who raised their families here and want to stay,” Mayor Canose explains.“They sell the five-bedroom house, give up one car, and walk to dinner at David Burke’s or a film at the cinema. That’s the lifestyle people tell us they want.” Downtown itself has become an unlikely culinary destination. The Bernards Inn, a 1907 landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, hums nightly under the direction of celebrity chef David Burke, who took over the kitchen in 2022 and promptly earned fresh accolades for inventive dishes served beneath original Tiffany stained-glass skylights. Across the street, a former 19th-century stable and later brewery now houses Ristorante MV, a critically acclaimed restaurant run by a Brooklyn transplant who fell in love with the building’s exposed beams. Walk a block in any direction and you’ll pass wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, sushi, and Mexican cuisine. “People plan their weekends around coming here to eat,” the mayor laughs.“We never expected that, but we’re not complaining.” To keep the momentum going, Bernardsville’s Business Improvement District and Main Street program have partnered with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to shower small businesses with grants. Façade-improvement awards of $2,000 each have already transformed half a dozen storefronts; one recipient commissioned a vibrant mural that has become the borough’s most Instagrammed backdrop. Larger grants help owners CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOROUGH OF BERNARDSVILLE! It’s an honor to work, live, and serve our communities every day. Privately-owned, locally operated, a proud family legacy in the waste industry. 1-866-DIAL-IWS Interstatewaste.com 44 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12
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