Nightlife in West Milford

With a full complement of Brunswick Gold Crown tables punctuating the pool hall with swatches of green felt, Crown Billiards offers ample space for pool enthusiasts of all levels. Weekly tournaments give seasoned players a chance to show off and compete for cash prizes, while amateur leagues gives beginners a chance to work on their games. The resident pool pro Carmen Lombardo gives tips to players and offers lessons for an additional fee. Crown Billiards also houses a cue repair shop and a full kitchen, which serves coffee, snacks, and hot sandwiches.

At TapHouse Grille, 24 different craft beers gush from taps as plates of gourmet pub fare emerge from the kitchen. Chefs shower pastas and pizzas in fresh meats and vegetables or whip up entrees that feature freshly caught fish and quality cuts of meat. In addition to imported and domestic brews, the family-friendly establishment pleases adults with martinis and cocktails, and it treats tots to a full kids' menu and an absence of height-restrictive carnival rides.

Brick walls and ceilings and glistening wood floors surround the casual dining room, where flat-screen televisions beam down from the walls. TapHouse Grille also hosts special events throughout the week, including a Sunday brunch buffet with a live jazz band.

Gold-leaf writing inscribed across the towering red portico at the entrance to The Shannon Rose Irish Pub announces what one might expect to find inside: “Premium Stouts,” “Irish Whiskies,” and other culinary staples of the Emerald Isles. Behind this imposing entryway lies a series of dining rooms that have a markedly different effect; chandeliers create a sense of intimacy as they illuminate Gaelic artwork and aged hardcovers resting on lofty bookshelves.

• For $7, you get a two-hour table rental for one person (a $14 value). • For $40, you get a private pool lesson (an $80 value).

After more than a decade following different paths in the restaurant industry, friends Donny Giordano and Pellegrino Mongillo merged their culinary passions into Pellegrino's Restaurant & Lounge. In the kitchen, chef Mongillo—a Culinary Institute of America graduate—and his staff combine fresh, seasonal ingredients into dishes inspired by the various regions of Italy. Fresh seafood crops up in the octopus bruschetta and the scallop-, shrimp-, and mussel-flecked orzo. Other offerings include seared hangar steak with provolone and cavatelli pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and chicken.

In the main dining space, servers glide across tiled floors to wood tables set under arched doorways. Behind a granite bar, bartenders mix specialty flavored martinis and pour a range of international wines.

Hawthorne Theater was established in 1927, making it one of the first movie houses established in the area. And though at almost 90 years of age the space is older than most buildings in North America, it's recently undergone major renovations to keep up with modern technology. According to an interview with owner Jack Sayegh at NorthJersey.com, the fully digital five-screen cinema was outfitted with new carpeting and chairs, Real D and 3-D movie equipment, Dolby Surround Sound in all theaters, and human ticket-takers to replace the outdated robot ones. The article also cites that the theater––which has been independently owned since 1980––is maintained by Jack's father, uncle, and cousin, reinforcing its family-friendly nature.

Arthur Murray Dance Studio has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.