad fundraising group for the virtual run on July 19th. Find out how to join his squad at the workout.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Westfield Clothing Drive for AGAPE Community Kitchen

May 8, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Expect to see cold, wet weather this weekend. It might not be the best time for yard work or projects to boost your curb appeal. But, forget the binge-watching for a moment. Instead, tackle some spring cleaning chores by clearing out your closet. Then, bag up your stuff for our local Presbyterian Church’s Westfield Clothing Drive. Money raised from the sale of donated items benefits the church’s AGAPE Community Kitchen program.

Do some spring cleaning at your house this weekend and help those less fortunate by donating your gently used clothing, linens, stuffed animals, and accessories to the Westfield Clothing Drive for AGAPE Community Kitchen on May 17th-20th, 2020.

What: Westfield Clothing Drive
Where: Presbyterian Church in Westfield (140 Mountain Ave)
When: May 17th to 21st
Contact: Janet Smith, Event Coordinator via email

Westfield Clothing Drive

Towards the end of March, the Presbyterian Church in Westfield followed the same protocols put in place for restaurants. They suspended their weekly Wednesday dinner program due to public health concerns from COVID-19. As of the writing of this post, the kitchen remains closed. However, when officials OK their reopening, they plan on firing up the grill and serving hot meals again.

To get ready for their reopening, they are hosting a clothing drive. What do clothes have to do with feeding hungry people? The money raised from the sale of your donated items helps the kitchen purchase food to feed these hungry people. All you have to do is bag up your gently used clothing, bedding, pillows, towels, shoes, curtains, ties, belts, and even stuffed animals that your children outgrew or don’t use anymore. Bring these bags down to the church between March 17th and 21st. Toss them into the white van with the church’s name on the side located in the parking lot. Volunteers handle the rest. Practice safe social distancing while helping your less fortunate neighbors.

AGAPE Community Kitchen

The Presbyterian Church in Westfield’s AGAPE program actually takes place in nearby Elizabeth. Volunteers meet every Wednesday afternoon in the Westfield church’s parking at 3:15 pm. The church’s van shuttles these wonderful volunteers to the kitchen in Elizabeth where they prepare a delicious hot meal for dinner guests. They end up back in Westfield around 7:30 pm every week. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the church. Students in grades 6-12 may also sign up to volunteer.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Westfield Farmers Market Opens With Curbside Pickup

May 1, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Millions of New Jersey residents continue to follow Governor Murphy’s Stay at Home order. Currently, only essential businesses remain open, with restrictions. Usually, June marks the start of our local farmer’s market season. However, beginning tomorrow (May 2nd), the Westfield Farmers Market opens with curbside pickup available.

Westfield Farmers Market

Earlier this week, the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce announced that the Westfield Farmers Market would open up early this year. In keeping with social distancing and the CDC’s guidelines on responsible practices, patrons of the market can now place an order from vendors online. Pay for it when you order. Choose a time for pickup (between 10 am and 12 pm). Then, show up to the Westfield Train Station at your designated time.

When you pick up your order, the market staff places your purchased items in the trunk and you go back home with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, baked goods, and more for your family’s dinner table. Basically, no contact shopping. It’s just like shopping on Amazon. But, instead of a huge corporation getting your money, you support local farmers and merchants directly.

Westfield Farmers Market Hours

Right now, orders must be placed online by Thursday evening for the following Saturday’s pickup. They plan on continuing the virtual market/curbside pickup schedule every Saturday until the regular market starts up. Organizers ask that you be patient as they work out the kinks that may arise from this new arrangement.

As long as Westfield residents continue to obey the governor’s stay at home orders, hopefully, the market starts up with business as usual in June. For the latest local COVID-19 information, please visit the City of Westfield’s Coronavirus Information Center.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Westfield Conservation Center Opens…With Limitations

April 17, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Are you practicing good social distancing techniques? With many of us spending more and more time at home lately, we seem to find the time now to tackle those projects around that house that we put off for so long. Maybe you attempted to increase your curb appeal. Or you used your time to do some spring cleaning. In either case, your trash cans might be overflowing at the moment. If you need to bring trash to the dump, you’re in luck. The Westfield Conservation Center recently opened back up to the public. However, for now, they only accept trash on Thursdays and Fridays.

Have you been using your free time to tackle your spring cleaning or completing home improvement projects? You can now bring your trash from these efforts to the Westfield Conservation Center.

Westfield Conservation Center

The City recognizes a need for the conservation center to open back up. But they also want to keep their workers safe by practicing social distancing. To do so, they must stagger their shifts. Yesterday (April 16th), the center opened its doors back up to the public. But people found themselves waiting in long lines to get in. A few hours in, the City suspended their online sales of dumping permits. About an hour before closing, cars thinned out enough to allow online sales to continue.

For the foreseeable future, Westfield Conservation Center hours for residential dumping are restricted to Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am to 2:30 pm. They temporarily put food waste, plastic toys, household bulk waste, and mattress drop-offs on hold. But all other recycling can still be dropped off for free.

How to Get a Permit

With limited staffing in place, you may only buy your annual permit online. It costs $60 for the year. Be aware, however. In times of high volume at the center, the City may temporarily suspend sales of permits online. Just check back later in the day to see if they become available again (like they did on opening day). Once you pay for and print your permit, make sure you keep your paper copy with you to show the staff at the center. For a complete list of acceptable recyclable materials for free drop-off, please visit the Westfield Conservation Center’s website here.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes