There’s been lots of news happening in Essex County this week, and The Montclair Girl is here to get you up to speed. Among the local headlines: Walnut Street Kitchen has officially opened its doors in Montclair; APEM Creamery opens for the season in Bloomfield; Montclair’s new rent control ordinance has been granted its final approval, and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Montclair and beyond.
Luxurious Wellniss Now Open in West Orange
Luxurious Wellniss, located at 557 Nassau Street, Suite 3, in West Orange, is now open. This black-owned beauty and wellness spa features products for face, body, babies, and more. The spa menu includes facials, chemical peels, and eye treatments.
Montclair-Boonton Line Train Hits Deer, Service Temporarily Suspended
The Montclair-Boonton train line was suspended after a train hit a deer on Thursday, April 21st in Upper Montclair. Service resumed by 2:30PM and the line ran on schedule.
Silk Mill in Paterson to Become Residential Loft Apartments
The former Miesch Silk Manufacturing Company, located at 468 Totowa Avenue in Paterson, is slated to be transformed into a residential development, per Jersey Digs. Procida Funding and Asset Realty showcased design plans this week for the $40 million Great Falls Lofts development.
APEM Creamery Reopens in Bloomfield
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Bloomfield’s creative gelato and sorbetto destination APEM Creamery reopened this Saturday, April 23rd after a winter break. To mark Earth Day which took place on Thursday, April 22nd, the shop will be accepting and matching donations to New Jersey Conservation Foundation through today, Sunday, April 24th. The shop is located inside Tacos La Gringa at 870 Broad Street in Bloomfield.
Local Charity Hosts Senior Citizen Spring Cleanup Event in West Orange
On Saturday, April 22nd the charitable organization I Want to Mow Your Lawn, Inc hosted a service event in West Orange to help senior citizens with lawn care. Hoboken-based tool company Snow Joe participated in the annual event. A total of 17 West Orange senior residences will benefit from a lawn + garden spring clean-up.
Act Read Requiring Montclair to Add Native Plant Life in Public Spaces
On Tuesday, April 19th, the Montclair Township Council unanimously voted for a first reading of The Jose German-Gomez Native Species Act, mandating 70% of all new plantings, bushes, and trees on public property be native to the mid-Atlantic and northeast regions of the United States. According to Montclair Local, if the act is passed, Montclair would become the first municipality in New Jersey to have a comprehensive native plant procurement ordinance.
Walnut Street Kitchen Takes Over Corso 98 in Montclair
Walnut Street Kitchen has officially opened its doors. The new Italian restaurant has taken over the space of the former Corso 98, located at 98 Walnut Street in Montclair, bringing along a fusion Italian-Filipino dining experience. Click here to read about Walnut Street Kitchen.
A Plant-Based Eatery is Opening in Montclair This May
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Plant-based eaters, rejoice! worldFlats is a healthy, plant-based, sustainable eatery opening in Montclair next month. The eatery’s mission is to pay homage to the planet by showcasing different cultures through its food. As the title indicates, it specializes in flatbreads of different flavors. Click here to read all about it.
Sugaring NYC Organic Waxing + Lash Salon Opens in Bloomfield
Bloomfield beauty lovers have something new to look forward to. When Sugaring NYC Organic Waxing + Lash Salon opened its first little salon in 2014, the concept of sugaring was still foreign in New York. Daria Nartova, the founder of Sugaring NYC moved the New York from Europe with a goal to break into the beauty market with organic “waxing” that is done with Sugar paste. The new outpost is located at The Green (residential building) next to Sweetberry Bowls and BGR Bloomfield burgers at 56 Broad Street. Click here to read about the new Sugaring NYC studio in Bloomfield.
Montclair Residents Should Expect an Email from Swift 911
Residents who have provided their email addresses to Montclair Township for the Swift 911 service should expect a message from an anti-hate group, reports Montclair Local. Rise Against Hate says residents should expect a single message from their group later in the year. The email will also include an unsubscribe link but this should be the only time that Rise Against Hate will send a message.
Essex County’s Annual Earth Day Celebration Held Saturday
The Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiiVincenzo Jr. invited the public to the Annual Earth Day Celebration at the Essex County Environmental Center, per Baristanet. This free, family-friendly event was held on Saturday, April 23rd, from 11AM to 3PM and the entire community was invited to attend.
Montclair State University to Raise Tuition + Fees by 3 to 5%
Montclair State University is planning to raise tuition and fees in the 2022-23 academic year, per Montclair Local. The expected rise is from 3 to 5%. This move comes as the rate of inflation skyrockets across the United States.
Rent Control Ordinance Officially Passed in Montclair
Montclair’s new rent control ordinance has been granted its final approval, per Montclair Local. This ordinance could be challenged by some two- and three-family property owners who want to be left out of any rent regulation. The law will not be able to take effect until 20 days after the unanimous vote from the council, so this will give residents the time to put together a petition to have this matter brought before voters through a special election.
Montclair’s Famous Elvis Van is Retiring
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Peter Giuffra is retiring his famous Elvis van from Montclair’s annual Fourth of July Parade, per Montclair Local. He bought the van used in 1992 for his landscaping business and he said he is retiring it because it is becoming dangerous to use. He also said that he is getting it compacted because he is retiring from landscaping so it is time to retire the van. He is still planning to dress up as Elvis for the parade and he expects to do that for a long time.
Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in Montclair
A Lottery ticket purchased from News Plus was one of the lucky winning tickets, per Montclair Local. The ticket matched four of the five white balls meaning the lucky person won the third-tier prize of $50,000. Another winning ticket of the third-tier prize was sold in Somerset County.
Whitney Cummings to Record Comedy Special in Newark
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Actress and comedian Whitney Cummings will be using New Jersey crowds for her live audience for the filming of her comedy special, per NJ.com. Cummings’ fifth comedy special “Touch Me” will be filmed at NJPAC in Newark. The four shows are taping Friday, May 13th, and Saturday, May 14th at 7PM and 9:30PM both nights.
Newark Voters Elect Mayor-Backed School Slate
A slate of candidates backed by the mayor appeared to sweep Newark’s school elections on Tuesday, per NJ.com. The Moving Newark Schools Forward slate for all three of the open seats was ahead by better than a 2-1 margin with 84.2% of the districts reporting by 9AM. All three of the runners received over 2,000 votes.
United Community Corp. Will Close April with Two Community Events in Newark
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United Community Corp. will be closing out the month of April with two community events, per NJ.com. On Friday, April 22nd, an Autism Awareness Resource Fair will be at the West Side Park Football field in Newark from noon to 4PM. On Wednesday, April 27th they will also be hosting its annual #BKind Resource Giveaway from 11AM to 2PM and it will also be at the football field in West Side Park. Both of these events are sponsored by Amerigroup.
Watchung Booksellers Welcomes Bestselling Author
Watchung Booksellers is welcoming New York Times best-sellling author Theresa Brown, R.N., per Baristanet. She will be discussing her new memoir, Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient. She will be in conversation with N. West Moss, author of Flesh and Blood.
MC Hotel Behind on Negotiated Tax Payments to Montclair
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Montclair officials say the MC Hotel is more than a year behind in payments to the township under a PILOT program, per Montclair Local. The PILOT program is an alternative to normal taxes set up when a community wants to encourage development. If the hotel doesn’t pay the $691,003 billed in 2021 plus the interest occurred by October then it could face a tax lien sale in November.
First Steps Towards Change At Mt. Hebron, Valley Intersection
The first steps toward safety improvements in the area of the county-owned Mt. Hebron and Valley roads, per Montclair Local. This is an intersection near Bradford Elementary School that residents describe as “congested and dangerous” in an online petition. Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill is also advocating for safety improvements to the area.
Skateboard Lessons Coming Soon to Rand Park in Montclair
You will soon be able to get skateboarding lessons in Rand Park, per Montclair Local. The Montclair Township Council agreed earlier this month to go out to bid for the skateboarding lessons. The bids are due from interested vendors by Thursday, May 5th.
APEX Youth Symphony Announces Auditions
The APEX Ensemble is hosting auditions for the inaugural year of its Youth Program, per this press release. The Youth Symphony forms the foundation of the program and it will be geared towards music students in grades 7 through 12. The Spring auditions will take place in-person on May 21st and 22nd in Montclair.
Meal Delivery Service Feast & Fettle Launches in Essex County
This article is sponsored by Feast & Fettle.
If meal prepping is one of those things you’ve been wanting to get into but just can’t find the time for (guilty), we come with good news. Feast & Fettle, a meal prep delivery service, has officially landed in Montclair and the Essex County area — delivering fresh, chef-prepared meals throughout all of our local cities and towns. Using locally-sourced ingredients for its rotating menu, the Feast & Fettle team does all the heavy lifting to create good and good-for-you dinners. All you have to do is decide which meals you want and how much you need. Keep reading to learn more about Feast & Fettle, a new food delivery service now available in Essex County (as well as Passaic, Bergen, and Morris County — with Hudson launching this month, too!) — and snag an exclusive offer below.
The Details
Feast & Fettle is a food delivery service with a rotating menu of chef-prepared meals. Every dish is made from scratch using fresh, locally sourced ingredients — and delivered to your door with no chopping, mixing, or sautéeing required.
The menu pretty much caters to every craving and dietary preference. From seared steaks and pasta dishes to vegan bowls and fresh seafood, Feast & Fettle has something for everyone (all of it good and good for you). Some of our favorites include the chicken pot pie, fettuccine with broccoli and cauliflower alfredo, roasted vegetables, and quinoa salad with vegan pesto. And, all meals are delivered FRESH (never frozen).
In addition to dinner entrees and sides, there's also a selection of breakfast, lunch, kids' items, and juices. Like we said: something for everyone.
How it Works
Feast & Fettle isn’t your average meal delivery service — and as of this week, it’s officially available to Essex County residents. Members personalize their plans based on how many people are in the household and how many meals they want covered. Delivery is on your time, too. Once you choose your meal items for the week, you select the drop-off day. There’s no grocery shopping or cooking, or stressing out over what to make — just fresh food delivered like a gift once a week.
Feast & Fettle is a no-commitment meal delivery service, meaning you pay when you order and can cancel at any time.
Don’t forget, you can get 20% off your first week of meals with code MG20 until 2/14/25.
Feast & Fettle is now delivering to Bergen, Morris, Hudson, and Passaic Counties as well as newly-launched Essex County. For more info or to become a member, visit the site.
