Bargains in Westfield

A very popular store in downtown Westfield is having a clearance sale, just in time for pennypinchers to fulfill their New Year's resolutions to pinch even harder.

An article in The Westfield Leader online caught my eye and informed me that The Leader Store was closing after 61 years. My shock was tempered as I read on that the store needs to empty out merchandise so that a year-long renovation can take place.

Here's what I like about The Leader Store: It has sensible clothing and footwear for active people. The store reminds me of old ones in East Orange in the 1950s, where walls of merchandise dazzle the eye, but helpful staff can winnow out just the items you are seeking. I was perusing a floor-to-ceiling array of socks when an employee helped me find the warm boot socks I need for my outdoor travels.

Click here for Jan. 8 issue of The Westfield Leader and look in the lower right corner for an image of The Leader Store, located at 109 East Broad Street.

It's worth a visit, and many other stores in downtown Westfield, such as Gap and Randal's Shoes, are also having sales.

--Bernice Paglia

Walking? It's a Gas!

Hey George Bush! I have cut my gasoline usage by 100 percent!

Since my car was pronounced not worth fixing in November, I have been walking or getting around by bus or train while I ponder my next move. I made a couple of feeble stabs at getting a new car, but coincidentally I read in the Utne Reader about a book titled, “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car.”

The book then showed up in the Plainfield Public Library and I took it out. Deciding it was a valuable guide, I bought a copy from Amazon. It is full of practical advice and real-life examples of individuals who live without cars.

Surely Plainfield is one of the best places to test one’s ability to cut down on car use or do without one. A lot depends on circumstances, of course. It is nearly impossible for parents of young children to do without a car. I was already walking a lot, finding it easier to set out on foot from my home in the middle of Plainfield to go to City Hall, the post office, the library and downtown eateries than to waste time driving and looking for a place to park.

As the need for certain things emerged, such as lithium batteries for the digital camera, I expanded my walking distance to a mile or so from Park and Seventh. The CVS in North Plainfield, Walgreen’s and Muhlenberg were not as far away on foot as I thought and the pedestrian view of the city was quite fascinating.

I got hold of bus and train schedules and explored stores close by that I had previously ignored in favor of driving to Fanwood for grocery shopping. My trips to Twin City are more frequent than my once-a-week forays to the A&P, but they have almost everything I need and some interesting products that mainstream chain groceries don’t have.

Today I caught the 59 bus to downtown Westfield, where I picked up my favorite Starbucks coffee, found a great pair of shoes at half-price at Randal's and a fancy paring knife at Williams Sonoma, got some great food at Trader Joe’s and bought a couple of pens at Papyrus to feed my habit of buying writing supplies. It was a pleasant outing.

Since retiring, I was only spending about $20 a month on gas anyway, so getting to zero wasn’t that much of a leap. Anyone who likes mall shopping or motoring junkets would be very unhappy to be without a car, but I don’t mind. Sooner or later I will probably give in and get a car, re-joining the ranks of those who have heart-stopping encounters with bad drivers and who wonder whether that funny noise means a $700 repair bill. For now, I’m seeing Plainfield and the nearby world in a different way – not through a windshield.

--Bernice Paglia