Dog Walkers in Downtown (Downtown Plainfield)

Downtown Plainfield is located centrally in the historic town of Plainfield, New Jersey. This district comprises two historic areas including the North Avenue Historic District and the Civic Commercial District. This area is highly walkable and laid out well for pedestrian travel. Various town functions and celebrations take place each year along the historic streets of Downtown Plainfield. 

If you have a dog and you both like to walk daily in the area, be prepared for a variety of weather. Winters can be cold and snowy so you, and your maybe even your pup, will need warm, dry outerwear. Spring is often rainy with thunderstorms and weather systems moving in from the Atlantic that can bring in some humidity. Summers are hot which is great if you and your pup love the heat. However, remember to take water with you and to stay hydrated. Don't forget some for your canine buddy, too!

The Downtown Plainfield neighborhood contains a variety of historic commercial buildings from post offices and civic buildings to train stations that reflect the architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. The area is flat and not hard for pedestrians to traverse on foot with no steep climbs to contend with. Historic buildings tend to be multi-story walk-ups with residences on upper floors and businesses at street level. 

There is lots of traffic in the region and streets in the area are busy, so be aware of noise and traffic when walking your dog downtown. The sidewalks are wide and tree-lined, making this is a pedestrian-friendly area. There is a set of train tracks bordering the region on the south and Green Brook runs along the northern side of the area. Both tracks and waterway can only be crossed at certain pedestrian and vehicle crossing locations if you are traveling out of the area on foot.

In the downtown area, there is a paved  'square' located at Park Avenue and Front Street with benches where you can rest when walking in the area. Madison Park borders the downtown area and provides shade trees and a playground for residents to reach on foot. 

If you want your dog to enjoy some off-leash fun, you can travel west to the Central Bark Park for a safe, enclosed off-leash play area. 

A short drive west, the Washington Rock State Park is a 52-acre state park with scenic outlooks and greenways you and your dog can explore. Also west of the district and requiring a short drive is the Green Brook Park which is a long, narrow park with a brook, ponds, picnic spots, athletic fields, and recreational facilities. Some people even fish in this park, so watch out for fishing lines and hooks when near the water while walking with your pup.