Downtown – Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn has an ideal location, close to New York City and at the foot of the South Mountain Reservation. There are many assets here including the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Greenwood Gardens not too far away from the downtown. Here are a few highlights from a recent visit.
Fantastical Garden, 2022
This sculpture by Dan Fenelon has signature vivid colors designed to stand out from the colors of nature. Intended to look like flowering vegetation, they evoke a fantastical garden in a natural habitat. This is one of several installations in the Wildflower Sculpture Park, managed by the South Mountain Conservancy and with funding from Essex County and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Wildflower and Forest Preserve
This open area is managed by volunteers. The wildflower garden is frequently weeded to give several varieties of wildflowers a chance. Watch out for poison ivy. And enjoy walking the trails that will take you by many additional art installations interspersed throughout.
Springbone Kitchen
Having worked up an appetite we headed down and off the mountain into Millburn. Springbone Kitchen had wonderful bowls and bone broth to choose from. Their commitment to grass-fed and pasture-centric farming was evident. We tried 3 bowls (Grandma’s Chicken & Rice, Mexican Bowl, Herb-Roasted Salmon) and the Bad Hombre bone broth. Note, the bone broth is served in a cup but is more like a soup with ample rice and chicken included in the cup. There are two other locations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.
Dayna Commons and Mera Commons
These nearly identical Art Deco apartment houses easily transport you to another time, whether it be Northern Manhattan or South Beach. Art Deco-style apartment building complex located at 315 Millburn Avenue. Built primarily in the 1920s to early 1930s, the structure features distinct Art Deco vertical geometric detailing on the roofline piers and tan brick work. Especially appreciated details are the pigmented structural glass, terrazzo floor, and stylized zig zag cornice details. Peak into the vestibule. Better yet if you feel comfortable and it is open, walk inside. The decorative features are largely intact and very well cared for.
The property is split into symmetric wings separated by a central driveway courtyard, a design popular in early 20th-century urban and suburban garden apartments to maximize natural window light for every unit. While the upper levels consist of residential apartment homes, the ground level and adjacent units at this address host local favorite businesses like Mochimoly (known for Korean donuts, hot dogs, and rice bowls) and the popular Italian eatery La Strada.
Rose Garden
Have a little bit of greenery and a break from the buildings in the Rose Garden. This connects with a larger park. The mature trees surrounding the garden give a backdrop, some drama, and a sense of enclosure.
Rahway River Walkway
Between Goldberg’s Famous Deli and Springbone Kitchen is a walkway heading towards the Rahway River. Take a few minutes to enjoy the art on display, take a selfie, or play a game of bocce.
Rahway River
The Rahway River here is culvertized, likely to keep water from eroding away at the steep banks and buildings lining the river. Some buildings are suspended over the concrete covered culvert, creating an interesting architectural feature. A similar feature on a large scale exists in Albion, Michigan.
liv BREADS
This is more than your average bakery. They had prepared foods, desserts, and loaves of fresh baked bread. On Saturday and Sunday from 5pm-8:30pm they convert to providing pizza and antipasti. We tried the Meyer Lemon Tartlet, Chocolate Carmel Tartlet, and a Rhubarb Croissant. The seating out front was tied up so we enjoyed the seating area in the corner of the parking lot beside the sidewalk clock.
Millburn Streetscape Improvements
An outdoor pedestrian plaza is directly in front of the historic Paper Mill Playhouse complex, located at 22 Brookside Drive. The yellow building visible across the parking lot in the background is the Paper Mill Studios facility (located at 20 Main Street), which houses the theater’s expansive dance studios, classrooms, and education conservatory space. The contemporary courtyard features granite and cobblestone geometric pavers, mounded red rose bushes, and fragrant purple catmint (Nepeta) borders designed to welcome theatergoers before showtimes.
This viewpoint looks down the intersection of Main Street and Millburn Avenue in downtown Millburn, NJ.
Housed in the distinct light-brick building with the black-and-yellow striped awning is Fiamma Wood Fired Pizza (located at 32 Main St). Known for its traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked in an authentic wood-fired oven. Popular items include the Margherita, Sorrentina, and LoBello specialty pies. The menu features large fresh salads, homemade meatballs, paninis, and classic pasta dishes like eggplant parmigiana.
This specific intersection is highly recognizable to locals because the township occasionally closes off sections of this block of Main Street to vehicle traffic to create a pedestrian-friendly outdoor marketplace with expanded seating, live music, and community events. The intersection features modern, stamped concrete pedestrian safety bump-outs, reducing crossing distance for walkers exploring the downtown core.
A sleek, contemporary backless street bench featuring weathered grey wooden slats set into heavy, minimalist aluminum loop legs. Backless designs are intentionally used in modern streetscapes to allow pedestrians to sit facing either the storefronts or the street activity. In the upper right corner sits a massive, matching conical concrete planter filled with seasonal evergreens and ground cover, which helps shield pedestrians from the adjacent traffic lane.
The unique light-grey concrete surface visible next to the curb is part of Millburn’s Complete Streets / Flex-Street infrastructure project on Main Street. This specific stretch of roadway was engineered with a flush curb-to-sidewalk transition. It allows the town to seamlessly block off vehicle traffic using retractable bollards, immediately transforming the parking and driving lanes into a expanded, barrier-free pedestrian boardwalk for outdoor dining, farmers markets, and seasonal street festivals.
The Millburn Standard is a highly popular American tavern and gastropub located at 42 Main Street in downtown Millburn. The restaurant is a central anchor of Main Street’s dining scene, known for its lively, upscale-casual tavern environment. Unlike many of the surrounding BYOB establishments in downtown Millburn, The Millburn Standard holds a full liquor license. It boasts an extensive craft beer list, fine wines, and a dedicated seasonal cocktail menu. The dark charcoal building features a wide, covered sidewalk terrace with long wood-paneled accents, providing ample outdoor seating directly along the town’s flexible pedestrian zone.
Directly across the street from The Millburn Standard gastropub along Main Street, is a section where granite sets continue the material palette from the street corners. A premium, heavy-duty commercial bin featuring vertical hardwood slats designed to naturally weather over time. The domed stainless steel top protects against rainwater and keeps litter neatly enclosed. Nestled right into the tree beds are polished, solid dark-granite rectangular block benches. They provide a quick place to sit without cluttering the walking path. Black tapered composite planters are set alongside the granite blocks, filled with bright pink and red geraniums to bring consistent color to the pedestrian walkway.
The ground seamlessly shifts from smooth concrete walking panels to a dark brick border, followed by a wide, flush granite curb. The smooth grey concrete driving and parking lane visible on the left is entirely level with the sidewalk, allowing the town to easily convert this entire commercial section into a pedestrian plaza for street fairs.
Granite sets are used in another area to designate a building entry beneath a canopy extending over the sidewalk. The ground level pavers and above ground canopy create a sense of enclosure, set apart from the surrounding setting.
The prominent circular granite mosaic embedded in the sidewalk pavement is a millstone design. This is a direct nod to the historic millstone heritage of the township. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the nearby Rahway River powered multiple paper, grist, and hat mills. This industrial past is what gave the town its name (“Mill-burn”, referencing the burn or river powering the local mills). The foreground showcases the multi-toned grey granite pavers and flush curb infrastructure that makes this block a highly adaptable “flex-street” for local markets.
The trash and recycling containers with wood slats are interspersed with a blue recycling bin. This may be a reflection of confusion around where to put recyclables. The blue container is universally recognized through coloring as being for recycling only. That does not mean people always use it that way – though it is clear. The slatted version does not have as clear coloration and is largely indistinguishable from the slatted trash can. Additionally, while there is blue on top it is a lighter Cerulean color as opposed to the deeper blue for the recycling containers. Finally, the trash can does not have any clear identification distinguishing it as being for trash only. Clearly some more time and attention needs to be paid before putting out street fixtures with unclear color, markings, and purpose.
Millburn Courtyard is a mid-block alley that connects to a public plaza behind buildings on Main Street. The space is outfitted with high-quality wooden garden benches with matching small side tables, along with several bistro tables and folding wooden chairs for outdoor dining. The path uses large, warm-toned stone pavers bordered by mature trees, manicured boxwood shrubs, and stone boulder accents. In the foreground stands a Bigbelly solar-powered smart waste and recycling station. These high-tech bins automatically compact trash using built-in solar panels, keeping the courtyard clean and drastically reducing how often municipal crews need to empty them.
This plaza acts as a key pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the Main Street parking lot infrastructure directly to the rear entrances of downtown businesses. It provides a peaceful detour route to destinations like The Millburn Standard, Fiamma Wood Fired Pizza, and nearby retail boutiques without having to walk along the main roads.
Greenwood Gardens
Our final stop on our daytrip was Greenwood Gardens. A less than five minute drive from Millburn, there is an admission fee of $10 per adult and $5 per child. Purchased by New York real estate auctioneer Joseph P. Day in 1906, here he built a wood-frame house and later a 28-room mansion with extensive formal gardens. The gardens blended Italianate and Arts and Crafts influences. A rustic stone Teahouse and Summerhouse, fountains, wisteria-laden arbors, statues modeled after his children, acres of perennials, a greenhouse, a nine-hole golf course, and a large vegetable gardens were key features on the 28 acre property.
The Days were succeeded in 1949 by Peter P. Blanchard Jr., an IBM lawyer and New York businessman. The Day mansion was replaced with a smaller structure in the Colonial Revival style. Blanchard dedicated himself towards creating and nurturing the garden until his death in 2000. At first the garden was opened for private tours, then in 2013 for public free-roam visitation following an extensive renovation. In 2020 a second phase renovation was completed with redesign of the Main Axis, including the Reflecting Pool and Garden of the Gods.
Cottages
These were renovated by architect William W. Renwick, from 1925-1926. Rookwood faience tiles identify the year of renovation for each building. Staff for Joseph P. Day were housed here.
Main House
This 1950s Georgian Revival house today has the Welcome Center, a Gift Shop, and staff offices. In the East pavilion where Peter P. Blanchard, Jr. and his wife Adelaide Childs Frick Blanchard would occasionally take breakfast, is a gilt bronze Bird of Paradise Gate, crated by Edward F. Caldwell & Co. They were the pre-eminent designer of decorative metalwork from the end of the 19th century through the 1940s.
Reflecting Pool Terrace with D-Shaped Pool
The three lead dolphins were brought from Clayton, Adelaide Blanchard’s childhood home on Long Island and installed in 1965. The stairs, pool, fountain, and grotto on this terrace were part of an extensive restoration project completed in 2020.
Croquet Terrace
No photo provided. The croquet terrace was once flanked by pergolas for shade and stored croquet equipment. Peter Blanchard Jr. installed a double row of boxwood hedging. A 2020 renovation restored the lawn.
Garden of the Gods
Originally home to a series of painted busts of Roman divinities between the paired columns. The pool featured statues modeled after the Day children. The bronze sculpture of the Boy with Waterfowl by Emilio Angela, originally located in front of the former Teahouse Water garden, is centered in the Garden of the God’s pool. This pool was also part of the 2020 restoration project.
Summerhouse
The Summerhouse was constructed by Italian stone masons in 1920 using local sandstone and basalt. It is surrounded by four granite water basins. Originally the building was electrified. Tiles on the floor were manufactured by Fulper, Inc. in Flemington, New Jersey. Four horse chestnut trees were strategically planted to shade the Summerhouse.
Teahouse
Built circa 1920, tea was prepared here in the Day era utilizing the sink and fireplace. The ceiling of the lower level is studded with Rookwood tiles, and the floor features Fulper tiles. On the second level the dome has some acoustical properties, particularly when standing in the middle.
Ponds
Peter Blanchard, Jr. added two ponds adjacent to one another in 1965 to create a habitat for fish and waterfowl.
Farm Allée and Barnyard
The Day and Blanchard families actively cultivated the land. The Days had cows, pigs, turkeys, and chickens by the hundred, along with horses and a large array of dogs. A greenhouse provided fresh citrus fruit and flowers year-round. Peter Blanchard, Jr. enjoyed walks around the property with a mixed pack of corgis and Labrador retrievers. The family raised ducks, geese, guinea hens, turkeys, pheasants, peacocks, and fancy pigeons. Horses and sheep grazed the meadows.
Cascade
The seven-tiered cascade originally had the “Dragon Fountain Pool,” an elliptical reflecting pool with sculptures on either side at the bottom. In 1950 this was replaced by an oval-shaped swimming pool by Peter Blanchard, Jr. Two solid lead Pegasus statues by Wheeler Williams overlooked the pool and are still there today.
Postscript to 2023 Visit
As we drove back to town from Greenwood Gardens, all of a sudden the disparate buildings in town made sense together. This main route that countless people traveled from Greenwood Gardens and back showed the relationship between an estate and town.
2024 Visit
The George H. Bauer Community Center is a substantial building located in a park. The slate tiled hip roof and the half-timbering detailing on the entrance building make the community center stand out.
This one-story building has some handsome Art Deco detailing with a frozen fountain over the arched entrance.
The way-finding in Millburn is attractive and useful, though has one weakness. The back of the sign is left blank. There may be an opportunity to add a reverse face to the sign with a positive phrase such as “Welcome to Downtown.”
During our prior visit the Rahway River Walkway was more activated with furniture and games. This time it was nearly entirely empty. This reflects the need to program public spaces 365 days a year.
These Hampton Bay Hard Top Gazebo structures set on the sidewalk are well intending. As public space goes they are too low. Also, they appear to have been shifted after installation and are not in a straight line. Finally, at the time of our visit some discarded materials from a prior event created an unsafe situation for people passing by on the sidewalk.
One last feature we observed are the benches near Borough Hall. They are situated similar to conversation landscapes, with two benches at an angle to each other. Missing is a small knee height table for people to place items on. Otherwise, this is a welcome design feature that should encourage connection between people.
Books were the reason for our return visit on December 29, 2024, and The book House was our destination. Right away at the front door they have the top 10 books from the NYT Fiction and Non-fiction categories displayed on face. While compact, each section had a good assortment of carefully picked titles. Towards the back of the store is the cash wrap and also a cafe with seating area to read. We enjoyed having the store to ourselves for nearly an hour which gave time to peruse nearly every title, skim a few books, and make our purchase.
The A-frame sign outside reinforced the Shop Local vibes we were feeling. It advertised the store and the experience there while not even having the name of the store itself.
The Millburn Courtyard is one of several public spaces created to connect parking to the rear of buildings with the businesses. The placement of seatings and plantings further makes this into a place that people are likely to want to spend time in together.
This expertly arranged, multi-tiered container display uses a classic landscaping design technique: a thriller (tall centerpiece), fillers (mounded middle plants), and spillers (cascading plants).
- The Thriller (Center): Mandevilla (Rocktrumpet). The pink, trumpet-shaped flowers climb upward along the black wire obelisk trellis.
- The Fillers (Middle):
- The Spillers (Edges): Trailing Verbena. The cascading clusters of rich purple flowers spilling over the rim of the grey barrel planter.
The small green sign nestled in the foliage reads: “Partially Funded by TBL – The Township Beautification League.” The Township Beautification League (TBL) is a local non-profit organization in Millburn-Short Hills. They are responsible for planting, maintaining, and watering the hundreds of decorative floral baskets and sidewalk planters that line the downtown business districts every spring and summer.
his panoramic view captures the commercial heartbeat of downtown Millburn, New Jersey, looking northeast along Millburn Avenue. The retail strip on the right side of the street showcases several popular local businesses located between the 300 and 315 blocks of Millburn Avenue:
- Lucid Beauty Spa & Wellness: A local destination for skincare, facial treatments, and massage therapies.
- Art & Vino Studio: A popular paint-and-sip venue hosting private parties, step-by-step art classes, and community workshops.
- Mochimoly: A trendy eatery specializing in Korean rice-flour mochi donuts, Korean-style hot dogs, and specialty boba teas.
- Bubble Tea Shop: Located just next door, offering a wide array of fruit teas and milk teas.
This vibrant commercial corridor is designed for high pedestrian traffic. The sidewalks feature wide, brick-paved borders alongside classic concrete walking paths. The street provides metered parallel parking spaces directly in front of the retail shops for quick storefront access. This lively block sits just a short walk south of Taylor Park and is highly accessible for commuters traveling from the nearby Millburn train station.
This closer view focuses on the active retail strip along Millburn Avenue, highlighting several prominent local storefronts.
- Mochimoly: Located at 315A Millburn Ave, this popular spot serves up sweet mochi donuts and savory Korean-style corn dogs.
- Kung Fu Tea: Located at 313 Millburn Ave, a widely known franchise specializing in customized bubble milk teas, fruit teas, and seasonal frozen drinks.
- Original Sharp: Located at 311 Millburn Ave, a local hair salon and barber studio.
- Oriental Rug Center: Housed in a distinct red-brick, neo-classical style building with white columns, specializing in fine rug sales and repair services.