Great Gift Ideas, Conveniently Close By in Fair Lawn’s Broadway & River Road Districts

By Vince Baglivo, CDS Collaborative, Special to the Community News

With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day coming up fast, as well as graduations and other

celebrations, people are looking for gift ideas that are more memorable than the same-old, same-old. In Fair Lawn’s Broadway and River Road Districts, you’ll find interesting businesses offering unique gift items that are renowned far beyond the local area.

Both districts also include great restaurants, jewelers, florists, bakeries and more for those looking for traditional ways to remember the special people in their lives. However, if you are looking for something truly different and special, and would like to shop locally, here are some great businesses to consider. Not only will you find standout gifts, you’ll also appreciate the convenience and customer service provided by local business and restaurant owners, while avoiding highway congestion and shopping mall parking hassles.

These businesses are located in the Broadway District:

EZ2 Collect
35-10 Broadway
201.791.3833
Owner Irv Lukin grew up in Fair Lawn, graduated from Fair Lawn High School, and went on to an illustrious career in the music industry, promoting acts as diverse as Barry Manilow and The Grateful Dead. He was hired by the legendary Clive Davis at Arista Records, where he worked for many years. At the same time, he was accumulating a massive inventory of more than 70,000 albums in storage. His passion for music led to his ownership of several small stores in Paramus and Fort Lee, before opening EZ2Collect on Fair Lawn’s Broadway six years ago. You can buy or sell new and used albums, CD’s, DVD’s, tapes and more at the eclectic shop, including collectible art, all on display under one roof. EZ2 Collect is also on the leading edge of the new “retro” demand for vinyl records.

America’s Pastime
25-05 Broadway #A
201.703.1240
Rich Budnick started America’s Pastime in 1989 when he found his interest in vintage sports cards was taking time away from working. America’s Pastime is one of the very few sports collectible businesses that offer a storefront retail location in addition to web-based sales and participation in major card shows. America’s Pastime was previously located in Ridgefield and Rochelle Park before moving to Broadway in Fair Lawn more than a decade ago. The store is just a few doors down from the popular JJ’s Pub.

America’s Pastime is one of the few in its field that sells vintage sports cards from all major sports, including sports cards from the '80's and '90's through the present day. The store also carries packs and sets of all sports cards and recently expanded their inventory to include all years of vintage sports cards from the '50's,'60's and '70's in football cards, basketball cards and hockey cards as well as sports autographs, vintage sports memorabilia and non sports cards.

Gamer’s Gambit
26-13 Broadway
201-796-7377
The newest video games to vintage game systems from Atari and Nintendo have fans of all ages, including many local parents who can give their children a run for their money when it comes to their gaming skills. Gamer’s Gambit is run by Scott Roberts, April Swaen and David Steltenkamp, long time gamers themselves with backgrounds in retail management, customer service, and information technology – experience they happily share with their customers in the friendly store. They have a lot of different gifts from role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons to collectible miniatures, World of Warcraft action figures, Asian and European swords and knives, Airsoft and Paintball equipment and supplies as well as comics and used books and DVD’s.

 

These businesses are located in the River Road District:

The Joker’s Child
12-23 River Road
201.794.6830
Len Katz and his wife Caren own the Joker’s Child on River Road. A major source for action figures, collectibles, movie memorabilia, Japanese anime books and graphic novels, as well as thousands of comic books, the Joker’s Child has been around for more than 20 years. An annual Free Comic Book Day on the first Saturday of May draws hundreds of people to the District to visit the eclectic store. “Joker” money, a customer retention program that rewards customers with discounts when they return to the store for additional purchases, is another example of how the Joker’s Child has earned fans of all ages.

New Breed Paintball

Roz Salgado and Sky Friend are ready to help you find a great gift at their store, New Breed Paintball, on Fair Lawn Avenue in the River Road District.

7-05 Fair Lawn Avenue
201.225.0500
Extensive knowledge and experience, a safety first philosophy and a commitment to customer service and education has helped New Breed Paintball attract a fast-growing list of customers. Owner Sky Friend and manager Roz Salgado have seen foot traffic double since moving to the River Road District in August of 2009. They have one of the largest stores in the Northeast and offer the latest paintball and Airsoft equipment, supplies, plus protective gear, clothing and accessories.

In addition to the retail store in Fair Lawn, they also offer great times for families, friends and group outings at their Outdoor Park in West Milford. They have the best deal in paintball by letting players bring their own paint and have an affordable entry. Gift certificates are available not only for store merchandise, but also for reservations at the Outdoor Park with special rates for birthday parties, bachelor parties, corporate events, reunions and other groups.

For more information and complete listings of all the businesses and restaurants in Fair Lawn’s Broadway and River Road Districts, visit www.BroadwaySID.com or www.FairLawnRiverRoad.com