Irvington, NJ

Originally known as Camptown in the early 1800s, the small town of Irvington surprisingly came to fruition in reaction to a popular song. The ballad "Camptown Races", by Stephen Foster facilitated the eventual renaming of the town due to concerns that the lyrical content of the ballad could foster a negative reputation for the town. In 1850, the town was renamed to Irvington in honor of Washington Irving. Over 40 years later, Irvington was officially incorporated as a Township, replacing the town's former title as a village.

Although Irvington itself does not house many museums or galleries, locals often travel to neighboring towns to enjoy such facilities. The Newark Museum specializes in arts and science exhibits, and includes a planetarium and over 80 galleries of world-class collections.

Irvington presents a combination of internationally themed restaurants, neighborhood bistros and a small spread of nationally recognized chain restaurants. Several restaurants are located along Springfield Avenue.

Don's Diner on Nye Ave crafts up some of the best soul food Irvington provides. From freshly cooked wraps and sandwiches, to full-on buffets. The restaurant provides a cozy, decorated setting for customers to enjoy their meals in, while friendly servers help provide and ensure a quality dining experience. Stop by on a Sunday to take full advantage of the buffet, featuring mussels, shrimp, broccoli, oxtail, collard greens, tilapia, soul rice and black-eyed peas just to name a few items.

Locals in Irvington looking to grab a quick slice of hot and delectable pizza make their way to Brooklyn's Pizza on Clinton Avenue. The restaurants presents a well-rounded menu consisting of numerous pizza-pie options, in addition to other crowd favorite items including wings, beef patties, gyros, garlic knots and much more. Brooklyn's Pizza gives locals the most bang for their buck 24 hours a day, with insanely affordable pricing and top-quality food. Try the Buffalo Chicken pizza, a local favorite.

A spread of bars and pubs dominate the nightlife scene in Irvington, with the majority of establishments located along Clinton Avenue, New Street and Lyons Avenue. Mug's Pub on New Street provides a low-key and ambient atmosphere for guests to enjoy inexpensive drinks, good company and classic tunes on the jukebox. The pub serves as a great spot for an after-work get together with friends or for a quick lunch during a busy day.

Automobiles and public transit serve as the most common forms of transportation in the neighborhood. The Irvington Bus Terminal simultaneously functions as the area's primary form of public transportation and one of New Jersey Transit's busiest regional transit hubs. Taxi services are provided by both large and smaller, privately owned companies. Uber also serves the area.

NJT and privately owned lots provide most of the public parking in Irvington, while on-street parking remains limited throughout the town. County Road 509 and Route 124 run through Irvington, while major highways, including Interstate 78 and Garden State Parkway, pass through the center and southern end. The main commercial areas of Irvington experience heavy pedestrian traffic, but most residents prefer to travel by car. Cycling in Irvington, although sometimes common, isn't the safest means of travel due to a fairly limited amount of biking routes.

Irvington houses a small spread of recreation-centric neighborhood parks including Irvington Park and Garden State Chancellor Park, but residents often travel to neighboring towns such as Newark to enjoy a greater taste of the outdoors. Conant Park provides plenty of space to soak in the sun and get some fresh air, touting an ample spread of picnic tables, a full-size soccer field and a trail for casual strolls with a friend or your furry companion. Ivy Hill Park also serves as a great spot for the whole family, with access to 10 hard-surface tennis courts, three baseball fields, a combination football/soccer field, a concert area, a fully lit basketball court and a playground. Residents enjoy the amenities of both locations free of charge.

Irvington incurs an average cost of living around 8 percent lower than that of New Jersey. Residents travel to the center of the city at a cost of about $2.50. One-bedroom residences rent out at an average cost of $851, while gas prices sit less than 1 percent under the national average. Best of all, you can enjoy an ice-cold pint of local brew for around just $5.

Irvington houses a small selection of specialty stores and boutiques, but nationally recognized chain retailers dominate the commercial district of the town. High-end stores tend to make their homes within more affluent neighboring towns.

BMADE specializes in custom T-shirts and graphic design. The store boasts a highly trained staff of graphic designers who work diligently to create high-quality unique designs for customers. The affordable prices and top-notch service at BMADE encourage the growth of both new and return customers alike. BMADE serves as the go-to spot for custom clothing in the Irvington area.

For those searching for great deals and discounts, K&G Fashion Superstore on Springfield Avenue provides residents with name-brand apparel, shoes and accessories for the whole family. With brands such as Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole heavily discounted, this store ensures you have no need to pay full price for fashion again.

Olympic Community Market on 40th Street serves as one of Irvington's main grocery locations, presenting a rich selection of deli meats and a small assortment of other various groceries. Meanwhile, City Supermarket on Mill Road provides residents with traditional supermarket options, with an expansive inventory of general grocery goods alongside numerous specialty products and foods.