Directly across the Street from the Venn Center, Saddle River Park offers walking and biking trails, a dog run, a playground and restrooms. The park also offers benches that are perfect for chatting or reading. Weather permitting, the duck pond offers a place to watch the ducks play in the summer or a place to ice skate in the winter.

Downtown Ridgewood is full of one-of-a-kind businesses as well as some favorite chains—such as Starbucks, Gap, and Ben & Jerry’s. This historic business hub offers the opportunity to do any errand and take home a special treat while you’re visiting. See http://www.handyguide.com/dest_nj_ridgewooddowntown.shtml for a map of businesses and stores, along with a parking guide. Also, go west on East Ridgewood Ave, past the train station and you’ll find a large Whole Foods Market where you can pick-up groceries or food-to-go.

From the Venn Center, you are a ½ mile from the shopping mecca that lines Route 17. Along with numerous plazas hosting every store imaginable, you will find The Paramus Park Mall and the Fashion Center. Travel south on rte 17; at the intersection of rte 17 and rte 4, you will find Paramus’s largest mall, Garden State Plaza, with IKEA located across the highway.

Ridgewood Station is a New Jersey Transit rail station hub offering transportation to Hoboken (36 minutes) (Hoboken to NYC midtown or downtown via PATH). There is ample parking at the train station.