It’s felt more like November this week as the air got chillier in northern New Jersey. It’s been another busy week in Essex County and we’ve got all the news to keep you up to date. Among the highlights: Montclair Brewery is set to open a second location in East Orange; a Newark animal shelter is overflowing and needs urgent help; and several new small businesses have arrived or are coming to MTC very soon. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending October 20th, 2024.

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Among the Headlines (read on for full stories):

• Wonder ‘Food Hall’ Opens in Livingston
• New DIY Experience, Crystals + Candle, Opens in Upper Montclair
• Montclair Brewery to Open Second Location in East Orange
• Newark Animal Shelter Overflowing + Needs Urgent Help
• Lit Café to Open Soon in Montclair
• New Netflix Movie Filmed at Montclair Business
• New Bakery + Coffee Shop, Artazu, Soft Opens in Montclair
• West Orange Plaza Makeover to Include New Target + Major Sitewide Upgrades
• Parents Fight to Keep Montclair’s Union Cong Nursery School Open
• Port Authority Announces Plans to Rebuild Newark Airport

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New International Destinations Flying Out of Newark in Summer 2025

United Airlines is adding several new international destinations flying out of Newark International Airport next summer. Beginning in May, travelers departing from Newark will be able to visit locations including Bilbao, Spain; Faro, Portugal; and Palermo, Italy. In addition, the airline will start providing flights from Newark to Madeira Island, Portugal; and Nuuk, Greenland in June, per NJ.com.

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Wonder ‘Food Hall’ Opens in Livingston

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New DIY Experience, Crystals + Candle, Opens in Upper Montclair

Upper Montclair’s newest shop, Crystals + Candle, hosts a variety of different candle-making classes where guests can mix and match their favorite scents to create their dream candles. The candles are infused with energetic crystals and gemstones, which, aside from their healing properties, make for some seriously stunning decorations. Click here to learn more about Crystals + Candle, a candle-making and crystal shop that opened at 195 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair. 

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Westfield Welcomes Maize Cocina + Cocktails

Photo credit: Courtesy of Create + Align

Maize Cocina + Cocktail has officially taken over the historic Westfield Train Station. Located at 301 North Avenue West in Westfield, Maize provides a unique Mexican Fusion experience — from authentic Mexican cuisine that reflects the deep culinary heritage of Mexico to the vibe inside the historic site that has made a mark in the downtown area. Its grand opening took place on Tuesday, October 15th, and accommodated 100 guests indoors in the expansive 3,050 square-foot space. Outdoor seating will be coming in spring 2025.

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Montclair Brewery to Open Second Location in East Orange

In 2018, Montclair Brewery became the first Black-owned brewery in the state of New Jersey. Since then, the beloved microbrewery with beer garden vibes has become a go-to for locals to gather and enjoy. Recently, the brewery announced that an expansion is underway — the owners are happy to report that Montclair Brewery is laying down roots in East Orange, New Jersey. Click here to learn more about Montclair Brewery’s expansion and for updates as they come.

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Nurse at Montclair Hospital Earns DAISY Award

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Newark Animal Shelter Overflowing + Needs Urgent Help

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lit Café to Open Soon in Montclair

Lit Café — a specialty coffeehouse and studio — recently announced that it was accepting resumes from “fellow caffeine enthusiasts” as it continues to work towards opening day. It will be located at 25 Church Street in Montclair. According to Patch Montclair, It is unclear when the opening date will be still but should be “very, very soon.”

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Montclair PD Investigates Case of Woman Ripping Down Flag

The owner of Efi’s Gyro confirmed that Greek flags the business draped on decorative lights in front of the restaurant were ripped down in March after they were mistaken for Israeli flags. Efthymia “Efi” Mihalis, owner of the restaurant at Bloomfield Avenue and Park Street, said she reported the crime to police when the incident occurred. The bias crime garnered attention on Tuesday, October 15th, after a woman posted a viral video on TikTok of herself ripping down the flags and lights, then apologizing when told they were Greek flags. The woman references the Israel-Gaza War, per Montclair Local.

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Parents Fight to Keep Montclair’s Union Cong Nursery School Open

On the morning of Sunday, October 13th, a group of adults and children gathered on Cooper Avenue in front of Union Cong Nursery School protesting its closure. In a statement to nursery school families following a meeting about the school’s future (which took place on Tuesday, October 15th), moderator of the Church’s governing board, Timothy Crist, wrote that the church is willing to explore parents proposals for the continuation of the nursery school after 2026, per Montclair Local. Timothy also commented that a deadline of April 15th, 2025 was decided upon to reach a mutual agreement about a viable future direction for the school. Union Congregational Church has provided a nursery school for children between the ages of two and five since 1968. Its services are modeled after the philosophy of the Reggio Emilia approach: “giving children opportunities to express themselves and learn through play.”

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New Netflix Movie Filmed at Montclair Business

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Montclair’s Newest Bakery Arrives: Meet She Imagined Sweets

She Imagined Sweets, located at 147 Valley Road in Montclair, recently opened its doors. This bake shop packs delectable flavors into bite-size mini cheesecakes. Items are all available with vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free options and may be customized. Click here to learn more about Zuirrae McKinney, the owner of She Imagined Sweets, and how she turned a love of baking with her family into a thriving small bites cheesecake patisserie shop.

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West Orange Plaza Makeover to Include New Target + Major Sitewide Upgrades

West Orange Plaza will be undergoing a multi-million dollar facelift expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The plans include a new 211,500-square-foot Target joining a 100,000-square-foot plus expansion to its current anchor tenant, Whole Foods, per Jersey Digs. This redevelopment program will be completed in stages as it will include significant site-wide cosmetic and infrastructure upgrades and new retail opportunities. In addition, the entire site will undergo a broad range of improvements and renovations to update parking, access, circulation, signage, landscaping, and lighting with EV charging stations being a big piece of the overall infrastructure plan. The redevelopment is a collaborative effort between West Orange Plaza’s joint-venture ownership and Levin Management Corporation (LMC) of North Plainfield, New Jersey.

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New Bakery + Coffee Shop, Artazu, Soft Opens in Montclair

Montclair has the pleasure of welcoming Artazu Bakery Cafe, an Argentine and Uruguayan-inspired eatery located at 6 Depot Square, to its lineup of delicious bakeries. Artazu is operated by the owners of Rombiolo Bakery Cafe located at 119 Broughton Avenue in Bloomfield. Although an official menu has yet to be developed, Artazu Bakery Cafe currently serves all kinds of sweet and savory treats, similar to what is sold at its sister cafe. Click here to learn more about the newest edition to the Montclair coffee scene, Artazu Bakery Cafe, including an exclusive look at the developing menu.

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Election Planned for Montclair’s Glenfield PTA After Removal Vote

The Glenfield Middle School PTA will hold an election to select a new president and board at the end of this month after appointing an interim leader in a 59-0 vote. According to Montclair Local, the New Jersey PTA plans to facilitate an election for permanent positions on either Tuesday, October 29th, or the following day on October 30th. A formal date has not yet been set. The PTA meeting that took place on Wednesday, September 25th, had members voting to remove PTA President Dee Thompson from the leadership role and selected Jeremy Pholwattana to lead in an interim role.

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Port Authority Announces Plans to Rebuild Newark Airport

On Thursday, October 17th, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey laid out its vision to rebuild Newark Liberty International Airport, starting with expanding the new Terminal A and replacing the aging Terminal B. The airport redevelopment concept was explained in the new $2.7 billion Terminal A, which opened in January 2023 and garnered two global airport awards. Officials said it will set the bar for replacing Terminal B, enhancing Terminal C, and the eventual replacement of that building, per NJ.com. There is currently no timeline or estimated cost, but The Port Authority expects to begin a two- to three-year planning process next year for major elements of the redevelopment, including cost projections and project delivery alternatives.

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