Mental Map of Westwood, NJ

My mental map of Westwood, New Jersey my home of 12 years, is where I spend the most time. I work in the small town that tends to have as many visitors from other nearby towns as well as the locals. On the weekends, every store has people browsing and walking the avenue especially in the warmer weather. I drew a scene from where I spend most of my afternoons on Broadway Avenue. I work at my boyfriend's family restaurant, Jack's Cafe, a dinner-esque but delicious restaurant. I constantly am looking out the window from the counter and observing the type of people who come to Westwood. They are always familiar faces and friends from close and nearby. I tend to think of the restaurants around me as competitors not so much another place to have dinner at. There are stores where I know the owners first name and other stores I have yet to step foot in. From fro-yo to a camera shop to hair salons to vintage boutiques, my town has something for everyone.

There is a constant buzz of cars and people passing through town as you can see from my mental map, there are stores everywhere and two main roads. With the park and library on the other side of the train tracks it creates a multipurpose town where everyone can be accommodated. This aspect of Westwood reminds me a lot of what I see in New York City but this little town is just positioned in "suburgatory". My map is composed of a few places that come right to mind when I envision myself walking down the avenue. These places are good icons to describe where you are to someone and also what one would enjoy most!