Town in northern
New Jersey, neighboring Newark, bisected by the Garden State Parkway, containing Exits 148, 149, 150 and 151.
Has all the benefits of a small town and all the benefits of a city, and few of the drawbacks of either. Feels like about four small towns strung together, which would be the neighborhoods of Brookdale, North Broad, Downtown and Watsessing. Notable for large
Irish and
Italian communities, and for stores and restaurants that have been run by individual families for generations. Citizens have the legal right to punch you in the nose if you call their town a "suburb." (Not really, but they should!) In this town, they
don't have pasta
salad and therapists, they have pasta and bartenders. Municipal Building known for magnificent Christmas lights display.
Grove Street is the "other end" of the Newark City Subway system. Bus and train lines make it a convenient bedroom community for commuters to
New York City. Bus lines also provide easy access to Newark, and the Willowbrook and Garden State Plaza malls.
Arch-rival is neighboring Montclair, which can't decide whether it wants to be upscale or ghetto fabulous. Also bordered by Nutley and Glen Ridge (both think of themselves as the former but really aren't), Belleville (not classy enough to be the latter), Clifton (Routes 3 and 46 going through it kind of makes up its mind for it) and East
Orange (if you're not from there, do yourself a favor and don't go).
The most
popular sports team among Bloomfielders is the New York Giants, followed by the
Yankees, the New Jersey Devils, and, due to the Catholic influence, Seton Hall University
basketball. In comparison, the Jets, Mets, Rangers and Rutgers are far behind in Bloomfield support.
Contrary to the Jersey stereotype, most Bloomfielders are willing to admit that the Eighties are over, guidos and ginkers are way out of style, big hair is no longer necessary for either gender, and hair metal sucked, except for Jersey natives Bon Jovi. Well, nobody's
perfect, not even Bloomfielders.
Bloomfield is home to Holsten's, a fine old-fashioned ice
cream parlor that stood in as a diner for the closing scene of the final episode of the TV show "The Sopranos." Any actual
mob connections to the town appear to be strictly anecdotal, but just to advise youse, ya never know.
"What the hell are ya wearin'? A tracksuit? Where do ya think ya are, Belleville? Come on! This is Bloomfield! Have some
class, will ya?"
"You're yellin' at me about class? Where do you think you're from, Montclair?"
"Hey, hey, pal, that's enough, you
don't have to get
nasty here!"
