Woman Wants To Revitalize Ridgewood Downtown Through Walking

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Two events coming up will try to foster community, improve residents' health and breathe new life into the central business district.

Jeanne Johnson is organizing a panel discussion Sept. 26 titled "Moving Forward Together: Fostering a Pedestrian Friendly Community."

Panelists will speak about the benefits of experiencing the village, especially the central business district, on foot. Others will talk about the health benefits of walking.

"The number one way business districts do well, is through walking traffic," said Johnson. "We need to let Ridgewood know that these businesses are our crown jewel. We have a responsibility to spend our money there first, before we go out to the highways or onto Amazon."

The second event is a village-wide, walking initiative throughout October called Walktoberfest.

Guided tours are being scheduled to entice residents to learn more about the village, including its historic sites and businesses.

A variety of specialized tours will be offered covering a variety of subjects, including architecture, food, fashion, parkland and religion.

Volunteer tour guides are needed. Anyone who is interested should attend an informational meeting Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. in the Garden Room at Village Hall.

"The broader vision here is to reconnect our country one community at a time and the way we connect with people is through conversation," Johnson said. "The idea is to get people with mutual interests on the same tour so they can talk and get to know one another."

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