Westfield Bestfield: The best place in New Jersey
‘Anyone who says their local bagel place is the best has clearly never experienced BChat’
Westfield, New Jersey: initially it may appear to be your typical suburban town, but there are plenty of reasons why locals call it “Westfield Bestfield.”
The hour train ride to Manhattan attracts commuters, while the excellent public school system is enticing to families.
As the burial site of Whitney Houston and her daughter Bobbi Kristina, hometown of Charles Addams, creator of The Addams Family, and the film location for “The Perfect Holiday” starring Queen Latifah, there is never a dull moment in this quaint town.
Arguably the best bagels in all of New Jersey at Bagel Chateau
Bagel Chateau, or “BChat”, is a staple of a true Westfielder’s diet. Anyone who says their local bagel place is the best has clearly never experienced BChat. This bagel hot-spot is crowded at all hours of the day, but nothing beats breakfast on the weekends. If you’re lucky enough to get a table, dining in at BChat is a social experience. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see your best friend’s mom, your brothers’ coach, maybe an old teacher or two, and most likely a classmate you’ve been avoiding.
Always having something to do in the downtown
There is something for everyone in downtown Westfield. Whether it’s the Festifall, Spring Fling, Restaurant Week in the winter, or Jazz Nights in the summer, there are always fun events happening. Not only that, but there are also stores for every type of shopper and restaurants for all types of foodies.
You know it’s Friday when the streets are filled with middle schoolers carrying their backpacks and the line for Starbucks is out the door. Going to town on Friday is basically a right-of-passage for all Westfield preteens and, as much as we’d all like to forget, we did it too when we were their age.
Late night trips to the Westfield Diner
Although it’s a great spot to grab breakfast or lunch, nothing beats a late night run to the Westfield Diner. Their french fries, pancakes and milkshakes can’t be beat, and for some reason, just taste better past 11pm. The Westfield Diner at night is equivalent to downtown on a Friday, except instead of brace-faced middle schoolers it’s usually packed with high schoolers looking for something to eat after a party.
The Watcher
It’s not everyday your town is on the Cosmo App on Snapchat, is trending on Facebook, is on People, or makes both NBC and ABC national news. “The Watcher” scandal made news this past June, dominating conversations for weeks after the story broke.
When a family moving into their new home began receiving letters from an alleged stalker, they filed a lawsuit against the previous owners and it quickly became the talk of the town with everyone devising their own theories of who “The Watcher” might be.
The annual Pizza Run
Every summer for fifteen years the town of Westfield has hosted their annual Downtown Westfield 5K & Pizza Extravaganza. It attracts thousands of runners of all ages and all different levels and truly brings the town together. The streets are blocked off for the runners, and neighbors open their lawns as water stations. At the end, all the participants eat back all the calories they just burned with an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet.
The only weekly uncensored newspaper in all of NJ – The Hi’s Eye
Established in 1935, Westfield High School is home to the Hi’s Eye, New Jersey’s only weekly uncensored student newspaper and one of the few remaining uncensored high-school publications in the country. Aspiring writers must complete two years of journalism prior to becoming official staff members.
All staff members know the struggle of Monday and Tuesday after-school workdays that can last late into the evening, but they know just how great it feels to see their hard work pay off when they get to deliver the final product on Friday.