Cranford Township, New Jersey (NJ)

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About Cranford Township, New Jersey (NJ)

Images of beautiful Cranford Township, in New Jersey, USA.



Cranford is a small town in New Jersey which is blessed with natural beauty. Unlike the other towns around it, the Rahway River winds its way through the center of Cranford, thus giving rise to the town's old moniker as the "Venice of New Jersey".

Picturesque bridges and foot bridges dot the landscape, and on the banks close to Hanson Park, the 100+ year old Cranford Canoe Club plies its trade, allowing residents and non-residents alike the chance to explore the surrounding riverway via kayak or canoe.

Farther north sits Nomahegan Park, scene of many serene photographs and one of the town's bigger draws, where people can sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery just a stone's step away from the hallways of old Union County College and the flowers and plants of the nearby 100+ year old Dreyer's Farms.

Cranford also has an enviable and quaint downtown, with mostly mom and pop stores crowding the area, while town landmarks such as the Cranford Hotel (built in 1892) , the railroad overpass (built in 1930), and the Wachovia building (built in 1912) seem to stand guard over their smaller brethren. Also in downtown is the town "Rolex" a small mini-park with an ornate clock, which frequently is a stop-over for children on their way to and from school.

The Cranford downtown has been the setting of many movies and national advertisements. The movie "Guess Who" with Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher prominently displayed the town name and town scenery in almost every frame, and Dominos Pizza recently had a national ad where the company CEO lambasted Wall Street for its greed while praising "Main Street", which was appropriately enough shot in downtown Cranford.

The town offers its residents a plethora of recreational opportunities. It has two large community pool centers (each with multple indoor and outdoor pools, along with fitness center and adjacent ball and track fields), as well as a private swimming club, and it also offers a modern recreational community center near the town library with an indoor basketball court and free billiard, ping pong, and other indoor sports. Various tennis courts, both private and public, are located in the town, and there is a movement underway to open up a skate and bike park as well.

The town may also be unique in that a part of it lies far away from the main township. Cranford West, as it's called, is a lakefront property in Hope NJ, 60 miles west of the town proper, that is open in the summer only to Cranford residents. The 9 acre property sits at the edge of the clear and clean waters of Silver Lake, and has several cabins, sheds, and functional restsooms/showers. It also has canoes and a floating dock for the benefit of visitors.

Useful Links

Cranford Township Website
Cranford Wikipedia Page
Cranford Forum (Cranfordtalk.org)
Cranford Forum (NJ.com)