Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair is becoming a battleground. Montclair is trying so hard to create a sophisticated, hipster inamge of itself that it's actively trying to push undesirable businesses - tattoo parlors, car dealerships, 99 cent stores - off Bloomfield Ave., in favor of upscale restaurants and boutiques.
There's nothing quite like Bloomfield Ave. Montclair, although I may be prejudiced because this is my hometwon. There's about a million hair salons, and we're known for having restaurants of all different ethnicities. I found Chinese, Jamaican, Guyanese, Chinese, Indian, West Indian, Thai, Japanese, Cuban, Italian, Ethiopian, French, Moroccan, Turkish and Soul Food restaurants.
Dressing for Pleasure, #220, was one of the most controversial stores to open in Montclair, and I'm sure the town would be glad to see it go. It's a pretty kinky sex shop which, as was explained to me in detail, has separate rooms for clothes, shoes and toys. Notable items include chain mail vests, studded bras, and crotch-high boots. My favorite was a personal stocks and pillory, like they used to hold criminals in public in colonial times.
The Bloomfield Ave. Cafe and Stage, #347, is one of my favorite places in town. It's a dilapidated little underground place that provides a substance and alcohol-free place for struggling rock bands to perform. My friend played here a few times with her band, PointFive, on the same stage where The Academy Is ... appeared in the summer 0f 2005 (to put this in perspective, The Academy Is ... is being championed by MTV darling Pete Wentz, of Fall Out Boy). Above it is Park Billiards. These two places are also under siege from the township.
The London Food Company is another fun place, mostly because you've never heard of the stuff they sell inside. It's stocked with British food staples, like scone mix and clotted cream, and all sorts of unusual brands and things you would never think to eat.
I was drawn to Cisco Station, #461, because of the cute architecture. It has a lot of nice clothes inside, but they're all overpriced - $136 fo a shirt?! Thnaks, but no thanks.
Prima, on the other hand, is a good choice - cute and reasonably priced. They have a large selection of 60s style concert t-shirts for $12. I picked up a long sequined skirt for $9 on the outside sale rack, and I would definitely go there again.
I can't forget Powerhouse Tattoo, #545, where I got my own little tramp stamp done. The own's trying to close this down, too.
My friends and I used to go to the Soda Pop Shop, at 558, all the time when we were in high school, because it's a really. It's an ice cream parlor, with some diner food, decorated like a 50s restaurant. In the frot display windows and on the walls are old toys and games, and on Friday nights the games come out for the customers to play with.
There's even a tiny little mosque in an old house, but I couldn't make out its name.
The Montclair Art Museum, at the corner of Bloomfield and South Mountain, is small but has a nice collection. In the spring they sometimes put a croquet course out on the front lawn, complete with statues of characters from "Alice's Adevntures in Wonderland".
At the western edge of Montclair is Graz Park. It's only a block long, and I've never seen anyone in it, but it has a cute gazebo. I'm thinking it's named after Montclair's sister city, Graz, Austria.
Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair is becoming a battleground. Montclair is trying so hard to create a sophisticated, hipster inamge of itself that it's actively trying to push undesirable businesses - tattoo parlors, car dealerships, 99 cent stores - off Bloomfield Ave., in favor of upscale restaurants and boutiques. 
There's nothing quite like Bloomfield Ave. Montclair, although I may be prejudiced because this is my hometwon. There's about a million hair salons, and we're known for having restaurants of all different ethnicities. I found Chinese, Jamaican, Guyanese, Chinese, Indian, West Indian, Thai, Japanese, Cuban, Italian, Ethiopian, French, Moroccan, Turkish and Soul Food restaurants.
Dressing for Pleasure, #220, was one of the most controversial stores to open in Montclair, and I'm sure the town would be glad to see it go. It's a pretty kinky sex shop which, as was explained to me in detail, has separate rooms for clothes, shoes and toys. Notable items include chain mail vests, studded bras, and crotch-high boots. My favorite was a personal stocks and pillory, like they used to hold criminals in public in colonial times.
The Bloomfield Ave. Cafe and Stage, #347, is one of my favorite places in town. It's a dilapidated little underground place that provides a substance and alcohol-free place for struggling rock bands to perform. My friend played here a few times with her band, PointFive, on the same stage where The Academy Is ... appeared in the summer 0f 2005 (to put this in perspective, The Academy Is ... is being championed by MTV darling Pete Wentz, of Fall Out Boy). Above it is Park Billiards. These two places are also under siege from the township.
The London Food Company is another fun place, mostly because you've never heard of the stuff they sell inside. It's stocked with British food staples, like scone mix and clotted cream, and all sorts of unusual brands and things you would never think to eat.
I was drawn to Cisco Station, #461, because of the cute architecture. It has a lot of nice clothes inside, but they're all overpriced - $136 fo a shirt?! Thnaks, but no thanks.
Prima, on the other hand, is a good choice - cute and reasonably priced. They have a large selection of 60s style concert t-shirts for $12. I picked up a long sequined skirt for $9 on the outside sale rack, and I would definitely go there again.
I can't forget Powerhouse Tattoo, #545, where I got my own little tramp stamp done. The own's trying to close this down, too.
My friends and I used to go to the Soda Pop Shop, at 558, all the time when we were in high school, because it's a really. It's an ice cream parlor, with some diner food, decorated like a 50s restaurant. In the frot display windows and on the walls are old toys and games, and on Friday nights the games come out for the customers to play with.
There's even a tiny little mosque in an old house, but I couldn't make out its name.
The Montclair Art Museum, at the corner of Bloomfield and South Mountain, is small but has a nice collection. In the spring they sometimes put a croquet course out on the front lawn, complete with statues of characters from "Alice's Adevntures in Wonderland". 
At the western edge of Montclair is Graz Park. It's only a block long, and I've never seen anyone in it, but it has a cute gazebo. I'm thinking it's named after Montclair's sister city, Graz, Austria.
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