From the airport to the hotels
Getting to/from the airport is challenging. It only takes 16 minutes if you get everything right, but there are a whole lot of highway changes just as you leave the airport. Click here for what you'll see.
This is the route we recommend:
To Holiday Inn: http://www.mapquest.com/#b5d0c5e2db53569f2866b0cd (take a good look at the traffic circle map at the end so you know where you're going!)
To Homewood Suites: http://www.mapquest.com/#eb41682ba6e34e0ea3d683d9
Holiday Inn Guest Directions
From the Holiday Inn
to Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim (TBEMC); Services start at 6 p.m. Friday and
9:30 a.m. Saturday
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 36 Valley Rd,
Clark, NJ to 338 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ
-Pull out of parking lot
and make a left onto Walnut Avenue
-Drive 1.5 miles. TBEMC is
on the left, just past the Walnut Avenue Elementary School field. Park on the
street if the lot is full. The lot won’t be full on Friday night!
From TBEMC to Deli
King (Friday night); dinner starts around 7:30 or whenever we get there after
services/oneg
Estimated time: 8 minutes
338 Walnut Avenue, Cranford NJ to 30 Clarkton Drive, Clark,
NJ
-Make a right out of the parking lot and drive on Walnut for
about .9 miles.
-Make a right at Raritan (stop light) – golf course on your
right, Dunkin Donuts on your left.
-Drive past what will be our new Whole Foods (on your left)!
Drive .9 miles.
-Make a left on Clarkton Drive (stop light) into ugly strip
mall shopping center (welcome to NJ). Deli King is in the back, on the left.
It’s also ugly.
From Holiday Inn to
Deli King (Friday night); dinner starts around 7:30 or whenever we get there
after services/oneg
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 36 Valley Rd,
Clark, NJ to 30 Clarkton Drive, Clark, NJ
-Exit hotel on Valley Road, making a right. Drive .1 mile.
-Make a right at the merge/traffic circle, but you want to
make a slight right and then GO STRAIGHT. If you stay too far right, you will
end up turning onto the Garden State Parkway. You will be very late if that
happens, but you’ll have a good story. Once UNDER the Garden State Parkway, you
want to be in the RIGHT lane. Lots of cars in the left lane will try to get
into your lane. Poor urban planning. Be nice and let them in while cursing at
them under your breath, because many of these people just want to cut in and
know better.
-Drive about .5 miles and
make a left at Raritan (the next traffic light after going under the parkway).
This is the world’s longest traffic light and the left lane stretches waaaaaay
back, so get in it early if you can. About 20 cars can turn left at the arrow.
I know, because I sit there a long time and sometimes count. Don’t judge me.
-Drive about .3 miles and
turn left on Clarkton Drive (stop light) into the ugly strip mall
shopping center (welcome to NJ). Deli King is in the back, on the left. It’s
also ugly.
From to Deli King to
Holiday Inn
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 36 Valley Rd,
Clark, NJ to 30 Clarkton Drive, Clark, NJ
-Easier but slightly
longer route: Turn right out of Clarkton Shopping Center and drive .9
miles, past our new Whole Foods shopping center (i.e. dirt pile).
-Make a right on Walnut Avenue and drive less than a mile to
the hotel, on your right.
-Shorter “Jersey” route
that is more confusing - traffic circle: after turning right out of Clarkton
Shopping Center onto Raritan, drive .3 miles and turn right at Central Avenue
(big stop light with White Diamond diner on right corner).
-Get in the middle lane when going
under the Garden State Parkway, and follow signs for Linden. You’ll go straight
when under the parkway. Some cars will turn left, some will veer slightly right,
but you won’t. Beyond the intersection, you’ll veer left, toward the hotel you
can see in the near distance, like a lighthouse beaming psychic thoughts at you.
After veering left, get in the right lane, because you’ll need to cut off any
cars coming from the merging outside lane (welcome to NJ!). Merge over to the
far right lane where you’ll be on Valley Road. Hotel is on your left.
From Holiday Inn to
Homewood Suites
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 36 Valley Rd,
Clark, NJ to 2 Jackson Drive, Cranford,
NJ
-Exit hotel on Walnut
Avenue and make a left
-Drive about .6 miles and
make a right on Raritan (stop light)
-Follow Raritan past
Centennial/North Stiles Road (stop light), about 1 mile, to go in the side
entrance of the hotel.
-Make a left at Coleman
Avenue into the parking lot
From Holiday Inn to
Stage House Tavern (Saturday night) – Party: 6:30-10:30
Estimated time: 20 minutes
Addresses: 36 Valley Rd,
Clark, NJ to 366 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ
Warning: traffic circle!!!
-Exit hotel on Valley Road, making a right. Drive .1 mile.
-Make a right at the merge/traffic circle, but you want to
make a slight right and then GO STRAIGHT. If you stay too far right, you will
end up on the Garden State Parkway. You will be very late if that happens and
you might miss some passed appetizers. Once UNDER the Garden State Parkway, you
want to be in the RIGHT lane. Lots of cars in the left lane will try to get
into your lane. Read my earlier rant. Most of them are idiots, but a few are
clueless like you. Be nice and let them in while cursing at them under your
breath.
-You are on Central Avenue - stay there for 2.7 miles and
enjoy the drive into Westfield.
-You’ll go under the train tracks (yes, separating our poor south
side from the upper crust north) and make your first left on North Avenue at
the light. Be careful at this intersection, because lots of idiots try going
through red lights or turning when they’re not supposed to (welcome to NJ!). You’re
in our downtown area now – but no stopping to check it out! You had time for
that in the afternoon.
-Drive 2.4 miles through Westfield, Fanwood and maybe into
Scotch Plains (not sure about the border). At some point around mile 1.8, North
turns into Midway – stay to the right on Midway (North goes left – don’t take
it).
-Make a right on Martine (stop light). Of course after .2
miles, Martine changes names too. It becomes Park Avenue. Maybe now you’re in
Scotch Plains?
-Drive through Scotch Plains’ downtown. The Stage House restaurant
has a parking lot behind it. To get there, make a left on Front Street (just
after the little park on the left – turn at the stop light – look for the
cannon on the left in between the lanes on Front Street). After turning, make
your first right into the unmarked road leading behind the restaurant.
-If the lot is full, there’s a map on the way out of the
parking lot with more parking options. You can look for street parking, or go
to a free municipal lot (there are 2). Make a right out of the parking lot on
Front Street, and make your first left, on Sanger Place. There’s a lot on the
left just past the police station. There’s another lot if you made a u-turn on
Front Street to go back to Park Street. Make a right on Park street (going the
way you initially came), and make almost an immediate left on Bartle Avenue.
There’s a lot by the library on the left.
To return to the
Holiday Inn:
The route is the same in reverse, only you have to deal with
the other side of the traffic circle near the hotel. Have fun with that!
-Assuming you made
back into Westfield and onto Central Avenue (driving almost 2.7 miles on
Central Avenue), you’re almost there but for the last challenge of the evening.
If you mess it up, you can regale us with the tale on Sunday. You have to have
some New Jersey driving tales!
-Get in the middle lane when going
under the Garden State Parkway, and follow signs for Linden. You’ll go straight
when under the parkway and through that intersection. Some cars will turn left,
but you won’t. Once you’re beyond the intersection, you’ll veer left, toward
the hotel you can see in the near distance, like a lighthouse winking at you.
After veering left, get in the right lane, because you’ll need to cut off any
cars coming from the merging lane. Merge over to the far right lane where
you’ll be on Valley Road. Hotel is on your left. Sleep well!
Homewood Suites Guest Directions
From Homewood Suites to
Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim (TBEMC); Services start at 6 p.m. Friday and 9:30
a.m. Saturday
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 2 Jackson
Drive, Cranford, NJ to 338 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ
-Make a right on
Centennial Road from the hotel entrance, and drive or .9 miles.
-Make a left on Lincoln
Avenue (at the light – school at the far right corner). Lincoln curves slightly
after going over the bridge, which was flooded during Hurricane Irene. You can
see video on YouTube. Drive about .5 miles.
-Make a left on Walnut
Avenue (traffic light) and drive about .3 miles or less.
-Make a right into the
parking lot at the temple. If the lot is full, park on the street.
From TBEMC to Deli
King (Friday night)
Addresses: 338 Walnut Avenue, Cranford NJ to 30 Clarkton
Drive, Clark, NJ
-Make a right out of the parking lot and drive on Walnut for
about .9 miles.
-Make a right at Raritan (stop light) – golf course on your
right, Dunkin Donuts on your left.
-Drive past what will be our new Whole Foods (dirt pile on
your left)! Drive .9 miles.
-Make a left on Clarkton Drive (stop light) into strip mall
shopping center (welcome to NJ). Deli King is in the back, on the left.
From Homewood Suites
to Deli King (Friday night - dinner starts around 7:30 or whenever we get there
after services/oneg)
Addresses: 2 Jackson
Drive, Cranford, NJ to 30 Clarkton Drive, Clark, NJ
Estimated time: 5 minutes
-Leave from the hotel
parking lot’s side entrance (south side – closes to the Garden State Parkway),
on Coleman Avenue. Make a right on Raritan Road. Drive about 1.9 miles. You’ll
see a big dirt lot on your left, across from the golf course. That’s going to
be our new Whole Foods. Yay!
-Turn left on
Clarkton Drive (stop light) into the ugly strip mall shopping center (welcome
to NJ). Deli King is in the back, on the left. It’s also ugly.
From Homewood Suites to
Holiday Inn
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Addresses: 2 Jackson
Drive, Cranford, NJ to 36 Valley Rd, Clark, NJ
-Exit hotel on Coleman Avenue,
and make a right on Raritan
-Drive about one mile on
Raritan and make a left on Walnut Avenue at the stop light (Dunkin Donuts will
be on your right at the corner).
-Drive about .6 miles and
make a right into the Holiday Inn
From Homewood Suites to
Stage House Tavern (Saturday night) – Party: 6:30-10:30
Estimated time: 20 minutes
Addresses: 2 Jackson
Drive, Cranford, NJ to 366 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ
-Make a right from the hotel entrance onto Centennial
Avenue. Drive about 1.3 miles.
-Make a left on North Avenue (there’s a light). North Avenue
is also NJ-28 – it gets confusing.
-You’ll drive through Cranford’s downtown (don’t stop! You
had time for that this afternoon), through Garwood, Westfield and Fanwood.
You’ll drive on North for 4.2 miles, and then it turns into Midway. You
probably won’t notice the change (if confused, stay right on Midway, because
North Avenue goes left). Stay on Midway for an additional .6 miles.
-Make a right on Martine (stop light). Of course after .2
miles, Martine changes names too. It becomes Park Avenue. Maybe now you’re in
Scotch Plains?
-Drive through Scotch Plains’ downtown, just past the little
park on the left. The Stage House restaurant has a parking lot behind it. To
get there, make a left on Front Street (stop light – look for the cannon on the
left in between the lanes on Front Street). After turning, make your first
right into the unmarked road leading behind the restaurant.
-If the lot is full, there’s a map on the way out of the
parking lot with more parking options. You can look for street parking, but
easiest is to go to a free municipal lot (there are 2). Make a right out of the
parking lot on Front Street, and make your first left, on Sanger Place. There’s
a lot on the left just past the police station. There’s another lot if you made
a u-turn on Front Street to go back to Park Street. Make a right on Park street
(going the way you initially came), and make almost an immediate left on Bartle
Avenue. There’s a lot by the library on the left.
-Going home is the opposite of going to the Stage House, but
you may have to deal with a u-turn by the hotel – which is why I’m always
confused going to Homewood Suites.
To Chez Kaplan
We're not putting directions to our house on the website, but there will be directions in your hotel bags (if you're staying at the two reserved hotels). Or email us (rsvp@kaplanink.com).
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