Beyond personally experiencing the abandonment of delightful local theaters like the Utopia in…read moreQueens, I'm infuriated by events like New Haven, population 135,081 per Google, losing its only theater. The Cranford Theater is an honorable holdout in the war against AMC nonsense, even more important because of its relative proximity to the nauseating Route 22. A ticket to The Holdovers was a reasonable $13.75, and it's delightful to see a place that avoided the pointless reserved seat bandwagon. The young guy selling tickets was quick and friendly. Fellow explorers of inner-ring suburbs should note that Cranford is closer than you might think and the theater is minutes away from the train station. (For my next coffeehouse open mic performance I plan to read the first two sentences of this review in the voice of the Paul Giamatti character from Holdovers).

The New Branford Theatre was opened on November 29, 1926 and over the decades its ownership and…read morename have changed several times. Eventually it settled on the name "Cranford Theater". In 2017, New Visions theaters took over and it seemed like it may have been a bright new chapter in the theater's history. However, in September 2019 the theater was unceremoniously shuttered and many fans of this wonderful downtown area in New Jersey were left to wonder if their beloved theater would ever play to audiences again. Fast forward to November 8, 2019 and the Cranford Theater has reopened! This time out it is owned by the folks who own the property. They did not just dust off what was there and open back up. Instead, the entire theater has undergone a renovation. New lighting, projectors, seats, carpeteting, a new concession stand and even a "mobile" box office station are all part of this treatment. The blue, gold and silver colors incorporated into the theater are intended to align with some of the colors that represent Cranford itself, making for a theater that truly wants to be part of the community. The theater is full of friendly staff and courteous, local patrons who all seem to know each other (I have watched entire rows of people chatting with each other like old friends). The new seats are very comfortable and have a nice high back. There are several screens divided in a space that once only showed one movie so this is not the place to look for an IMAX or Dolby experience. However as someone who goes to movies often I had zero problem with the screen size and sound quality. You may not want to see "Star Wars" here, but a film like "Joker" or "Last Christmas" is just fine on these screens. I am very happy Cranford Theater has made a return to the neighborhood and I have every intention of supporting it as much as I can.

It's definitely not for everyone. I will say the price is very affordable at $16, but it literally…read morejust includes a walk through tour. It would have been nice to have the option to sit in the garden, or even have some group photos taken somewhere other than the gift shop and parking lot. I think a few things could have been done to elevate the experience, for instance offering some refreshments or seating in the garden instead of waiting in the gift shop for enough people for the tour to start. If you're at all interested in this era it's worth trying for $16

I had the opportunity to visit the Liberty Hall Museum for a Yelp Elite Event…read more This place is so beautiful and is sort of hidden within the Kean University campus, not sure if that's intentional, but I love it. I was able to visit the mansion and was fascinated by the history behind it. As I enter one of the dinning room, I notice it was decorated for a young boy's birthday/Halloween party. Later on I found out from one of the tour guide that the little boy's birthday party was around Halloween in 1930. Haha! He's 86 years old and the decoration that was used in 1930 was the same decoration displayed today in that dinning room - please check my picture out. Now that's amazing! The rest of the mansion and museum is indeed historical and tells a special story. As I made my way into the British garden I was wowed. The garden is picture perfect and is well maintained. For those planning on having an outdoor and well reserved wedding, I'd recommend this place. For my fellow New Yorkers that don't drive. It's convenient to get to Liberty Hall Museum with the N113 bus from Port Authority! It's beautiful to visit during the fall!

I didn't know what to expect on an afternoon driving tour but we were pleasantly surprised! What…read morewas awesome!? * The random stops along the way to take incredible photos of the Verrazano Bridge and Manhattan skyline were amazing! Everyone should do this if you can! We were the only ones! * The greenery around the borough was beautiful. It's not all developed! * The businesses were almost all local, unique, friendly and welcoming even though I clearly don't have a Staten Island/Italian/New York accent! Life is good when you discover local unique places not on the traditional tourist itinerary!

I love Staten Island. By the way, it's not a tropical island. It was beautiful and so many lookout…read morepoints of the city. They have a mall on the island too.

Joe made my trip! I had an excellent experience…read more My father was born and raised in the Bronx, but this is my first time in NYC. I am very interested in my father's upbringing, and wanted to see his neighborhood, as well as important personal landmarks. Several people- including other local tour guides, told me this neighborhood was too dangerous and I should do something else with my time. Joe met me at my hotel, and we took the subway together to the old neighborhood. Not only did Joe make me feel safe, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared. He brought pictures of special landmarks, like my father's apartment building (which no longer exists) and my father's favorite candy shop, which has been a bodega for decades. He was also able to tell me a great deal about the history of the neighborhood. I strongly recommend Joe to anyone looking for a tour guide.

Joe is awesome! If you are thinking about a tour of Harlem or any tour that Joe offers, do it. We…read morebooked the Harlem tour at 10pm the night before. He met us at our hotel promptly the next afternoon, took us on the subway and chatted with us the whole time. Joe is very personable. We arrived in Harlem in 15 -20 mins later and began our tour the minute we exited the station. We were stopped a few times, because Joe is well-known in Harlem, being a native. Folks love him, and we understand why. He is a genuinely nice guy who loves his city and is proud of his and its culture. Joe's knowledge of the city and it's history made for an informative experience. If we had more time in NYC, we certainly would have booked him again for another tour in a different part of the city. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Joe!

There's something for everyone in this little park. If you want to stroll around and see the…read morePassaic River at it's best, or worst (depending on how you want to look at things).The Red Bull soccer Stadium is also right across the river here and all the brand new apartments in Harrison the town accross. The park has tennis courts, baseball stadium, basketball court, soccer field, runners track and a little kids playground as well. The park is fairly clean and you can even watch the teachers take the pre-schoolers on a little walk as well weekly. In my opinion this is a great example that with little changes and everyone taking pride in their community the city of Newark can be restored to the great city it was back in the time of the great Industrial Boom.

Riverbank Park in the Ironbound has a number of sports-designated areas. There are a basketball…read morecourt, a soccer field with AstroTurf, a baseball field, lighted tennis courts, and a small track. A playground and fieldhouse are also in this park by the Passaic River. If you are not into sports, it's worth visiting at least once if you are into history. It's on the National Register of Historic Places because Riverbank Park was designed by the Olmsted brothers. It's a nice park for sports-aficionados and history buffs.

Googled how do I get a copy of my birth certificate…read more Went to City Hall, Vital Statistics Office. Completed form. In 15 minutes, had my birth certificate! Paid $15 cash. Cash only. Thank you!! For making this such as easy process. Street metered parking. Art featured in the hallways!

I love this library and they're dedicated staff. They do great programs and are very helpful in…read morereference. Right now they are having a prom gown & tux collection to benefit students in need. Kudos to them! It's not easy to be a librarian in an urban public library, but they rock it.

I live the next town over & am Job Hunting. Elizabeth Public Library opens earlier than most in the…read morearea and I'm able to use the computers to access and check on important emails. Although busy the Librarians are personable, Friendly & helpful. The areas are clean and parking is ample. When I get back on track financially, I plan on making donations to Libraries especially because of the interactions I've had with Staff.