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Gaslight-era storefronts, a lake with a gazebo in the middle of town and street after street of shaded Victorian houses give Westfield its reputation as one of the most walkable small downtowns in Union County, New Jersey. The town of about 31,000 sits roughly 25 miles west of Manhattan on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, and its compact center along Elm, Quimby and East Broad streets is packed with independent shops, cafes and restaurants.
Settled in the 1720s as the 'west fields' of Elizabethtown, Westfield grew from a farming village into a railroad suburb in the 19th century. The Miller-Cory House, a farmhouse from around 1740, keeps its colonial roots alive, the Reeve History and Cultural Center tells the later story, and cartoonist Charles Addams, creator of The Addams Family, grew up here.
Mindowaskin Park hosts summer concerts and the holiday tree lighting, while Echo Lake Park and the wooded Watchung Reservation on the town's northern edge offer lakes, hiking trails and a nature center within minutes of downtown.
Westfield's town green, set right beside downtown, with a small lake, a fountain, a gazebo and paths shaded by mature trees. It hosts summer concerts, the December tree lighting and other community events. Pick up a coffee on Elm Street a block away and claim a bench by the water.
A Union County park on the Westfield and Mountainside line, with a lake and pond, a stream, walking paths, playgrounds and ball fields. The flat lakeside loop makes an easy stroll, and anglers cast from the banks in season. Parking lots sit off Springfield Avenue and Route 22.
One of Westfield's largest town parks, on the south side of town, with a pond, walking paths, a playground, tennis courts and ball fields in a leafy residential setting. Locals come for jogging loops and summer recreation programs. It is calmer than the downtown parks and has free parking.
A wooded preserve of about 2,000 acres run by Union County just north of Westfield, with Lake Surprise, miles of marked hiking and bridle trails and the abandoned 19th-century village of Feltville. Trails range from short lake loops to the long Sierra Trail. Weekends get busy, so arrive early for parking.
A wooded park on the north side of Westfield kept as a natural area rather than a sports field, with a pond, a stream and dirt trails through mixed forest. Birdwatchers look for herons and migrating songbirds in spring and fall. Paths can be muddy after rain, so wear sturdy shoes.
Union County's nature center inside the Watchung Reservation, with exhibits on local wildlife, geology and ecology, live animals, a planetarium and native plant gardens. Weekend programs and guided walks suit children, and staff can suggest easy trails nearby. Hours vary by season, so check before you go.
A farmhouse built around 1740 on Mountain Avenue and now a living history museum, where volunteers in period clothing demonstrate open-hearth cooking, spinning and other colonial chores. The grounds include a kitchen garden and an education center. It opens on Sunday afternoons for much of the year.
The home of the Westfield Historical Society, a restored Victorian house on Mountain Avenue with rooms furnished to show family life around 1900 and changing exhibits on the town's past. It also hosts talks and holiday open houses. Public hours are limited, so check the society's calendar first.
A stately church at the corner of East Broad Street and Mountain Avenue whose congregation dates to the early 1700s, when it served the settlers of the west fields. The old burying ground beside it holds the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers. You can walk through the churchyard, and services are open to all.
The compact business district around Elm Street, Quimby Street, East Broad Street and Central Avenue, lined with independent boutiques, bookshops, cafes and dozens of restaurants in early 1900s buildings. Paid parking lots sit behind the main streets, and the train station is a short walk away.
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