Get walking with SOMA on the Move

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — SOMA on the Move, a new initiative of SOMA Two Towns for All Ages, will have its debut walk on Friday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. The walk, featuring the South Orange Village Art Trail, will start and finish in the Baird parking lot, 5 Mead St. in South Orange. Ken Krasner and Jason Rulnick of the South Orange Arts Advisory Council will be present to guide the tour and give insights into the many lovely works of art on public view.

The walk and its accompanying map are part of SOMA on the Move, a series of mapped walking routes to encourage people to get out, get exercise and take a look around the two towns. SOMA Two Towns for all Ages coordinator Cathy Rowe, along with local real estate agent and mapmaker Ken Krasner, are planning several mapped routes as part of a fitness for seniors initiative. 

The Village Art Trail map will be available after the tour to anyone who wants to use it for a self-guided walk about town. Park benches and local restaurants make resting along the way convenient and refreshing for those who like to take it a little more slowly. The map guides walkers along a 1.5-mile route, which is a 30- to 45-minute trek for most people, and features cultural sites in the park and in town, including TAU, the Gateway Murals, Spiotta Park, the WPA mural at the post office and more.

The next walking map will be the Notable Buildings of Maplewood Village and will be available at the SOMA Two Town for All Ages tent at the Maplewood Village Art and Music walk on Sept. 22. Future maps will include the Springfield Avenue Murals, Historic Buildings of South Orange, Local Houses of Worship and War Memorials. As they are completed, maps will be available at South Orange Village Offices, the Maplewood Senior Center and online at www.SOMATwoTownsforAllAges.org.

  Baird, Senior Citizens, SOMA Two Towns for All Ages