TV and Film Production Picks Up Across Bloomfield, Montclair, and West Orange

If you have noticed extra trailers, lighting rigs, and crew members around Essex County this fall, it is not your imagination. Montclair Local reported on September 2 that crews were filming across Bloomfield, Montclair, and West Orange the same first week of September, with Bloomfield hosting a CBS legal drama at a banquet hall off East Passaic Avenue and a new eight-episode series shooting at the tennis courts in Brookdale Park just across the town line. The three towns are becoming a recurring film and television destination, and that momentum shows up in how the region is marketed, how coffee shops do business, and how attractive the corridor feels to people moving from the city.

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What is filming where

Local coverage from Montclair Local’s Matt Kadosh tracked several productions active in the first week of September 2026:

• Bloomfield: a new CBS legal drama filmed at a large banquet hall on Tuesday, September 1, with the crew operating out of a base camp in the parking lot on East Passaic Avenue.
• Brookdale Park (serving Bloomfield, Montclair, and West Orange): a Jersey City production company was filming an eight-episode series at the park, including at the tennis courts. The park typically reroutes walkers around an active set.
• County support: Essex County coordinates filming permits and logistics, which makes it easier for productions to come back again and again.

The state's film industry has been expanding for several years, with the region sometimes branded “Hollywood East.” Netflix has bought roughly 300 acres at the former Fort Monmouth site, and West Orange already has a film studio district approved behind the Edison Lofts. Even Montclair High School has hosted big productions, including Adam Sandler’s films and the comedy Happy Gilmore 2.

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What it means for homeowners and renters

• A healthy sign for the local economy. Productions bring caterers, crews, hotels, and foot traffic. The towns see out-of-town money spent in the same neighborhoods where buyers are considering purchasing.
• Impacts are liveable. Yes, filming can close a sidewalk or a parking spot for a day. But towns regulate the logistics, and permanent announcements bring an economic halo that most homebuyers view as a plus.
• Community identity. Seeing a film crew on your block is its own form of neighborhood energy. It also gives kids and families a peek at the creative economy happening right outside the door.
• What to watch. How much production continues to grow. More consistent work tends to mean more amenities and fewer reasons to leave, which supports long-term home values in the area.

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The bottom line

When a region becomes a dependable film and TV destination, it gets something intangible alongside the paychecks: creative energy, visitors, and a stamp of being wanted. Essex County already has a film studio district in West Orange, the state’s film industry keeps growing, and this week’s crews are just the latest sign of that momentum. If you are thinking about moving here, the production calendar is one more reason the region reads as lively, full of new people, and worth calling home.