Paramus (original) (raw)

Paramus is a major shopping town in New Jersey. Many people from all over the New York metropolitan area (especially people from New York City and Westchester County) come here to shop at the many stores along New Jersey state routes 4 and 17, and at the Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus Park Mall, Bergen Town Center, Fashion Center, and (by extension, because it's in Hackensack) The Shops at Riverside malls. This is because New Jersey has a lower sales tax than New York overall and because New Jersey does not tax clothing.

Interior of Westfield Garden State Plaza, an upscale mall in Paramus

Paramus is in Bergen County, New Jersey, which continues its traditional blue laws on Sundays. Nearly every shopping destination is closed on Sunday. Restaurants are allowed to open.

There are many ways to get in to Paramus. Many from New York City take the George Washington Bridge straight onto New Jersey state route 4. Overall, Paramus is extremely accessible due to a large network of major highways surrounding it, including U.S. Interstates 80 and 95, the Garden State Parkway, and New Jersey state routes 4, 17, and 208.

Car or bus. Everything is within about 3 sq mi (7.8 km2), maybe even a bit less, but a car is necessary.

Interior of Paramus Park Mall

Paramus has the highest per-year retail sales in the United States, at more than $5 billion. There are three major malls: the Westfield Garden State Plaza, the Paramus Park Mall, and the Bergen Town Center. Many major department stores have locations at more than one of these malls. IKEA has a major store in Paramus across from the Westfield Garden State Plaza. If you're planning to shop on a Sunday, your options will be very limited, as the blue laws prohibit almost all sale of non-food items.

The malls are eating meccas. The Westfield Garden State Plaza has many dining choices, including Grand Lux Cafe (a more upscale and larger offshoot of The Cheesecake Factory), Legal Sea Foods, Napa Valley Grille, Ruby Tuesday, Joe's American Bar & Grill, Papa Razzi, California Pizza Kitchen, On The Border, and Chili's.

The Shops at Riverside, has a Rosa Mexicano, PF Changs, Maggiano's Little Italy, the Cheesecake Factory, Houston's, Thai Kitchen, and Morton's Steakhouse. On a Friday or Saturday night, the wait at each restaurant is at least one hour long.

The Paramus Park Mall has a food court.