Ridgewood, NY Road Trips

Van Neste Square - the center of East Ridgewood and the center of Ridgewood. Home to Van Neste Park and various monuments, statues, benches and green areas perfect for a picnic. Van Neste Park - a large park in the center of town in East Ridgewood. The centerpoint of Van Neste Square. Hangout spot for many people. Monuments, status, benches, and green areas. Wilsey Square - the center of West Ridgewood. Surrounded by shops and eateries. Railroad Square - park area surrounding both sides of the Ridgewood Train Station. Onsite eateries and cafes on the eastern side. Bergen County Public Park (Ridgewood) - the Ridgewood arm of the enormous Bergen County Public Park. The park is set along heavily wooded paths that connect oversized parks in various towns. Gives a feeling of the forest in the middle of the suburbs. One could wander around the whole park for days and never go to the same place. The Ridgewood arm of the park is one of the largest sections and is home to a large pond, a dog park, walking trails, a large playground, as well as parking and restroom facilities. Located East of downtown near Paramus and Ridgewood High School. 1 The Hermitage Museum, Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus, ☏ +1 201 445 8311 ext 102, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2021)

Ridgewood has a lot of restaurants, serving almost all types of food. 1 Pizzaiolo by Brothers (Pizzaiolo Brothers), 85 Godwin Ave, ☏ +1 201-444-4944, [email protected]. 11AM-9PM. A family-run pizzeria and Italian restaurant serving brick-oven pies and traditional Sicilian-influenced dishes since 1970. $15-25. (updated Feb 2026) The Office is a large sports bar/restaurant with good food, good drinks, and good prices. Slow service on Friday and Saturday nights. The Country Pancake House is a family-run house of pancakes serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Huge menu of all food and very good prices. Very crowded on weekend mornings as well as late morning, early afternoon on Sundays. Lenny's Pizzeria is a pizzeria restaurant serving Italian favorites and pizza at excellent prices. The Daily Treat is a diner serving typical diner food. Good prices and good food and never more than a few minutes wait for a table. It's Greek To Me is a Greek restaurant serving very good ethnic Greek cuisine at very reasonable prices. Renato's Pizzeria is a standard pizzeria but with very good food and very good prices. Piccolo Pizza is an excellent pizzeria on the northern edge of downtown. Come here to enjoy some of the best pizza in the area. "The Best of Everything" is an Italian restaurant that also provides catering, has by far the best personal pizzas and the best menu that you can either eat there or take away. Van Dyk's Homemade Ice Cream, 145 Ackerman Ave, ☏ +1 201-444-1429. Usually less than $10.

The Office, 32-34 Chestnut Street (Intersection at Ridgewood Avenue), ☏ +1 201-652-1070. M-Sa 11:30AM till midnight (kitchen), 2AM bar. Located in downtown Ridgewood just minutes from the train station, this New Jersey restaurant is known for delicious casual dining and was voted the best sports bar in Bergen Health & Life Magazine. And the sports bar includes a fun happy hour and late night events—plus a great place to watch the game! Happy Hour is from 4PM-7PM with $2 domestic pints, $3 import pints, $3 margaritas, and $1 off mixed drinks,bottled beers and wine by the glass. Also during happy hour are $5 appetizers. The office also has daily drink specials which are a great deal. They serve a great selection of appetizers, burgers, pizzas, salads, fajitas, burritos, and main entrees. Mac Murphy's Pub, 8 Godwin Avenue, ☏ +1 201-444-0500. One of the best Irish pubs in the area. There's nothing better on a cold wintry afternoon than finding a spot at the bar near the fireplace and warming up with a black-and-tan. The menu's got some great choices (amazing and cheap 1/2-lb. burgers!) and a few items that try to be too ambitious (crab cakes... er, no). Good service, friendly regulars and extraordinary jukebox selections. Parking lot's small but you can usually get away with parking at Whole Foods down the road.

The nearest airport with regular scheduled service is Newark-Liberty International in Newark (EWR IATA), New Jersey. LaGuardia Airport (LGA IATA) and JFK IATA International Airport (the busiest in the US) are also nearby in Queens, New York. NJ Transit and Metro North - the Ridgewood train station is in the heart of Downtown Ridgewood. The railroad tracks divide Downtown and the village into two sections, East Ridgewood and West Ridgewood. Being a part of the Main/Bergen County Line and Port Jervis Line, it can facilitate a smoother commute to the town, from Hoboken in the south (and Secaucus Junction offering a connection to New York Penn Station), up north to either Waldwick, Suffern, or Port Jervis, the latter two in a quiet section of the border towns in New York. As of September 2017, the average price for a ticket to/from Hoboken amounts to $9, while travel time would be at average, 45 minutes. Amtrak - Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey offers Amtrak service to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, New York City, and all points beyond and in between. Amtrak's ACELA Express trains service Newark Penn and travel between Washington DC and Boston. Other area Amtrak stations are New York Penn Station in New York City and Metropark Station in Iselin, NJ. You'll have to take a transfer from Secaucus on a NJ Transit train, then take a Main/Bergen County Line or Port Jervis Line train if you'd wish to visit Ridgewood, as there's no direct Amtrak service to Ridgewood.

Walking is the best way to get around Downtown Ridgewood because it is not very large, but a car will be needed if you plan to get out of Downtown, the best way is with a car because local bus service is limited. To cross to the smaller downtown sector of West Ridgewood, take the pedestrian-only underpass, or the road with a narrow sidewalk underpass under the train tracks. The best way to get around Ridgewood outside of Downtown. Traffic in Downtown Ridgewood is somewhat congested and on weekends there is a shortage of parking. On-street parking and public lot parking within Downtown is metered, so be sure to have change with you. Local bus service (NJ Transit) is limited and stops within Ridgewood, locally, are few and far between.

Valley Hospital, 223 N. Vandien Avenue, ☏ +1 201-447-8000. local hospital Ridgewood Police Department, 131 N Maple Ave, ☏ +1 201-652-3900.