Westfield, NJ

Incorporated in 1794, Westfield was originally a prominent settlement of Elizabethtown. It developed a strong, independent identity in the 19th century, heavily boosted by the arrival of the railroad. Westfield was the site of the infamous 1971 John List family murders, a case that rocked the town and remained one of America's most notorious unsolved mysteries for nearly two decades until List was captured in 1989.

Westfield attracts a high-income demographic of professionals and families leaving New York City in search of elite schools and a vibrant, walkable lifestyle. The downtown is massive and immaculately maintained, featuring a blend of national retailers alongside high-end local boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants. The town is currently known for its intense, sometimes contentious, debates over the "One Westfield Place" redevelopment project aimed at overhauling the train station area.

Westfield is the gold standard for downtown suburban living in Union County, offering a scale of retail and walkability that dwarfs neighboring towns. A local would want an outsider to know that while the town appears picture-perfect, the community is highly active and highly vocal regarding development, preserving history while trying to adapt to modern infrastructure needs.