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Message |
    
Captain Stemmy
Citizen
Username: Lapnlu
Post Number: 51
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 2:23 pm: | 
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I'm looking for directions to downtown Montclair besides going on the Garden State. Is there an easier way using backroads? |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1569
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 2:30 pm: |
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I go by taking Scottland all the way through Orange, Left on Washington (can't go any farther b/c of a graveyard) by Star Tavern. Right on High Street (I think that's the name) & stay on it all the way until taking a left at a weird intersection where you can't exactly go straight but if you did I think you would be on Orange. The street may be called Elm, but I'm not sure...in any case, you are close - follow for several blocks until you hit Bloomfield. Take a left & you are in the center of things.
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8082
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 2:35 pm: |
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I go around and avoid the lights/traffic in Orange.
Wyoming (turns to Gregory in W. Orange) to Northfield. Left onto Northfield, right at Prospect (first light). Follow Prospect all the way (several miles) to Bloomfield. It's a big intersection in Verona with lots of directions to turn. It's a hard right. Down Bloomfield into Montclair. I think it's faster than Scotland. |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 1112
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 2:37 pm: |
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Almost the same as doulamomma..
Take Scotland, (changes name but stay on it) all the way to the end which is in Orange. At the lights go right onto High Street, through the next set of lights (small ones) go straight until you come to a major set of lights and take a left. Stay in right hand lane, and at lights straight on, and then the road splits, you are going straight on which will take you into Glen Ridge (Ridgewood Road) keep going about 1- 1 1/2 miles and at big lights (bloomfield ave) take a left.. |
Maypoet
Citizen
Username: Maypoet
Post Number: 29
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 3:19 pm: |
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i second greentree's recommedation... |
Captain Stemmy
Citizen
Username: Lapnlu
Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 4:27 pm: |
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thanks everyone. Looking forward to skipping the garden state tonight. |
finnegan
Supporter
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 351
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 4:42 pm: |
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A small variation on greentree's directions for adventurous drivers:
Instead of following Prospect all the way to Bloomfield Ave., turn right onto Eagle Rock from Prospect. Make the first left you can, just past the Eagle Rock diner (on your right) into the Eagle Rock reservation. Staying always to the right, drive past the Essex County 9/11 Memorial, gaze off to the right to see the NY skyline, drive past the Highlawn Pavillion, and take the road on your right into the reservation (which is sometimes closed in the winter.) This road, which I don't think has a name, is a series of switchbacks which will take you down to Mountain Ave. (I think) in Montclair. At the stop sign at the end, turn left, and make an immediate right onto Gates Ave. I usually take Gates down through a couple of stop signs, to the first light, which is South Fullerton, turn left there and you'll hit Bloomfield Ave. in a few blocks at the intersection of Fullerton/Church and Bloomfield. (An added advantage, if Montclair is your destination, is that you can make a left off Fullerton maybe two blocks before Bloomfield and get to Montclair's Crescent parking garage.) This route avoids the many annoying lights on both Prospect and Bloomfield Aves. It is not always faster, though often it is, but it is always more fun. |
jem
Citizen
Username: Jem
Post Number: 1572
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 4:48 pm: |
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Interesting to see the routes that people use. My favorite route to Montclair is a variation on doulamomma and soparents' route: I take Scotland all the way until it becomes High Street and ends just past the Star Tavern, turn left onto Washington and right onto High Street (obviously a different High Street from the one before) and I stay on High until it intersects Cedar Ave. at Nishuane Park (there's a school there that I use as a landmark). I turn left onto Cedar and then right onto Harrison, which merges into Orange and then meets Bloomfield Ave. fairly close to Whole Foods.
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Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 5394
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 5:41 pm: |
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Greenie is right. Go over Prospect. After you make the right onto Bloomfield Ave you want to make a left onto Upper Mountain Ave. It's the 'hard left' across from Montclair Kimberly Academy. That's how I'd go to Montclair State University when I went for my Master's. |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3517
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 6:06 pm: |
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It somewhat depends WHERE in Montclair you are going, but I have used all of the routes described above. My biggest problem in sharing directions is that I have no idea what half of the street names are in that area where Orange borders West Orange near Montclair. |
MeAndTheBoys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 4005
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 7:07 pm: |
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I take Greenetree's route, but I like the sound of finnegan's and may have to try that next time. |
red
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 5820
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 7:12 pm: |
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I have taken both, and like greentree's the best IMHO... |
finnegan
Supporter
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 352
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 7:13 pm: |
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Please report back whether or not you like it! |
Deidra
Citizen
Username: Deidralynn
Post Number: 615
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 9:06 pm: |
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Being a Montclair "homie", I take Scotland a lot but there is another way also.
You can take Ridgewood Ave. all the way to West Orange (Valley Road) going pass the strip mall w/ CVS.
Follow the curved road and make a left at the divided road (forgot the name but there's a pub on the right corner).
Follow that road through traffic light (at Central Ave.) and proceed until you reach the end of road (at Northfield Ave).
Make a right and quick left onto to Main street.
Follow Main Street through West Orange to the Harrison Ave. intersection.
Make a right turn and will take you all the way to Bloomfield Ave.
-- Driving on Harrison Ave in Montclair is pretty much always an easy smooth drive.
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Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 1100
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 9:15 pm: |
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Deidra,
I used to take that route also, must be a Montclair thing. (Get's you into Montclair faster.) But I've found the trip through Orange is shorter for destinations toward Upper Montclair.
I never knew about Star Tavern as a kid. Oh, what we missed!
J.B. |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 3630
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 10:01 pm: |
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I just click my Monster three times and I'm there.... |
Deidra
Citizen
Username: Deidralynn
Post Number: 616
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 17, 2006 - 3:10 am: |
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J.B., my uncle, (you may have heard of him), Aubrey Lewis lived in the south end part of Montclair and back in the day he used to take all of us, as kids, and we would just blow through a stack of those pies. It was a sight to see! Ah, the good ole' days.
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Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 3434
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 17, 2006 - 10:18 am: |
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When I am going to the lower part of downtown Montclair, I do what SO says (with one variation below). When I am heading to the upper part, or Montclair State, I do what Greenie says. Depends on where you are going.
To get to lower part of downtown (Glen Ridge Ave, used bookstore, easier parking):
Take Scotland Road to Star Tavern.
Right at Star Tavern, through quick light, to next light (bus depot on right, gas station and radio station on left).
Left at light, past cemetary, to next set of lights where road forks. Take left fork through light (not right one, as SO says).
Follow this straight until Bloomfield Avenue (shopping center on diagonal left corner).
Turn left on Bloomfield Ave, then turn right after the shopping center, and start looking for metered street parking. If none there, turn left on Glen Ridge, look for metered street parking, or look in parking lot near top on left.
Alt for parking--before you get to Bloomfield Ave, take a left up one of the side streets and get to The Crescent. There is a new parking garage there that often has space available, and lots of street parking in the neighborhood.
Best used bookstore around is on Glen Ridge near Bloomfield Ave. |
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