Bloomfield is both residential and industrial in character, a community of considerable charm. Bloomfield was incorporated as a township from portions of Newark Township on March 23, 1812. The new township took its name from the Presbyterian parish, which had been named for the Governor of New Jersey Joseph Bloomfield. 

The Bloomfield Public Schools serve students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are eight elementary schools serving kindergarten through sixth grade, Bloomfield Middle School for grades 7 and 8 and Bloomfield High School for grades 9. Bloomfield Tech High School is a regional magnet public high school that offers occupational and academic instruction for students in Essex County, as part of the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools. Bloomfield College, a liberal arts college, is located in downtown Bloomfield near the town green. 

Bloomfield Recreation

Bloomfield residents can avail themselves of Brookdale Park which is part of the Essex County Park service. It contains about 120 acres and lies within the municipalities of Montclair and Bloomfield. There are recreational fields, courts, dog parks and many trails to run and walk. Essex County sponsors free outdoor concerts every summer weekend. 

There are two primary downtown areas that serve the residents. "Bloomfield Center," is currently undergoing a dramatic renovation which is reported to include new retail, commercial and apartment rental units. Heading north on Broad Street is another commercial area with many good restaurants and local businesses. 

Bloomfield Commute

Bloomfield is served by the New Jersey Transit Midtown Direct Montclair-Boonton Line to New York Penn Station. The Bloomfield train station is located off of Bloomfield Avenue in the downtown area. The Grove Street station on the Newark City Subway at the south end of Bloomfield provides service to Newark Penn Station, created as part of an extension to Belleville and Bloomfield that opened in 2002. 

DeCamp Bus offers service to New York Penn Station. In October 2009, the Go Bus 28 route was introduced, offering service "nearly" all day from Bloomfield Train Station to Newark Liberty International Airport.