I confess that I am not the greatest spa person in the world, although sometimes I wish I was. All in all, I'm just not that good at relaxing. Even so, here is a list of nearby spas, some of which I've heard are great, and others I've actually tried out myself. Let me know if you have more suggestions! 1) Sahana Spa is one of those rare places that transports one, in a mere few steps, from a busy and bustling Bloomfield Avenue to a sea of calm and serenity. The spa, which has been around for four years, is the creation of Anita Christian. Her dream was to create a space that was filled with a…

Top Of the Mornin' To Ya! For the Irish in Everyone, Here's a lucky number of seven area St. Patrick's Day activities. 1) The gift giving luck o' the Irish awaits you at Irish & More on Church Street in Montclair. All week this fantastic shop has had a smorgasbord of Irish gift items spread out on tables in front of the store. Irish & More boasts everything from all things Celtic and classic to the downright quirky. 2) Head to a big parade—in New York City. NJ TRANSIT will provide extra trips on a dozen bus routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Thursday, March 17, to accommodate …

It's hard to create a truly comprehensive list of summer camps—there are so many genres: sleepaway, toddler, arts, theater, day camp, science and exploration. So this week, we're focusing on just one area: sports. If you live in the Montclair area, there are a number of sports-centric camps available for your budding athlete. If we've missed your favorite here, please add it in the comments! Pirate Sports Camp at Seton Hall University makes use of Dvision I-level facitilies to host a multi-sports co-ed sports camp for children ages 7-12. The camp runs just two weeks: August 1-5 and August 8-…

Is it "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" by Condoleeza Rice or "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson? And, for kids, is it "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin or "Guji Guji" by Chih-Yuan Chen? Ask librarians at the Montclair Public Library about their book picks for adults and kids and you'll find yourself bombarded with a lot of answers. And a lot of good answers at that. Here's what a few of them had to say. Adult Fiction The Long Fall by Walter Mosley (Leonid McGill Mystery Series, 1st) Known to Evil by Walter Mosley (Leonid McGill Mystery Series, 2nd) The Help by …

Merriam-Webster defines “boutique” as a “small, fashionable shop.” We define it as a shop with a lot of ambience. With that in mind, here are some of my favorite Montclair boutiques. In addition, I asked a few Montclair residents about their favorite shop. Here are their responses. Floss O'Sullvan: "Banyan Tree—some beautiful pieces that have added the perfect touch to our home, and it's also great for classy gifts for friends and family." Emily Grand: "Jafajems—everything in the store is beautiful, interesting, unusual, exotic, and the owner is a lovely person to boot." Donna Friedman: "…

What to do? What to do? With so many groups asking for help, it's hard to know how you can really make a difference in Montclair—and right now. Here are this week's Patch Picks of five ways to get involved. If you have any to add, please do so in the comments section or email Shelley@patch.com. 1) Worried about the town's library? Then help the Montclair Public Library Foundation. An anonymous donor has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, all donations up to a total of $10,000 received by the MPL Foundation between Feb. 7 and April 7. Please help the foundation meet this challenge. Donate …

From heart-shaped bread to yummy chocolate desserts, Montclair bakeries and restaurants will offer a smorgasbord of special treats to wow you and your special Valentine. Since the 14th of February comes on a Monday this year, many restaurants will be expecting customers to celebrate over the weekend. So be sure to make your reservations early! —Zod Arifai, owner/chef of Blu at 554 Bloomfield Ave., said there will be a four-course menu created for Valentine’s Day, featuring an appetizer, fish course, meat dish, and dessert. Diners can switch the offerings around if they so choose. —At Nicolo’s…

Super Bowl XLV kicks off Sunday, Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m., when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Tickets for the championship are ranging from $3,000 to $23,000 a piece. But you can enjoy the game right in or near Montclair for a heck of a lot less. Throw a party, be a gracious guest, or punt the invitations altogether with these Patch Picks. 1) Town Pub at 378 Broad Street in Bloomfield 973-743-9557 If you sit in the bar area, there's a free pizza and appetizer buffet. This cozy neighborhood bar is the kind of place where the bartender seems to …