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PODCAST

The Montclair Pod

Montclair Pod LLC

TheMontclairPodis an award-winning podcast that offers a deep dive into the stories, issues, and buzz shapingMontclair, NJ. Hosted by local friends—journalist and financial expert Farnoosh Torabi and MediaFeed co-founder Michael Schreiber—we’re here to explore the heart of our vibrant community with curiosity and a dose of neighborly chatter. From the latest drama inMontclairschools to the tangled web of local politics and even the mysteries of our rollercoaster real estate market, we cover the

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

36:22

HNY Montclair! Our Modern Love and Swingers Episode...

The Montclair Pod ·

2026/01/01

Happy New Year, Montclair! This week, we replay one of our hottest shows from 2025 that may inspire new connections in 2026 -- our field guide on modern love in Montclair.Featuring insights from:Junie Moon, relationship expert and Montclair’s own love coachElizabeth and Jason, single parents share their experiences dating in MontclairGrace L. Williams, journalist and Montclair Pod special assignment reporterMishiko Passikoff,therapist on tension in relationships over politicsReubena Spence,

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32:30

Unhoused in Montclair: A Look Back at Our Acclaimed...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/12/25

This week on The Montclair Pod, we revisit one of the most consequential and talked-about episodes of the year: a deeply reported look at homelessness in Montclair and the growing tension between compassion, public safety, and limited resources. As rents rise and safety-net funding faces new pressures, this episode asks a hard but necessary question: what kind of town do we want to be—and what kind of town can we realistically be?At the center of the episode is Montclair Emergency Services for Hope

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44:56

The Season of Giving in Montclair: How to Make the...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/12/18

It’s the season of giving, and this week on The Montclair Pod we step away from school budgets and deficits to focus on something just as important: how we show up for each other. From financial support to time, attention, and presence, this episode explores what meaningful giving looks like in Montclair and why generosity doesn’t have to feel heavy, performative, or transactional.We’re joined by Ray Graj, co-founder of Montclair Helps, an organization built around a simple but powerful idea:

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1:04:04

The School Vote Is Off. Wait, Never Mind. Also: What...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/12/11

Why is Montclair nearly 20 million dollars in the red, and how did no one stop it? This week, we peel back the curtain on one of the most consequential crises the town has ever faced, examining how years of rising costs, missed warning signs, and avoided hard decisions brought the school district to this moment.We also break down:• The Superior Court ruling that invalidated the December 9 special election, the superintendent’s new plan for a March vote, and what immediate cuts mean for families,

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52:20

High Time in Montclair: Meet the Locals Behind the...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/12/04

Why doesn’t Montclair have any legal weed stores? This week on The Montclair Pod, we tackle a question that has floated around town for years, with a deep look at Montclair’s cannabis landscape, tracing how a town that once hosted New Jersey’s first medical dispensary now has zero open shops. Farnoosh and Mike walk through the long, complicated road to legalization in New Jersey, the zoning bottlenecks in Montclair, and the Catch-22 of opening a dispensary in a system where you need a lease before

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49:17

The Local Meets The Pod: Is This Election Even Legal?...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/11/25

This week on The Montclair Pod, we drop the episode a little early because Montclair’s school deficit story is moving at warp speed, and because some of us need something to listen to while hiding from relatives in the bathroom.In our roundtable, we bring in Matt Kadosh and Asad Jung, two Montclair Local reporters who’ve been working around the clock to cover the town’s $19.6 million school deficit, the December 9 special election, and the sudden flurry of lawsuits, claims, and shifting

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1:02:27

"We Deserve Answers": Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/11/20

Subscribe, leave a review below, and please share your thoughts at MontclairPod.com. Follow on Instagram and send us a tip: hello@montclairpod.com.Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill sits down with The Montclair Pod for one of her first interviews since the election. She delivers a candid, forceful take on Montclair’s deepening school budget crisis. Sherrill, a longtime Montclair resident and parent of public-school students, voices fury and frustration over what she calls a “breakdown in fiscal

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55:35

Behind the Dec 9th Ballot: Superintendent Ruth B....

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/11/13

In her most candid interview yet, Superintendent Ruth B. Turner discusses accountability, fiscal discipline, and the tough choices facing Montclair schools, as the district faces a $19.6 million deficit and a pivotal special election on December 9.In the interview, Turner explains:Why Question 1 leaves out mention of the state loan and monitorWhy Question 2 makes the tax hike permanentWhat a fiscal monitor could and couldn’t do in MontclairWhy the forensic audit is tied to Question 2Whether teachers

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48:19

Will Montclair’s School Crisis Hit Home Values? Plus:...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/11/06

Subscribe, leave a review below, and please share your thoughts at MontclairPod.com. Follow on Instagram and send us a tip: hello@montclairpod.com.This week on The Montclair Pod, Farnoosh and Mike put two of Montclair’s favorite topics under the microscope: schools and real estate. With a nearly 20 million dollar school deficit, a December 9 referendum, and talk of a possible state monitor, they ask the question everyone is whispering at open houses: Could this hurt Montclair’s reputation and even

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57:54

Immigration, Art, and County Commissioner Brendan...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/10/30

Subscribe, leave a review below, and please share your thoughts at MontclairPod.com. Follow on Instagram and send us a tip: hello@montclairpod.com.This week on The Montclair Pod, Farnoosh and Mike head straight into Montclair’s creative heart, from film to storytelling to live theater, before zooming out to the pressing issue shaping our town right now: the future of our schools.Montclair Film FestivalWe begin at the Montclair Film Festival, where Farnoosh and Mike hosted a live conversation with

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1:05:42

Modern Love in Montclair: Gay, Straight, Swinging....

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/10/23

Mike and Farnoosh explore the intertwined themes of love and money in Montclair from the dating scene to the school budget. This episode dives into how residents are navigating modern relationships in all their forms: gay, straight, open, and swinging. The hosts examine how political views, community culture, and midlife realities shape connection and commitment in town.They also continue their coverage of Montclair’s ongoing school budget crisis, unpacking what’s at stake in the upcoming “Yes-Yes”

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44:41

State Monitor or Local Control? Montclair Is Divided....

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/10/16

This week, Montclair’s financial story gets real. We sit down with Town Manager Stephen Marks to talk candidly about the township’s budget, his first six months on the job, and why he believes a state fiscal monitor might be “warranted” for Montclair’s schools, given a nearly $20 million deficit.Then: What can Montclair learn from our neighbors in Nutley, who are currently experiencing the effects of a state takeover of their school district? We unpack the lessons, the trade-offs, and the emotion

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53:13

Is Montclair Worth It? The Real Cost of Living Here

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/10/09

In this episode, we dig into the cost of living in Montclair and ask, is it worth it? We start at the Farmers Market, where residents share how rising prices are changing their day-to-day lives. Then, we meet a renter who dreams of buying in town but feels priced out, and hear from Councilor-at-Large and Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen on what the township is doing to address affordability.In our Ask Your Agent series with Karin Diana of Compass, we uncover the hidden costs of homeownership. At the

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46:28

Montclair’s $20M School Deficit Explained and the Big...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/10/02

This week on The Montclair Pod, it’s a jam-packed episode:Montclair Schools Budget Town Hall. We take you inside last Friday night’s meeting at Buzz Aldrin Middle School, where Superintendent Ruth B. Turner and Interim Business Administrator Dana Sullivan laid out the reality: the district is facing nearly $20 million in debt. Parents pressed for answers, students spoke out, and hard choices are on the table, from closing schools to eliminating Chromebooks. We break down what’s really at stake and

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53:56

Montclair Schools at a Crossroads: $18M Shortfall,...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/09/25

In our Season 3 debut, we are talking all-things schools.First, as we reported, Montclair Public Schools’ deficit is closer to $18M than $11M. We replay part of our conversation with Superintendent Ruth B. Turner, unpack what’s fact vs. speculation, and talk about oversight, a possible forensic audit, and what a “hard reset” could look like.Then: Is Montclair still a smart move for families seeking a great education for their kids? We kick off our "Ask Our Agent" series brought to us by Compass

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48:00

A Sudden Council Resignation, O’Bagel’s Big Debut,...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/09/18

This week on The Montclair Pod News:Councilor-at-Large Carmel Loughman has resigned just over a year into her term. We break down what happened, what it means for the council, and hear directly from Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen on what comes next.The Montclair school deficit grows to $18 million. We revisit our conversation with Superintendent Ruth B. Turner and the state’s response to the district’s financial troubles.A new bagel shop is here — O’Bagel opened on Bloomfield Avenue to lines

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36:48

Montclair Schools' Budget Deficit: It's Worse Than We...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/09/11

In a frank and revealing interview on The Montclair Pod, Montclair's new schools superintendent, Ruth B. Turner, announced that the district’s financial deficit has swelled to approximately $18 million. The startling figure combines inherited debts with a newly discovered $4 to $5 million shortfall in the current budget. Compounding the crisis,Turner revealed that after a direct appeal for help, the Township of Montclair has declined to provide any financial support to the schools.The interview,

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28:11

9/11 Reflections, Bellevue Theatre’s Glow-Up, and The...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/09/11

On the September 11, 2025, edition of The Montclair Pod News, Mike and Farnoosh open with reflections on 9/11 and how it shaped their early journalism careers. Then it’s:A fast tour through first-week-of-school headaches (and why better district communication is an equity issue)A sneak peek inside the revived Bellevue TheaterA tense car-theft chase on Porter PlacePaper Plane Coffee’s expansionThe quirks of World Cup ticketingA playful pitch for HBO to film The White Lotus in Upper Montclair.In “The

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29:10

Back to School, More Town Debt and Gas Under $3

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/09/04

In this episode of The Montclair Pod, Mike and Farnoosh dive into the first week of September in town, with plenty of local updates and a few personal confessions.Highlights include:Back to School Drama – Montclair renews its $1.5M contract with food service provider Southwest Food Service Excellence. Will new “healthier” options and salad bars outweigh student complaints?Gas Below $3? – Prices hit five-year lows in Montclair, with one Valley Road station leading the way. Plus, what’s next for

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31:18

Montclair High Takes a Rankings Hit, a $7.5M Listing...

The Montclair Pod ·

2025/08/28

This week on The Montclair Pod News, we’re covering a packed lineup of local stories and some irresistible neighborhood gossip. Montclair High School slipped in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, falling from #55 to #95 in the state — sparking debates about test scores, funding, and what really defines success in our schools.We also take a peek inside a jaw-dropping $7.5 million listing for a two-family home once tied to Kool & the Gang — is it worth the price tag? Over in

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55 results

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