Westfield, New Jersey is about an hour away from New York City. Home to the Blue Devils and an impressive downtown, Westfield is a pretty nice place to live. Even though we all find our hometowns not that exciting, Westfield definitely has its perks.
1. In middle school, you hung out downtown on Friday afternoons.
Downtown was the place to be. We all went with friends to buy frappuccinos at Starbucks and look at those little key chains at Claire's. If your parents were feeling especially generous, they would let you stay a little later and see a movie at the Rialto. In high school, you never dared to set foot downtown between the hours of three and five because you knew you would have to fight your way through swarms of awkward middle schoolers.
2. Whitney Houston's grave became a tourist attraction.
Of all places, Whitney Houston was buried in the Plainview Cemetery far down on Broad Street. This caused traffic for weeks and if you wanted to go in, you needed to show proof that you were going to visit a grave (and not Whitney's). Who knew cemeteries could be that much of a tourist attraction?
3. The infamous traffic circle is the worst part of learning how to drive.
The traffic circle entering downtown from the South side is pretty terrifying. People get off and come on at three or four different points. Chances are, you avoided this for at least the first few months when you were learning to drive because some people don't know that you need to yield to cars in the circle. You might still avoid it.
4. Carlo's Bakery may have a store here, but it can't top Bovella's.
Yeah, Carlo's Bakery is known because of its show Cake Boss. But, Bovella's is ten times better. Trust me, these cookies (and basically everything else they have) are heavenly.
5. Our Lord & Taylor is the bomb.
The huge Lord & Taylor right near downtown is the best. It's less crowded than those in nearby malls and has much better stock. Chances, L&T never failed you when you needed something to wear to a Sweet Sixteen or Bat Mitzvah. People come from all over for this (and for good reason).
6. And so is our Trader Joes.
The Trader Joe's in Westfield is infamous. People travel for the store, despite its awfully small parking lot. Friendly employees, good food, and free samples? You don't need anything else. The town was seriously upset when it had to go without for a few months after an awful snow storm caused the store's roof to fall in. That's a dedicated fan base.
Even though you were itching to get out in high school, you have to admit, Westfield is a pretty cool place to have grown up. You might even miss it a little bit.
