NJ Life Mag Hearts Maplewood

The Township makes two appearances in the current edition of the statewide publication.

This month's issue of New Jersey Life magazine has a decidedly Maplewood feel. Not only are five township businesses featured in the main feature, the "A List" of New Jersey businesses, but the magazine devotes an entire standalone article to Maplewood as well. Mona Lisa Framing and the Tenth Muse Gallery were both recognized in the Best Gallery Category. Perch Home placed on the list of Best Home Design Shops. Shakti Ma was included on the list for Best Yoga, Pilates, & Fitness. And Jerry Rose Floral and Even Design was among the winners for Best Floral Design. The complete list is here. According to the magazine, the list was compiled through a reader-voting process and with suggestions from their editorial staff. Congratulations to all …

Perch Home Receives National Honor

The Maplewood store is among 50 retailers praised by Home Accents Today magazine.

Maplewood Village shop Perch Home was named one of 50 Retail Stars for 2009 by the magazine Home Accents Today. Perch was picked for its successful marketing, its merchandising strength and its positive presence in the community. “It’s wonderful for a tiny shop like mine to get some national recognition,” Perch owner Michele Bessey said in a press statement. “I love what I do and hopefully some of that shows in the shop.”  Bessey opened the store in November of 2006 with hopes that customers would treat it “like a wonderful little secret you stumble upon.” The shop carries a mix of home accents, including furniture, jewelry and baby items. Along with Reynold’s Garden Shop in Manahawkin, Perch was one of two New Jersey stores that made the …

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Village Alliance Manager Koehler to Leave Job

Her last day will be in October.

Amy Koehler is leaving her position as the Maplewood Village Alliance’s Director. Her last day at the job will be Oct. 31. The Maplewood Village Alliance is a group of Maplewood Village businesses incorporated as a special improvement district. The manager is charged with a number of responsibilities, including promoting businesses. Koehler, a former CNN assignment editor, is the third manager for the Alliance and has held the position for about two years. During her tenure, the alliance has initiated several events, including the recent Spring Open Market and the first-ever restaurant week. Earlier this year she was profiled by Patch. “I would say that it is a mutual parting of the ways,” Koehler said in an email. “I'm on until Oct. 31 …

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Walgreens Developers in Front of Planning Board Again

Walgreens faces continued opposition despite concessions.

Architects, engineers, and corporate representatives from Walgreens faced a battery of questions at last night’s meeting of the planning board, as the Springfield Avenue location appears to be only slightly closer to becoming a reality. Members of the Maplewood Township’s planning board, as well as residents, were primarily concerned about increased traffic from customers and delivery trucks, lighting issues and security. Walgreens architects have changed the site plan on issues ranging from door appearances to the distance the building will be from the bordering residential properties. “It has been a very complicated project, but in the end it paid off. I’m very comfortable with the site plan and very happy with the aesthetic,” said …

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Springfield Ave. Businesses Undergo Changes

A restaurant and a store shut doors to get some work done.

Last week, we reported on the new gym coming to Springfield Avenue. The gym is going to take the place of 99 Cent Globe store. The discount store is already preparing to move out of the space. Workers were outside the store yesterday, and the parking lot was closed off to traffic. A sign on the door said the store was relocating in another town, and not closing outright. A couple doors down, another business was also closed, but all signs point to it reopening soon. HLS, the recently opened and seemingly popular health-oriented restaurant, is closed to the public this week. According to a sign on its door, the space is undergoing repairs and remodeling, and will reopen in the first week of August.

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Maplewood Village Businesses Nominated for "Best of Essex"

A number of Maplewood businesses have been nominated for Suburban Essex Magazine award.

Fifteen Maplewood businesses have been nominated in 17 categories in Suburban Essex Magazine's inaugural "Best of Essex Readers' Choice Awards." The lifestyle magazine is letting voters pick their favorites among 50 categories, ranging from children's clothing to romantic restaurant. Voting is open until Sept. 18. You can cast your vote here. The full press release from the Maplewood Village Alliance is below.   For a quaint shopping district, Maplewood Village is certainly well represented in Suburban Essex Magazine's first ever Best of Essex Readers' Choice Awards 2009. 15 Village businesses are contenders in 17 "best of" categories, including Pub and Burger (St. James's Gate), Home Furnishings and Gifts (Perch Home), and Store Window …

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New Gym for Springfield Ave.

Gym will replace 99 cent store.

In the coming months, Maplewood residents can say goodbye both to a dollar store and maybe to the spare tire around their waists. As the Springfield Avenue Partnership's Executive Director Beth Anne Macdonald happily reports, there’s a new gym coming to Springfield Avenue. The gym, tentatively slated to open this fall, will replace what is now the 99 Cent Globe store, which is scheduled to close this summer. The gym will be a full-service facility open to both men and women. The plans call for the space to be an open, large room with windows looking out to the street. A second floor may be built sometime down the road. It’s a dramatic change for the space, which has housed an Acme Market and a Rite Aid. “It needs to be gutted,” Macdonald …

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Is Landscaping Taking a Hit?

A national survey indicates that more Americans are opting to mow their own lawns, though some local landscapers say business is steady.

According to the findings of a national survey released last week, South Orange and Maplewood residents may be less likely to see landscaping trucks dotting the streets this summer. As the economy continues to struggle, Americans are cutting back on professional services like lawn care and hiring a handy-man to make room in their budgets for recreation, the Chase Card Services survey reports. They're spending on pool memberships and Little League, barbecue grills and summer camp instead. Locally, lawn services start at $50 per cut, says Johanna Aguilar of Scalora Landscaping in South Orange. The same $50 can buy a week of basketball camp at the Baird. However, several local landscaping companies say they're not feeling the crunch. Asked if…

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