Downtown – Maplewood, New Jersey
The brick sidewalk in the foreground guides the eye toward the end of the block. The NJ Transit Morris & Essex Line train station and bridge spanning across the intersection of Baker Street and Maplewood Avenue, constitutes a core landmark tying the downtown district together. To borrow from the book Main Street and Miracle Mile, Maplewood embodies some of the best parts of both the dense walkable Main Street and the miracle mile oriented towards automobiles with long stretches of low-slung buildings.
Belmont Building, located at 185 Maplewood Avenue , is a one-story building that was built in 1932 as inscribed on the central panel. The building features classic hallmarks of early-1930s Art Deco architecture.
- Decorative Relief Panels: Flanking the central nameplate are stylized architectural panels featuring classic Art Deco fluted palmette or fountain motifs.
- Streamlined Corner Facade: The structure leverages an angled, chamfered corner entry designed specifically to maximize window displays and draw the eyes of pedestrians navigating the town’s central intersection.
Main Retail Stores
- Beacon Jewelers: Occupying the right-hand storefront (Suite B), this family-owned, full-service jewelry boutique has proudly served the Essex County community for over 50 years, specializing in custom engagement rings and watch repairs. [1, 2]
- A. J. Dobrosky Optician: Occupying the left-hand storefront, this space traditionally served as the long-running local neighborhood optometry and eyewear shop.
The brick sidewalk of Maplewood Avenue evokes a traditional feel. In the background stands the distinctive Tudor Revival-style building complex, a signature architectural style that gives Maplewood its historic, European-inspired village charm. Located just past the buildings in the background, this station sits on the NJ Transit Morris & Essex Line, serving as a vital transportation hub for NYC commuters since its construction in 1902. Right away the holiday decorations stand out with garland and bold red ribbons, and wreaths with red ribbons. These evoke a traditional Dickensian feeling throughout town.
Bee & Thistle, located at 89 Baker Street, originally opened around the corner on Highland Place in 1973 by local residents Eileen and John Dilley, this beloved neighborhood boutique moved to its Baker Street location a decade later. Alongside Truly Yours and Beacon Jewelers, it holds the distinction of being one of Maplewood Village’s longest-running independent retail businesses. Over its many decades of continuous operation, the shop transitioned from its roots as a traditional antique store into a fully curated community gift shop, specializing in unique holiday decorations, home goods, kitchenware, and specialty gifts. [1, 2] Sharing the adjacent commercial space at 87 Baker Street (marked by the window text on the right) is Brave Floral, a popular contemporary local florist studio focused on sustainable sourcing and modern floral arrangements.
Brave Floral at 87 Baker Street focuses on seasonal floral arrangements. Large evergreen planters flank the modern black glass storefront, blending the shop seamlessly with the winter village decor. The greenery arrives from a bundle of skinny birch branches and seemingly overtakes the shop. The Able Baker, a highly popular bakery located just a few doors down on Baker Street.
The Highland Place Parking Lot is a break in what is otherwise a continuous building wall. This central public parking lot sits directly between the back of the Maplewood Avenue commercial blocks and the Baker Street retail strips we just explored. In the center background, you can see the distinctive red brick facade of The Able Baker (located at 187 Maplewood Avenue, though its rear face addresses the lot area). It stands as one of the village’s most famous scratch-bakeries, known for its exceptional pastries and community buzz. The long, windowless beige building wall on the left anchors the edge of the commercial row, while the mature oak tree and wooden fencing on the right frame the pedestrian walkways linking the parking zones to the main village streets. What is missing is some screening of the parking lot. The benches, while adequate are spaced far apart and the open space of the parking lot is unsightly. The exposed wall of the two-story building to the left also presents an opportunity for public art.
Greens Indoor Golf and Green Point Organic Juicery, located at 92 Baker Street, may be the only dual-concept golf and juice bar I’ve ever seen. This indoor recreation facility operates on an “appointment only” basis, offering high-tech golf simulators that allow local enthusiasts to practice their swing and play virtual courses year-round, regardless of New Jersey’s winter weather. Sharing the space is a popular local health food destination specializing in a 100% organic, plant-based menu. Their offerings include cold-pressed juices, functional smoothies, acai bowls, juice cleanses, and vegan snacks. A frequent phrase in retailing is low volume high margin and high volume low margin. The golf simulator is an example of a low volume high margin activity. Paring this with a more common juice bar which like most dining is high volume low margin gives resilience and diversified revenue streams for the business. Additionally, while the two different uses may at times overlap, the golf simulator fills gaps in the food and beverage service throughout the day.
Here is where Baker Street meets Maplewood Avenue.Intersection Highlights
- The Belmont Building: On the immediate left is the corner facade of the historic Belmont Building, showing the windows of the A.J. Dobrosky Optician and Beacon Jewelers storefronts we explored at the beginning of our walk.
- The Village Signpost: Standing at the edge of the brick sidewalk is the central village lamp post and directional sign. Decorated with a seasonal wreath, it displays the neighborhood’s maple leaf branding banner.
- The Railroad Bridge: Looking across the street to the right, you can see the dark blue steel NJ Transit Morris & Essex Line railway bridge spanning over the road, leading directly toward the train station platform.
- The Streetscape: In the center background across Maplewood Avenue, the distinctive Tudor Revival rooflines of the village’s core commercial blocks frame the horizon.
Relic Vintage, a curated vintage and antique shop is located at 102 Baker Street. The shop focuses heavily on mid-century modern home decor, retro barware, classic vinyl records, pop culture memorabilia, and unique collector pieces. The display showcases an array of festive, retro holiday goods, including a tinsel bottle-brush tree covered in colorful ornaments, vintage glassware, and a classic mid-century atomic starburst hanging in the center. The lower facade features a distinctive polished black marble base trim underneath the main viewing window, capped off with seasonal evergreen pine garland and red bows.
Toy Division, a charming independent toy store is located at 94 Baker Street. Operating alongside a second location in Summit, New Jersey, this family-owned toy store serves as a major destination for local parents and children. It features a carefully curated collection of high-quality, creative children’s items, ranging from newborn plushies to complex building kits. [1, 2] The large front window showcases a variety of popular educational toys and games, including Magna-Tiles, magnetic engineering sets, children’s musical keyboards, and a whimsical winter layout featuring a collection of plush woodland animals sitting atop layers of faux snow. [1] Capping off the row of retailers on this side of the block, the entrance features a vibrant, eye-catching grass-green wooden door marked with the address numbers. The dark polished marble stone foundation flows beneath the display glass, tying the architecture back to the mid-century look of the neighboring Relic Vintage facade.
Baker Street Market, a popular gourmet specialty food shop located at 96 Baker Street, specializes in artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, prepared foods, fresh bread, pastries, and unique pantry items. Inside the large viewing window, you can see a clean, modern tasting counter lined with white stools, designed for quick bites, coffee, or community sampling. The asymmetrical arrangement of bench and planters of various designs attracts the eye and gives some visual delight.
City Workshop Men’s Supply Co., a premium menswear boutique is located at 98 Baker Street. Founded in 2014, the shop specializes in high-quality, heritage-style men’s apparel, raw denim, rugged footwear, and curated lifestyle accessories. The storefront features a classic black frame decorated with seasonal holiday garland and bright red bows. Two red wooden folding chairs sit outside on the brick sidewalk, framing a window display that showcases a patterned outerwear jacket. Options on the sidewalk are limited with the ventilation grate directly in front of the storefront. Two chairs give an amenity and send a message people are welcome. The blue text on a naturally black window, limits the visibility of the name of the business. A contrasting color like white or gold would stand out better.
[ words ] Maplewood’s Bookstore, located at 179 Maplewood Avenue, is an independent bookstore renowned for its mission to employ and support individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. The bookstore shares its Art Deco building facade with Keller Williams Midtown Realty (181) to its left. To the right is the distinctive shingled roofline of the longtime seafood spot, Coda Kitchen & Bar (177). The brown-and-striped awning boldly brings their brand colors and identity on to the sidewalk. This is a rare instance where placing the logo on the main body of the awning works better than only the valance.
Staff picks on the end cap reinforces the mission of the store, by celebrating the unique tastes and interests of the people who work there. Additionally, one gets a sense of the eclectic selection of gifts and books, and the overflowing shelves.
This view of Maplewood Avenue is from the three-way intersection at Inwood Place, right in the center of Maplewood Village.
Key Streetscape Landmarks
- [ words ] Bookstore & Coda: Looking straight ahead on the right side of the street, you can spot the distinctive gray shingled roofline of Coda Kitchen & Bar (177) and the storefront of [ words ] bookstore (179) that we just looked at.
- Kokoro Gift Shop: On the immediate right foreground is Kokoro (172 Maplewood Ave), a popular local boutique known for its curated gifts, artisan crafts, jewelry, and seasonal decor.
- St. James’s Gate: On the far left edge of the frame, you can see the dark wood facade and green awnings of St. James’s Gate Publick House (167 Maplewood Ave), a staple traditional Irish pub in the village.
- The Layout: The wide crosswalk intersection serves as a major pedestrian transition point connecting the train station plaza area to the northern half of the shopping district.
St. James’s Gate Publick House, a beloved traditional Irish pub is located at 167 Maplewood Avenue. Occupying the main ground-floor space on the left, St. James’s Gate has been a cornerstone of the village dining scene since 2003. It is celebrated for its authentic dark wood facade, traditional Irish comfort food, live music, and perfectly poured pints of Guinness. Sharing the right side of the ground floor is a classic local barber shop, marked by its traditional striped barber pole by the entrance window. The structure is a classic three-story brick mixed-use building featuring symmetric double-hung windows, a prominent black iron fire escape cascading down the center, and upper-level residential apartments. To the far right, you can spot the corner storefront of Maple Leaf Diner (165), another long-standing local favorite for breakfast and comfort food.
Maker + Muse is a curated lifestyle boutique and art gallery located at 170 Maplewood Avenue. The shop specializes in handmade goods, artisan jewelry, unique pottery, fine art, and home decor sourced directly from independent makers and artists. A vibrant turquoise chalkboard sign out front reads “Live Life Artfully.” The facade is dressed in matching winter holiday greenery and red bows, continuing the uniform look of the village block.
The storefront window is simple, clean and layered with effective use of risers to put products and staging elements at the level of the viewer. The logo is strategically positioned to be always present but to not dominate. Likewise, the customized sandwich board outside with hand-painted lettering, evokes a human made traditional touch which is just purpose. It may be a little wordy but it grabs attention well.
One last photo shows the holiday banners and the positioning “Small Wonder.” Maplewood delivers on this brand very well.
Maplewood’s Dickens Village is a cherished annual holiday tradition hosted on Riker Hill / The Village Green in downtown Maplewood, New Jersey. Every December, the park is transformed into a miniature 19th-century English village consisting of small, beautifully detailed houses. Each small structure features unique architectural styles like faux-thatch shingles or Tudor trim. They are decorated with peek-in windows showcasing classic holiday scenes, miniature toys, nativity displays, or festive vignettes. The village opens annually on the first Saturday of December with a grand tree lighting ceremony. Throughout the month, families visit to meet Santa Claus, listen to horse-drawn carriage caroler groups, and enjoy hot cocoa.
The house on the immediate right features a white clapboard exterior, green window trim, integrated flower boxes, and a cedar-shingled roof lined with evergreen pine boughs. The brick path that also connects with the same quality design of the shopping district winds past the red house on the left, leading toward additional structures positioned at the far edge of the park area.