Berkeley Heights has been watching The Park rise at The District (the former Connell Park, on Connell Drive) for a long time — and this fall, the doors are finally opening. Not one at a time over years, either: a whole wave of restaurants, wellness spots and gathering places is landing within a few weeks of each other, right here in our town.
I’m a Berkeley Heights local, and this is my running guide to what’s open, what’s about to open, and what I’m most excited about. I’ll keep updating this post as each new door opens — bookmark it and check back.
Open now
Bathhouse — opened Thursday, November 5
The first New Jersey location of Bathhouse is a 20,000-square-foot wellness space at 700 District Drive, Suite E: communal pools, saunas and steam, open daily 8 a.m.–11:30 p.m. As a marathon runner only days out from the Philadelphia Marathon, I had this one circled from the day it was announced — a real recovery spot, in my own town, instead of a drive into the city.
I’m saving my first actual session for after the Philadelphia Marathon (November 22) — a post-race recovery visit, with a full Bathhouse post to follow. For now: it’s open, it’s booking, and it’s the anchor of this whole opening wave.
Cafe Exchange — grand opening celebration Sunday, November 15
A two-story social café connected to the RT500 lobby: coffee and food by day, natural and organic wines with a late-night food menu by night. Cafe Exchange has been soft-open through the fall, and its grand opening celebration is Sunday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — live music, complimentary coffee, tea and food, and giveaways. I stopped in during the soft open — and this is so much more than a coffee shop. (908-300-2588)
What we tried:
- Kale & Brussels Sprouts salad ($13) — roasted cauliflower, golden raisins, sourdough crumble and a smoked paprika dressing. Genuinely flavorful — the kind of café salad you actually think about later.
- The Grilled Cheese ($10) — NY white cheddar on brioche with a parmesan frico. Technically my daughter’s order. I am now spoiled forever by that frico, and I regret nothing.
- Honey Latte ($5.95-$6.75) — local honey, espresso and steamed milk. Perfectly sweet with no added sweetness needed, and so smooth. The coffee program is built on beans from ONYX Coffee Lab, and it shows. This is my order now.
- Berry crumble — brought home some for the family, because some recon missions have souvenirs.
And then there’s the upstairs, which is where Cafe Exchange becomes something else entirely. The Exchange is a community book exchange: take a book, leave a book —your last read becomes a neighbor’s next one (donations welcome too, within their guidelines). The Library is a curated used-book library to be lived in — no library cards, no due dates; you pick a book, read it in the café like it’s your own living room, leave your page marker in it, and come back next time to pick up where you left off.
Woven through the shelves is The Bookkeeper’s Folly — a towering installation by local sculptor Alexandra Marie, handcrafted from real book pages that lift off the stacks and stream across the ceiling. It’s the thing everyone photographs up there. Now you know whose hands made it.
There’s a small bookstore up there too, so one way or another, you can leave with a book. Add the crafting nook, where hands-on workshops will bring neighbors together, and you get the picture: this place was designed to be a third place for Berkeley Heights, not just a counter to order from.
Go for the grand opening on November 15 — but honestly, go back on an ordinary Tuesday. That’s the visit this place was built for.
Opening this fall
The District’s fall wave, as confirmed by the development’s PR team — I’ll move each one up to “Open now” as it lands:
- Boschetto — Italian, the second location of the Montclair favorite. This is the one my group chat is already planning a night around.
- Emberside Brewery — a brewery for The District, expected to start serving in November 2026.
- Rosa Azul — Mexican restaurant and taqueria at 800 District Drive, slated for late fall 2026.
- BASH + MODO — a wood-fired steakhouse (BASH) paired with MODO, a hi-fi listening bar, plus duckpin bowling. Dinner, records and bowling in one building is a date night that plans itself.
- Four Spoons Ice Cream — the family stop. If you know my crew, you know we’ll be regulars.
- Doner Shack — fast-casual döner — the quick weeknight option.
- Dogtopia — dog daycare and boarding, for the four-legged locals.
- Greatness Wins — athletic apparel.
- Prime IV Hydration & Wellness — IV hydration and wellness services (the runner in me has questions, and plans).
Why this matters for our town
Until now, a list like this — a brewery, a listening bar, an Italian spot worth dressing up for, a proper wellness club — meant a drive or a train. The District puts it on Connell Drive. It’s already becoming part of town life: this year’s Berkeley Heights Gobble & Go 5K Turkey Trot (Thanksgiving morning, November 26) runs out of The District, and packet pickup and race morning will bring hundreds of locals through here before most of these storefronts have even found their regulars.
Practical notes
- Where: The Park / The District at The Park, Connell Drive & District Drive, Berkeley Heights, NJ.
- Bathhouse: 700 District Drive, Suite E; daily 8 a.m.–11:30 p.m.; reservations available on their site.
- Cafe Exchange: grand opening celebration Sun Nov 15, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (live music, complimentary coffee, tea and food, giveaways); from Mon Nov 16, open daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; 908-300-2588.
- Hours and opening dates are shifting week to week during the rollout — I’ll update this post as each business confirms.
Keep exploring Berkeley Heights & beyond
- Fall drinks worth the drive around New Jersey
- The Berkeley Heights Gobble & Go 5K
- New Jersey hub: eats, days out & miles
Local business at The Park with news to share? I’m on the District’s media list and covering the openings as they happen — reach me through my Collaborate page.
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