Seniors Visit Bloomfield

 My wife bought a small jar of mustard that was made in Bloomfield, New Jersey. I just had to follow the path to this town so see what all is there that might attract senior visitors, besides Colman’s Mustard.

Bloomfield’s population is around 48,000. Senior visitors will find the township 2 miles north of East Orange, 5 miles north of Newark and only 20 minutes from New York City.

Bloomfield College, a liberal arts college founded in 1868, is located in downtown Bloomfield near the town green. The college has approximately 2,000 students.

 Seniors Visit A Confectionery, A Cemetery and An Estate

Three of the major attractions seniors can enjoy include Glendale Cemetery, Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery (filming location of the final scene in the final episode of The Sopranos) and the Oakes Estate, constructed in 1895, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

A host of notable people were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bloomfield. One that I remember well is the singer Connie Francis. Let’s let Facebook help fill in your itinerary.

The local Historical Society of Bloomfield is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will be scheduling a number of events. Bloomfield is loaded with landmarks, and has an interesting downtown.

Seniors, if you travel with your dog, stop at Brookdale Dog Park, an off-leash facility that is part of Brookdale Park, which in turn is part of the Essex County Parks system.

 Seniors Stroll Through Brookdale Park

TripAdvisor suggests that visitors start off with a visit to Brookdale Park and then on to Yellow Plum with a great menu. Going through the Park is a circular, one way road, with three roads leading out of the park. There are many entrances for pedestrians.

Before Brookdale was a park, the area was used by the First Nations Lenape Native Americans, later known as the Delaware, as a planting/gathering ground. It is an opportunity for a stroll that will be memorable.

Senior “birders,” Brookdale Park offers over 200 acres of varied wildlife habitat and hosts a great number of bird species. Sightings range from the small and common house sparrow to the occasional Wild Turkey. Visit ebird for Brookdale’s Hotspot list of bird sightings recorded by the local birders.

So set your GPS for Bloomfield, a dynamic town that offers many attractions and fun things to do: parks, theater, sports, history, golf courses. Enjoy your visit. -jeb