J. McLaughlin.....Clothing...Or J. Crew....Vineyard Vines...

Perhaps a branch of Cape May's the Lobster House or another beachy seafood restaurant.

J. Crew all the way!!!!

J. Crew??!! Another mall type retailer? why? So you won't have to drive to the mall at Short hills? Or shop on-line? Here is a novel idea, how about a family run business that might be around for a couple of generations that provides a useful service so we won't have to go to a big box retailer. Maybe someone with some taste and actually knows it's customers and stands behinds their product or service. No that makes too much sense, we are only here until the kids get out of high school anyway so what do we care.

Ron nice idea and I agree completely, but... the rents that these building owners charge make that quite prohibitive for many individuals wanting to run a business in Westfield. So sad.

it is a pretty big store, but i'd love to see a LUSH open up in Westfield. for those of you who do not know, LUSH is a cosmetics and bath store. all their products are handmade using fresh organic fruits and vegetables, using ONLY vegetarian ingredients and there is NO animal testing done. here's to hoping a LUSH opens somewhere nearby and soon.

Honestly though, A nice brewpub would a be a good fit downtown that serves delicious craft brewed beers.

What Westfield really needs is a pizzeria.

mcdonalds, bk, kfc, another subway we only have 2, dunkin donuts we need another,
wendys, a coffee shop that can pull a decent shot, tgif fridays, applebees, legal seafood, brooks brothers, the limited, anthropologie, godiva, channel. That's it!!! Channel!!! we can all brag about that, imagine what the real estate sales people would say!! the sales pitches!!

Why don't we work something up to get the stores that were burned out back in business. Been here over 25 years and Westfield certainly had a mom and pop feel.
Now we throw out the old and replace with even more national chains. Not saying its feasable, but at least give it a shot if the landlord is agreeable not to charge 500,000 per month

I am voting for a Ann Taylor Loft, I love that store!

Anything other than another restaurant,pizza seller,frozen yogurt maker or any chain store presently in any mall around us.
A.John Blake

Thank you Patricia Hale!!! My family relocated here from brooklyn, ny just about the time when woolworths was closing. In the 15 years we have lived here westfield has been turned into an outdoor shopping mall. Believe it or not brooklyn was and is far more mom and pop than westfield. The services are better because they have a vested interest in the neighborhood rather than a store like Talbots that didn't make it's sales numbers and decides it is not worth it to stay. But ANS makes a very valid point with the high rents and ability to compete reduces the chances of survival for a mom and pop operation. Other towns didn't take the path that westfield has taken(i.e. tarrytown, ny) and has managed to have almost exclusively mom and pop businesses. I guess it speaks to the communities inherent values and what the community wants. westfield has an attractive downtown, it is too bad that it's usefulness for someone like myself that does not use the majority of the stores because I can shop on line without risking a parking ticket. Remove all the streets and put it all indoors already and be done with it.

A good micro brewery/brew pub would be successful in Westfield. Not sure if that location is the best, but we still need one. Those sorts of things typically seem to do best when they have their own building upon which to create their own, unique identity.

I think Talbots should never have left. Bring BACK TALBOTS!!!!

The demographics in this town are just aching for J. Crew!

Because J. Crew is so much different than Banana Republic. Is it that much of an inconvenience to drive to one of the multiple nearby malls to buy J. Crew? How about something completely different. I said it once, Westfield needs a classy brewpub that crafts its own beers that serves really good pub and tavern food. Here are a few examples: Vermont Pub & Brewery: http://www.vermontbrewery.com/, Merchant House Tavern: http://www.merchanthousetavern.com/, Light Horse Tavern: http://lighthorsetavern.com/, Triumph Brewing Company http://www.triumphbrewing.com/princeton/, Taphouse Grille: http://www.taphousenj.com/

yes, I agree, the best way to experience westfield is at least partially inebriated.

Craft beer is not about getting inebriated. People that drink beer to get drunk can stick to any of the major label swill that is out there.

while it's fun to talk about what we'd like to see in that location, it would be great to see properties like that (and certain ones along South Ave near train station) redeveloped for mixed use, with retail on ground floor and office/residential on second and maybe third floors. this would add valuable foot traffic, boost ratables, improve the town's look -- esp. along south ave. -- and promote economic development.

Ron, no offense taken. Truth be told, I have not lived in Westfield for about 8 years at this point, but my parents still live there. Since I only live about 30 min north and work in nearby Linden, I do come to town often. So it would be nice to see Westfield get a nice brewpub to go out to when I do come visit my parents or get together with friends who still live in the area. I really think that the bank building on the corner of North Avenue and Elm Street (across from State Farm) would have been a perfect location for a brew pub type of place.

Yes, JL, the bank would be perfect for a really great brew pub, I completely agree. It is mystifying to me how some properties in westfield(and others towns too), like the bank on elm and broad and the bank on north and elm(about 10 years it stood vacant until it was divided up), stay vacant for so long. It certainly detracts from the downtown to see such landmark type buildings stay empty year after year. The bank on elm and broad could be a showcase rather than eyesore. I don't pretend to know the economics of it all, but it certainly would be nice if the owners of the vacant building might open it up to the community to display art produced by our area school children or some other beneficial endeavor while waiting for tenant to rent the space.