Some Notes from a Walking Tour of Census Tract 167
The following notes are batched by number to correspond with their respective locations on the accompanying map.  Our notes begin to highlight several geographic and structural variations between the neighborhoods within census tract 167, as well as documenting some structural barriers to daily interaction between residents of different component neighborhoods.
#1
Pine Street from Glenridge Avenue to Bloomfield Avenue has only one building on its eastern side, which was, until recently relocated to the basement of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, the home of Day Nurseries Inc., an affordable daycare center utilized by many local residents.  Along its western side there are two housing developments.  One is the Montclairion (10 Pine Street), an apartment complex with market rate rentals and above, with some low-moderate income allocations.  The other complex is a the Montclair Mews (50 Pine Street), a gated community of townhouses and condominiums.  Both the Mews and the condo/townhouse complexes are physically distinct from the greater Pine Street neighborhood.  The condominium and townhouse complex is clearly distinct in terms of neighborhood income and its inclusion in census tract 167 may well have created a misrepresentation, at least of the income and racial characteristics, of the Pine Street neighborhood.
#2
Claremont Avenue from Grove Street to Greenwood Avenue has a Funeral Home at the corner of Claremont and Greenwood.  The remainder of the street is lined with one to two-family houses of middle class appearance with little or no obvious need of repair.
Greenwood Avenue  is lined with mostly two and three-family houses.  Along the block there is an auto repair shop, a transmission shop, a Decamp Bus terminal, an abandoned building, a small decal factory, and Trinity Temple.
Willard Place is lined with moderate two-family houses, some in need of repair.  There is an auto repair shop and the offices of a fire restoration company.
#3
Pine Street from Glenridge Avenue to Claremont Avenue is all apartment housing with multiple units per building.  This is where the majority of street life in the neighborhood goes on.  It is at the corner of Pine and Glenridge Avenue that the liquor store is located and where many people can be seen congregating throughout the day and evening.
The Western loop of Sherman and Grant Streets at Pine Street is a new oddity in this neighborhood.  Where once both streets ran from Pine Street to Bay Street (in neighborhood #6 below), they are now cut in half by the trainline.  The two streets are now joined to form a 'U' that returns travellers in either direction back to Pine Street.  Although at one time a resident of Sherman Street could exit their building and walk 50ft. or less to visit a neighbor on their own street, that visit is now barred by the trainline making it necessary in some cases to walk up Grant or Sherman Streets to Pine Street, turn left on Pine, walk one or two blocks to Glenridge Avenue, walk two blocks east along Glenridge Avenue, turn left on Bay Street, walk one or two blocks in, turn left on either Sherman or Grant, and walk up to one block in.
#4
Pine Street from Claremont to Walnut Street At the corner of Pine and Claremont there is a CVS drugstore, where once there was an ACME supermarket.  Residents lamented the loss of this ACME at the open public meeting held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church, located on Pine Street, on March 15th, 2001.  This was, to the residents, and access issue.  They had lost a local supermarket that was once convenient for seniors to shop at without having to cross over to Bloomfield Avenue to the Pathmark, where the residents say the prices are higher than the ACME.
    Beyond the corner on the western side of the street there is a small complex of seemingly moderate apartments.  The street is lined on both sides with one and two-family moderate income houses spotted by two other small apartment buildings that each house four to six units.  Along the western side there is a limousine garage in a brick building.
The corner of Pine and Walnut  Here there is a small Caribbean food restaurant nex to a small independent shop and topped by multiple unit apartments.
Walnut Street from Pine Street to Grove Street.  Both sides of this section of Walnut Street are line with houses that average 2 to 4 non-detached living units per house.  This block is also home to a small nursing home, the First Montclair House.
#5
Claremont Place. is a private road with a sign at its Claremont Avenue entrance that reads "Private Road.  Resident parking only!  All others will be towed at owner's expense.  NJSA-39:4-56.6."  This street is line with moderate one to three unit homes, some in disrepair.
Cloverhill Road runs parallel to Pine Street on its western side.  It is lined with moderate, seemingly middle class homes, housing one to two families each, though some one or two-family homes have 3rd floor apartments as well.
Grove Terrace is lined with one and two-family houses, some in need of repair.
#6
Bay Street is lined with apartment buildings averaging 7 or more units.  There are a few smaller buildings along the western side that house only one or two units, and these show visible signs of disrepair.  The northern end of the street is lined with a few two to three family houses, some in need of repair.  Near the corner of Glenridge Avenue there is an industrial storage lot and there is a traditional southern food restaurant, 'Ma Dear's' at the corner.
The Eastern loop of Sherman and Grant Streets at Bay Street is a new oddity in this neighborhood.  Where once both streets ran from Pine Street to Bay Street (in neighborhood #3 above), they are now cut in half by the trainline.  The two streets are now joined to form a 'U' that returns travellers in either direction back to Bay Street.  Although at one time a resident of Sherman Street could exit their building and walk 50ft. or less to visit a neighbor on their own street, that visit is now barred by the trainline making it necessary in some cases to walk up Grant or Sherman Streets to Bay Street, turn right on Bay, walk one or two blocks to Glenridge Avenue, walk two blocks west along Glenridge Avenue, turn right on Pine Street, walk one or two blocks in, turn right on either Sherman or Grant, and walk up to one block in.
Baldwin Street has two main features at its intersection with Glenridge Avenue: Niccolo's Bakery, a favorite of residents all over town, and a small low to moderate income apartment complex that we believe is subsidized.  Along the western side of the street there are a half dozen houses with multiple apartments in each.  On the eastern side of the street, past the apartment complex, is George Washington park, a field of about 3-4 acres with a baseball diamond and frames for soccer/field hockey goals.  The northern half of Baldwin belongs to Glen Ridge Township.
#7
Walnut Crescent is a street that runs along side of Mountainside hospital opposite the emergency room.  The houses that line the east side of the street are moderate income single family houses of low maintenance.  11 and 12.
George Street is comprised of mostly moderate income two-family houses along its east and west side, a few houses being in need of repair.
Claremont Avenue between Pine Street and Walnut Crescent is mostly lined with one and two-family houses, with some that rent rooms or apartments.