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Halo Painting Company (Photo: Helen Lawler)

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Readers’ Choice 2024

The Votes Are in, and We’re Honoring the Best Businesses in the Bridgewater Area

The results of our Readers’ Choice Awards are in! This fall, we gave our readers an important task: to nominate their favorite businesses in Bridgewater. As in years past, we were astonished by the community support for area businesses. Our winners have earned the community’s trust through good business practices, great communication and high-quality results in their respective fields. This month, we celebrate them. Read on to learn more and find a few new businesses to support this year. 

 Best Architect

Total Architecture, totarch.com

Best Bakery

Randazzos Pastry Shop and Bakery, RandazzosPastryshop.com

Best Bank/Credit Union

Affinity Federal Credit Union, AffinityFCU.com

With more than 20 branches across the tri-state area, Affinity is the largest credit union headquartered in New Jersey, ranking in the top 2 percent of all credit unions in terms of asset size.

Best Bar

Verve, VerveStyle.com

Best Barber

Maintain Bespoke Barbering, Instagram.com/Maintain.BespokeBarbering

Best Clothing Boutique

Evolve Clothing Gallery, EvolveClothingGallery.com

Best Coffee Shop

Ambee Coffee Co., Ambee.Coffee

Best Cleaning Service

Pure Life Cleaning Service, PureLifeCleaning.com

Best Coworking Space

Office Evolution – Somerville, OfficeEvolution.com

Best Day Care

Stellar Academy, StellarAcademy.com

Best Financial Planner

Beacon Financial Group, BeaconFinancialGroup.net

Best Electrician

A-1 Electric, A-1ElectricCo.com

Best Fast Casual Restaurant

Joe’s Meat Market, Joes-MeatMarket.com

Best Farm

Melick’s Town Farm, MelicksTownFarm.com

Best Casual Restaurant

Cafe Picasso, CafePicassoMenu.com

Best Dental Practice

Bridgewater Dental Associates, BridgewaterSmiles.com

Best Entertainment

Green Knoll Grill, GreenKnollGrill.com

Best Eye Doctor

Abessi Eye Care, AbessiEye.com

Best Dermatologist

Dermatology Center of New Jersey, DermCenterNJ.com

Best Car Dealership

Audi Bridgewater, AudiBridgewater.com

Best Chiropractor

McAdam Chiropractic, McAdamChiro.com

Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Girasole Cucina Italiana, GirasoleBoundBrook.com

For a quarter-century Girasole Cucina Italiana has been treating customers as one of the Russo family, serving simple, delicious Italian dishes with the best ingredients that are made to order.

Best Fitness Studio

Club Pilates Bridgewater, ClubPilates.com

Best Country Club

Raritan Valley Country Club, RVCC1911.org

Nestled in the heart of Somerset County since 1911, Raritan Valley Country Club continues a tradition of family, personal and professional enjoyment with activities and amenities for everyone. Our membership fosters camaraderie and inspires a genuine sense of community. The Club’s rich history, picturesque setting and extensive facilities make RVCC Somerset County’s premier private country club.

Best Flooring Specialist

Whitehouse Floors, WhitehouseFloors.net

Best Florist

Gray’s Florist, GraysFlorist.com

Best Gym

Life Time, Lifetime.Life

Best Hair Salon

Shear Colour, ShearColour.biz

Shear Colour is a close-knit team of friendly, talented and routinely trained stylists who work together to serve clients’ hair, makeup, lash and wax needs. We can transform and customize each client’s look with current hair trends, while maintaining their healthy and gorgeous hair. 

Best HVAC

Sunrise Cooling & Heating, SunriseCoolingHeating.com

Sunrise Cooling & Heating Inc. is a second-generation HVAC company owned and operated by Jon and Candace Kerr. The Kerrs have five children and are huge advocates for adoption and foster care. They strongly believe in the Sunrise brand and value their customers and vendors.

Best Ice Cream Parlor

Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery, GabrielsFountain.com

Best Interior Designer

Design Studio of Somerville, DSOSDesign.com

Best Jeweler

Tropiano and Son Jewelers, www.TropianoAndSonJewelers.co

Celebrating 87 years as a family owned business, Tropiano and Son Jewelers was established by

Raymond and Meni Tropiano in 1936 on the main street of Raritan. The store created a long relationship with Johnson & Johnson and was responsible for its corporate and incentive award programs. Today, Tropiano and Son continues their long tradition of in-house jewelry repair and custom design. They continue to support the community, participating in music, drama, athletic, academic and recreation programs along with continuing support of police, emergency responders and veterans. 

Best Kids’ Activity

YESTERcades, Yestercades.com

Best Kitchen and Bath

Heart Kitchens, HeartKitchensNJ.com

Best Landscaper

JT’s Lawn & Landscaping, JTServicesNJ.com

Best Lash Studio

B Lashes Esthetics & Cosmetics, BlashesNJ.com

Best Law Firm

Lyons & Associates, LyonsPC.com

Best Med Spa

Reactivation Massage, ReactivationMassage.com

Reactivation Massage’s focus is on each individual client; we promote health and wellness via energetic pain reduction, relaxation and confidence building. Each of our therapists has more than 20 years of experience. Our massage therapists practice different specialized modalities from therapeutic massage and manual lymphatic drainage to medical massage. We also offer The Endosphère for body contouring and injury prevention. We are well-known for our results using Cryoskin slimming/toning and face lift.

Best Mental Health Specialist

Blueprint Mental Health, BlueprintMentalHealth.com

Best Orthodontic Practice

Raritan Valley Orthodontics, FiveStarOrthodontics.com

Best Painter

Halo Painting Company, HaloPaintingCompany.com

With three generations in the painting business, Halo Painting Company is committed to providing the highest quality service with results delivered on time and on budget. We are family owned and operated and use only the best quality paint, newest technology and expert painters to create a new look for your home. We pride ourselves on professionalism, customer service and quality. We are grateful to our customers and the community for voting us as the “Best Painters in Bridgewater” three years in a row. 

Best Paving Company

Hicks Paving, HicksPaving.com

Hicks Paving started as a small family business in 1960 and has continued to run as a third-generation family owned and operated business. We are licensed and insured and provide paving, milling and sealcoating. Our expertise includes parking lots, roadways and residential or commercial driveways. 

We use the most modern high-tech equipment kept in impeccable condition to perform the highest quality of work. We value old-fashioned honesty, and our customers will never be charged a hidden fee. Referral numbers from past customers are given with every estimate. 

Best Pet Service

Snoopy’s Safe and Sound Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, Facebook.com/SnoopysSafeandSound

Snoopy’s is a family owned, professional pet care service in Bridgewater that is insured by Pet Sitters Associates. Our services include dog walking on a regular or occasional basis, as well as pet sitting visits to your home for dogs, cats and other household pets. 

Best Philanthropic Organization

Habitat for Humanity, Habitat.org

Best Photographer

April Ludwig Photography, AprilLudwig.com

Best Physical Therapist

JAG Physical Therapy, jagpt.com

Best Plumber

Izzy’s Plumbing & Heating, IzzysPlumbing.com

Best Preschool

The Preschool Place and Kindergarten, PreSchoolPlace.com

The Preschool Place and Kindergarten provides a safe, developmentally appropriate, nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth, as well as a positive self-image and a love of learning. 

Best Private School

Immaculata High School, ImmaculataHighSchool.org

Immaculata High School is committed to the development of the whole person within the framework of Catholic traditions and values. Guided by the pillars of Faith, Scholarship, Service and Friendship, Immaculata integrates a challenging academic curriculum that promotes spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional and social growth while fostering moral responsibility to self and others.

Best Real Estate Agent

Klug Realty Group, KlugRealtyGroup.com

Best Roofer

Alte Exteriors, AlteExteriors.com

Best Senior Living Community

Avalon Assisted Living at Bridgewater, bshcare.com/Avalon-Assisted-Living-at-Bridgewater.html

Best Spa

J Skin Design Studio, JSkinDesignStudio.com

Best Specialty Shop

Spotted Leaf Plant Company, SpottedLeaf.co

Best Speech Therapist

Bayles Family Speech Center, BaylesFamilySpeechCenter.com

Best Summer Camp

JCC Camp Ruach, JCCCampRuach.org

Camp Ruach is a high-caliber, inclusive and welcoming summer day camp program. The camp offers diverse and age-appropriate programs for campers ages two years old through those entering 9th grade. 

Best Veterinary Practice

Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital, BridgewaterVet.com