This week on The Montclair Pod:Church Street goes car-free (for now), Urban Outfitters quietly leaves downtown after 20 years, and our youngest correspondents ask Montclair what they’d change about their town — plus fried chicken, a music festival, and an ab robot.
Urban Outfitters quietly closed its downtown Montclair store after 15+ years, the chain’s first-ever NJ location. We dig into why, with theories from BID director Cesar Claro and developer Dave Placek, break down how Urban, Free People, and Anthropologie actually differ, and share your wild guesses for what should move in next (spoiler: “another clothing store” won).
Then we headed uptown to meet with Dan Campeas and Dayana Ordonez, the couple behind Farmhouse Fried Chicken and the new Uptown Sound music festival hitting Anderson Park on September 26. Mike previews his own set alongside Kevin March, a salsa band, and headliners Waterbury Road.
Farnoosh and Mike visit Pure Balance Center in Clifton for chiropractic care, Pilates, and a very high-tech ab-robot — this segment is part of our sponsored Farnoosh and Mike Get Healthy series.
Plus: Council member Susan Shin Anderson explains the thinking behind Church Street’s monthly car-free weekends (our poll on this is done in partnership with Twocents, the app that lets you give feedback directly to businesses, anonymously if you want), junior correspondents Coco and Priya hit the pavement to ask what people would change about Montclair, and a full news roundup: the MPACT school board report and this fall’s BOE candidates, Senator Andy Kim’s MediKids Act, NJ’s new Fair Price Protection Act banning grocery surveillance pricing, a scare at an East Orange summer camp, Montclair’s new permanent township attorney, and Pig & Butter’s new Orange Road location (opening tomorrow, 7/31).
Want to weigh in on Church Street? Give us your Twocents: montclairpod.com/church
Resources & Links
- Church Street poll (in partnership with Twocents)
- Kevin March episode (“The Drummer Next Door”)
- Pure Balance Center in Clifton
- MPACT school board explainer
- Andy Kim’s MediKids Act
- NJ Fair Price Protection Act
- Pig & Butter Montclair opening coverage
- Glenridge Parkway street-wide yard sale event