westfield news Archives - Luxury Homes/Top Towns

Westfield Area Cities Make Top 20 Best Places to Live in NJ List

March 18, 2022 by Scott Gleason

What do Short Hills, Westfield, Summit, and Chatham Township all have in common? Great schools. Great homes. Awesome people. Oh, and they all made Niche.com’s 2022 Top 20 Best Places to Live in New Jersey List. How did Niche.com determine their rankings and what made these Westfield area cities so special? I’m glad you asked.

No surprise here. Four Westfield area cities landed among the top 20 of Niche.com's Best Places to Live in New Jersey list for 2022.

Westfield Area Cities Named Among Top 20 Best Places to Live in NJ

How Niche.com Determined Rankings

Niche.com gathers data from various sources, such as the US Census, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Tax Foundation, the FBI Uniform Crime Report, local surveys, and more. Then, they sort this information into 15 separate categories. Cost of living and higher education rate receive the most weight (12.5% each) while the shortest commute makes up 2% of each city’s overall grade.

Short Hills (#12) came in tops among the four cities in the Westfield area on this list. It also landed on top of the Best Places to Live in Essex County list. Westfield itself followed closely behind at #13. Niche.com ranked it #1 of the Best Places to Live in Union County. Summit hit the #18 spot in the entire state but #2 in Union County. Chatham Township closed out the state’s rankings at #20 and landed in the #2 spot for Morris County, following right behind Mountain Lakes. All four cities received an overall “A+” rating from Niche.com’s panel. Short HIlls also filled the top spot for Best Public Schools in New Jersey. Westfield’s public schools, nightlife, jobs, recreation, and family-friendly atmosphere received “A” grades all around.

Westfield is no stranger to Niche.com’s “Best” lists. They have consistently ranked in the top 20 “Best of New Jersey” lists for several years, including the Best Suburbs to Live in New Jersey in 2020 and the Best Places to Live in New Jersey in 2019. In fact, this year’s placement of #13 on the state’s overall list is an improvement on the #15 spot they ranked in 2021.

Our Westfield area market is seeing a lot of buyer interest right now. So, if you wish to put your home on the market anytime soon, please contact me right away.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes

Westfield Makes Top 10 List of Best Suburbs to Live in NJ

February 19, 2021 by Scott Gleason

Niche.com collects data on various cities all over the country. They compile this data in different “best of” lists. In 2020, they put Westfield in the top 10 of their Best Suburbs to Live in New Jersey list. (It is a little too early in the year to be releasing their 2021 list.) That actually moved us up a spot from our 2019 rankings. But that really does not surprise anyone who lives here.

Niche.com put Westfield in the #6 spot of its 2020 Top 10 Best Suburbs to Live in New Jersey, moving it up one spot from 2019.

Westfield Ranked in Top 10 Best Suburbs to Live in NJ

How Niche.com Determines Rankings

The folks at Niche.com base each city’s ranking on 15 separate categories. These include the cost of living, education, housing, public schools, and diversity among other things. They pull data from a variety of sources, including the US Census Bureau, FBI, US Department of Education, and local surveys. Each category equals a percentage of the overall score.

Why Westfield Made the Grade

While our cost of living may be higher than some other cities in New Jersey, we excel in just about every other category Niche.com judged us in. Our excellent public school system, community health and access to healthcare, and our family-friendly community set us in the “A+” category. Meanwhile, our abundance of outdoor activities, our economic growth, high employment rate, and an array of restaurants, bars, and entertainment options achieved “A” status as well. Our low crime rate, diverse population, and short commute times were all given a “B” grade.

With a population of just under 30,000, Westfield residents enjoy the close-knit community that a small town provides. Fortunately, its location allows an easy commute to NYC and everything that the city has to offer (both for work and play). Niche.com also ranked it #9 out of 637 other cities on its 2020 Best Places to Live in New Jersey list. And it made the #14 spot on its 2020 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in New Jersey list.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes

Christmas Tree Disposal Info for Westfield Residents

January 15, 2021 by Scott Gleason

First of all, let me thank everyone who purchased their trees and garlands this year from the Westfield Area Y’s Men’s Christmas Tree Lot. The response we received was tremendous. We sold out of our entire stock well before Christmas Day. All money raised from the lot helps us with our community programs throughout the year. So, we greatly appreciate the public’s patronage. Speaking of Christmas trees, the City recently released their Westfield Christmas tree disposal information to help residents know where to take their trees now that the holidays are over.

Unfortunately, Westfield curbside pickup does not include Christmas tree disposal. But the City allows free drop off at the Conservation Center every Saturday during January.

Christmas Tree Disposal in Westfield

Unfortunately, curbside service does not include Christmas tree disposal. However, they do allow free drop off of all trees, Hanukkah bushes, leaves, and other recyclable materials at the Westfield Conservation Center (1300 Lamberts Mill Rd). Every Saturday in January (from 9 am to 3 pm), residents may take these items to the center for free disposal. Make sure to remove any decorations (tinsel, lights, ribbons, etc.) and the tree stand before dropping it off. This free service is only available to Westfield residents during January. Contact the Conservation Center at (908) 789-4100 for further information.

Also, as a quick reminder, 2021 brings us a new recycling service contract with Grand Sanitation. This may affect curbside recycling service for some Westfield residents. For more information, please visit the City of Westfield’s website here.

COVID Rules at the Conservation Center

The Westfield Conservation Center operates under the CDC’s COVID-19 guidelines. They observe all social distancing protocols. Be aware that this may create longer than usual lines when dropping off your recyclables. Please remain patient. The staff works as quickly as possible to move people through while watching out for the health and safety of the public. Wear a mask when interacting with center staff. And, if you feel sick, stay home. Feel free to come back when you feel better. We are all in this together.

ScoScott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes

Westfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive 2020

November 13, 2020 by Scott Gleason

2020 changed the way we live our lives in many ways. Schools went virtual. Employers sent workers home. Even major events like AddamsFest went virtual. Many businesses are hurting. Some local residents found themselves unemployed and struggling. During the holidays, this stings even more. You can help our less fortunate neighbors by participating in the Westfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive 2020.

Keeping public safety in mind, the Westfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive accepts gift cards to grocery stores instead of food this year.

What: Holiday Food Drive 2020
Where: Westfield Fire Headquarters (405 N Ave W) & Westfield Fire Station #2 (1029 Central Ave)
When: Now Through December 1st
Contact: Westfield FMBA Local 30 via email

Westfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive 2020

Every year, the Westfield Firefighters conduct a holiday food drive for local families in need. This year, the firefighters have already received more requests for meal baskets than they did last year. They need your help to make sure everyone gets taken care of.

With COVID-19 concerns on everyone’s minds, the firefighters will not accept food donations in person this year. Instead, they request gift cards to Trader Joe’s, ShopRite, and Stop & Shop. With these cards, they can go shop for the food they need to create each meal basket.

How to Participate in the Holiday Food Drive

If you wish to participate in the holiday food drive, simply visit one of the three stores listed above. Purchase a gift card in the amount you wish to donate ($5, $10, $25…every bit helps). Then, drop off the gift cards at either the Westfield Fire Headquarters or Station #2 between 8 am and 8 pm any day of the week.

If you cannot drop your gift cards off in person, mail them to:

Westfield FMBA Local 30
405 N Ave W
Westfield, NJ 07090

2020 has been a difficult year to say the least. For some, it’s been more difficult than others. Bring some cheer to families in need this holiday season and support our local firefighters at the same time. Please purchase a gift card today.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes

Westfield Adopt-a-Drain Program

August 28, 2020 by Scott Gleason

One of the best things about living in Westfield is that we take care of each other and our town. That’s an important contributing factor to why we continue to make the list of Top Best Places to Live in NJ each year. City officials created the Westfield Adopt-a-Drain program to encourage residents to assist them in keeping our storm drains clear. This also provides a wonderful opportunity to teach your children pride in their community.

Westfield Adopt-a-Drain Program

When it rains (like this weekend), everything ends up in the storm drains. Grass, leaves, trash, animal waste, and anything else on our sidewalks and streets all make their way down the streets and into these drains. The build-up of materials creates a blockage, backing up water and causing flooding to occur. If left to pool for a period of time, it causes damage to our city streets and walkways.

These drains need to be cleaned regularly to keep the water from backing up. But with 3000 drains, the City has a tough job keeping up with regular cleanings. So, they created the Westfield Adopt-a-Drain program. Simply sign up online, choose a drain near your home, school, or office, and start raking away.

How Often Do I Need to Clear My Storm Drain?

Honestly, twice a month should be enough. But, please, check it before and after a big storm. We need a clear area for proper runoff before the storm starts. And since debris can build up during a storm, cleaning it afterward helps ensure that it continues to provide a clear pathway for future runoff.

Make sure you document your efforts by taking photos and posting them to your social media. Tag the City (@TownofWestfield on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) when you post. Also, visit the online tracking tool to update the stats after you clear the drain. You’ll be provided the information needed to do so when you sign up to adopt a drain. Encourage others to participate. Together, we can continue to make our community a great place to live.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes