Long-time Rutherford residents haven’t seen a West End with so many open businesses in many a year. With just a couple long-shuttered storefronts on Union still available, new or relocating Rutherford businesses should give this thriving neighborhood a second glance.
Let’s meet the Chamber businesses that call the West End home as we come down Union Ave. from ‘downtown’ Rutherford: On the right we have the newly renovated Blue Foundry Bank, a real anchor for the neighborhood that hosts the occasional business networking event. There’s also a laundromat and the 3-Star Convenience Store, a spotless, well-lit store that has almost everything you need, from balloons to key copies. Also in that complex on the right-hand side is family martial arts academy Black Belt America and the top-notch Smart Wiz coding school.
Coming down the hill on the left-hand side, you’ll find well-stocked West End Liquors (insider’s tip: there’s a surprisingly well-priced selection of French wines in the back) and The Little Play Cafe, which in addition to being a great play-hang with your little(s) also serves up some delicious treats, including their famous pesto avocado toast.
Continue down Union to find Mambo’s Latin Kitchen, still famous for their rotisserie chicken, and of course long-time Rutherford staple Ferazzoli’s Italian Kitchen, where everybody has their favorite (mine’s a personal vodka grandma pie with spinach, garlic, and bacon). Don’t forget to stop at Rutso’s for a haircut (she’s been there for years) and have dessert at teh new ice cream place. Further down the street, right before getting to the firehouse is Eryn’s Atelie. A true master of hair styling and makeup, Eryn offers the full menu of beauty services.
On a side note, it’s been said that the exterior wall of The Little Play Cafe on Santiago near Union would make an ideal spot for a community mural. One commemorating Union Ave.’s history as one of the oldest roads in Bergen County (formerly known as Old Indian Trail), depicting its use by native Americans in pre-colonial times through the coaches that shuttled people from Rutherford Train Station down Union to the popular resorts on the Passaic River in the 1800s through today–a rich history that deserves memorialization.
Visit Rutherford’s West End to get your own taste of this vibrant neighborhood.