Sue Adler has been the #1 Keller Williams agent in NJ for the past six years, and leads one of the top Keller Williams teams worldwide, with annual production of $62 million in 2010.
It’s Time to Think Summer – Local Camp Resource Guide for Our NJ Midtown Direct Communities
The dog days of winter are here!! But I’m thinking spring– longer days, green lawns and the first signs of budding trees and flowers. It’s such a pretty time here in our New Jersey Midtown Direct communities. It makes me think of all the great spring and summer resources like our fabulous farmer’s markets, summer concerts and festivals. And come to think of it, summer is only 5 months away and many parents are now combing through the yellow pages and kids resources for the best area summer camps. Read more
Playgrounds In Our New Jersey Midtown Direct Train Line Towns!
Looking for a playground in New Jersey?
Sheila Sayah has created www.NJPlaygrounds.com – all from exploring New Jersey’s playgrounds as a great way to keep her 3 toddlers busy. She recently joined Amy Lamperti of www.theplaygroundguide.com and together they have provided parents a HUGE playground guide.
Here are links to playgrounds in our New Jersey towns:
Chatham which is known for Castle Playground and Memorial Park.
Livingston Community Center, Littell People’s Park by Livingston High School
Maplewood has Memorial Park, which is in a centralized location to Maplewood Village and Maplewood Train Station.
Millburn – There’s Gero Park, right by the Millburn pool, and Taylor Park, located in town.
Madison – Visit Dodge Field, walking distance to Madison Train station.
South Orange – Farrell Field
Summit – Wilson Park, Mabie Playground, and my favorite – Memorial Field.
New Providence – Morris-Union Joint Venture Playground
Westfield – Tamaques Park, Memorial Park, and Mindowaskin Park
Berkeley Heights – Snyder Ave Park, Columbia Park
Click here for an Indoor Playgrounds!
Go ahead… “like” NJ Playgrounds on facebook and stay up to date on New Jersey Playground News!
Video: Give Home Buyers and Sellers What They Are Looking For! Sue Adler and Kenn Renner Share Video and Website Strategies at Keller Williams National Convention
I’ve been fortunate to speak at several major real estate conventions over the years, but this time, I was lucky to have the King of Video, Kenn Renner, on stage with me because he filmed our whole panel! Read more
Madison NJ- Home to Bottle Hill Day Festival
Did you know that our midtown direct Madison was once called Bottle Hill? Two schools of thought exist to explain the name. One refers to the actual original land grant, a “bottle” lot, and the other references the “bottle” sign of a historic tavern. Either way, the official town name was changed in 1834 to honor former president and Constitution framer, James Madison. Every year people who live in Madison and nearby towns gather to celebrate Bottle Hill Day. 20,000 people are expected to leave their midtown direct homes to join in the excitement of Bottle Hill Day this year. The event, complete with a first-ever beer garden, will be held on October 1st from 12 to 5 p.m.
Events include live, local entertainment, rock climbing opportunities with Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, fireworks and a bonfire, as well as family activities including a classic auto show. This annual festival is held rain or shine and is a favorite of those who live in Madison and surrounding midtown direct communities. For more information or to find out how you can volunteer to be part of the fun, please click here.
Work in NYC? 10 Reasons why you should commute from New Jersey.
10 Reasons why you should move from Manhattan to our awesome New Jersey towns….
1. NJ Transit- Midtown Direct Train gets you into New York Penn Station in 25-50 minutes from South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit. After Summit, the trainline branches off to: Chatham, Madison, Convent Station… and the other branch heads to New Providence and Berkeley Heights…. If you click on link above, you will see parking options whether you live in one of these towns or one of the surrounding towns. Need to commute to downtown to the financial district? Just take the train to Hoboken, and then the path or ferry.
Oh, did I mention that there is valet parking at the Millburn train station, and that there is a jitney bus to get you to and from the Maplewood & South Orange train stations during morning and evening rush hours?
Great Schools
2. We have great public schools! 2010 New Jersey School Report Card
3. Our towns are absolutely charming and beautiful. They are SO not like the New Jersey stereotype. Each town has its own personality(and different sections within each town do as well), and you’ll find that living here you will frequent all of the surrounding towns for different things from shops to restaurants to theatre to fitness centers to art, piano or karate lessons. Read more
7 Tips for NJ Home Sellers BEFORE putting your Midtown Direct Home on the Market
If you are planning on selling your home in Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood, South Orange, Chatham, Livingston, Berkeley Heights or New Providence,
here are a 7 tips to help you prepare so that you’re not scrambling last minute.
1. Construction Permits: Go to your town hall and make sure that any construction permits have been closed out. Even if you haven’t taken any out, the previous owners may have.
2. Underground oil tanks are THE hot issue these days, especially when you’re selling an older home. If you don’t have proof that an oil tank has been removed on your property, have a tank sweep done. (I’ve got a list of names if you need recommendations) If you have record of a tank having been decommissioned, be aware that most local buyer’s attorneys are asking for them to come out anyway because there is an arguement that unless the tank is removed, you can’t test the soil beneath it. Now I’m not an expert, but I’m only making you aware of what will most likely come up so, you may want to be proactive and take it out ahead of time. Buyers just don’t want the liability. Read more
NJ midtown direct area Kindergarten programs
What local New Jersey school districts offer full day kindergarten? This is a question that comes up time and time again as we get to know our relocation buyers with young children. We thought it would be helpful to post a compiled list of the full day, half day and before and after care programs offered by our public school systems.*There is the unfortunate reality that some of these full day programs may be at risk due to budget cuts so we would recommend checking with the specific school districts.*
Full Day Programs Read more
My child is a budding artist. Which are the best local art programs in our Midtown Direct Towns?
Having a daughter who is an artist, the local art programs were always an important part of our lives. Here are my recommendations:
If you have a young child, and are looking for a low key environment, sign your child up at Gerilyn’s Art Studio in Maplewood. They have classes for children, teens and even an open studio for adults. In the summer Geralyn offers art classes and it’s a great place for fun ( and messy) birthday parties. Express Yourself Studio is another outlet for creative expression in Maplewood , for adults and children alike.
If your child is more serious and is looking to build an art portfolio, I highlyrecommend Renaissance in Learning in Millburn. I can speak from personal experience on this one. This is where my daughter took her after school private art lessons from 8th through 12th grade. The beauty of this place is that it’s where the art kids go after school and work on whatever project they are working on, whether or not their lesson is that day. It becomes very social for them as well. My daughter and her art friends even called themselves “The Art Posse”. Pat and Nick Navarino, and Pat’s daughter Rebecca run the studio. The instructors are extremely talented and the studio is really well run. If your son or daughter is taking AP Art, these classes are a MUST before and during that process. Read more
So you need to commute to NYC and you can’t spend $1Million on a house??? Check out these GREAT New Jeresy neighborhoods – in these midtown direct “walk to train” locations!
What a day! 3 open houses on our three new listings – Two are getting at least one offer, and we had 27-30 people at each one. All three of these homes are priced in the $500′s. My team was also booked all weekend with buyers. What does all of this mean?
1. There has been so much pent up demand for great AFFORDABLE homes that the nice ones that are priced right are flying off the market.
2. The entry level market has now come down to a level where buyers can jump into the market. Of course the low interest rates have added the cherry on the top.
3. Even in a “buyer’s market”, you will always be able to re-sell a well priced home with close proximity to trains to NYC. This is what most buyers moving out from NYC are looking for.
4. Has this segment of the market hit bottom?
So where can you find these more affordable homes? Below are neighborhoods in each of the midtown direct trainline towns that are under a mile to the train.
South Orange – South of South Orange Ave, there are two neighborhoods that are easily walkable and you can find housing that won’t break the bank. The area between Walton Rd and Wyoming Ave is one ( Conway Ct, Rynda, West End Rd, Lenox Ave to name a few streets) and the streets surrounding Seton Hall University are the other. North of South Orange Ave there are the Hart Dr ranch homes, and further north you can occasionally find a smaller home nestled amongst the larger ones off of Wyoming Ave. The same would be true of the Montrose Section.
Maplewood- Much of Maplewood fits the bill and that’s why so many buyers move here from Park Slope, Brooklyn, and NYC. East of Valley Rd, across from Memorial Park, is very popular among the “walk to train” crowd. Here are two examples: www.sueadler.com/35Kensington and www.sueadler.com/36Madison Houses within a few blocks of Maplewood Village may be in the $500k-700k range, but they don’t seem to come on the market very often. There are homes on Jefferson Ave and some of the surrounding streets such as Brookside Rd, have sold in the $500k’s and 600′s as well.
Millburn- The South Mountain Section and Wyoming Sections are the two largest neighborhoods that are “walk to train, town, Taylor Park, Wyoming Elem or South Mountain Elem, middle and high school ”. There are also many small streets off of Millburn Ave that are close by as well.Homes range from the $400k’s to the 800k’s with a few exceptions in the South Mountain Section.In the Wyoming Section you can easily find homes in this range, but there are also more expensive homes over $1Million.
Short Hills - The Glenwood Section ( where I live!) is the perfect place to be – walk to Glenwood Elem and top rated Millburn HS, Short Hills train station, and Millburn Ave restaurants and shops. Most homes range from the 600k’s to the $1Million range, but certain streets wth larger homes and properties such as Pine Terrace East command much more. www.sueadler.com/11PineTerraceEast Generally speaking, the Glenwood Section runs between the Short Hills Train Station and Millburn Ave. The main roads running through are Woodland Rd, Baltusrol Way, and Short Hills Ave, with many small charming treelined streets in between. The Knollwood Section, behind the Millburn Middle School, is also similar in price to Glenwood. This neighborhood comes in between Hobart Avenue and Old Short Hills Rd – Whitney Dr, Midhurst Dr, Haddonfield Drive are a few of the streets you find in this storybook enclave of charming colonials and tudors.
Summit Most of the areas surrounding the Summit Train Station tend to be a bit pricier however there are certain streets close to the train station that do turn out homes for under $900,000. To name a few, Mountain Ave and Ashland Rd- south of the Summit Train station, and Waldron Ave, and DeBary Place- north of the station. I do need to mention a neighborhood that is just over a mile, but with comparable homes to the Glenwood and South Mountain homes in Millburn/Short Hills. Its the Memorial Field area by Brayton Elementary School. Don’t overlook this neighborhood if you’re looking for an awesome neighborhood in a great school district.
Chatham Boro – The nice thing about Chatham Boro is that almost all of it is within a mile of the Chatham Train Station. The Station is located just off Fairmount Dr and Main Street so its central location and stellar school system, makes it a sought after town. The majority of homes in the Boro are in the “affordable” range and are close to Main Street shops and restaurants, and elementary schools as well.
Madison -The Madison Train Station is situated between Waverly Rd and Greenwood Rd, just south of Main Street. On the northern side of Main Street in Madison you can easily find 3 to 4 bedroom homes starting in the $400′s, and ranging up to over $1M. Because Madison is home to Drew University, Main Street feels much like a college town with a jazz bar, trendy shops and a wide variety of restaurants.
So, there you have it! If you want to see your options in person, just give me a call (973)464-9129.
Yours to count on,
Luxury homes in Midtown Direct “walk to train” locations
If you work in NYC and need the direct train to Midtown New York Penn Station or Hoboken (where you can then take the PATH downtown to the financial district), here are the most convenient New Jersey neighborhoods where you can find the beautiful upscale homes:
Old Short Hills is the area north of the Short Hills train station off of Hobart Ave. Stewart Hartshorn originally developed this as the ideal community, and brought the train line from NYC into the magnificent rolling landscape of Short Hills, which was at the time, all countryside. Truly magnificent one of a kind homes off of quiet winding roads, its no wonder why Old Short Hills is such a sought-after area. A major attraction of Short Hills is that it is part of the Millburn School District, the highest rated school district in NJ. There are also private school options as well.
Northside Summit - The area north of Springfield Ave between Woodland Ave and the Whittredge Green area consists of some of the most stunning homes you’ve ever seen. ( I really didn’t mean for that to rhyme!) From tudors to Victorians, to brick manor homes, you’ll pay a hefty price tag, but if you can afford it, this is truly the best of all worlds. Summit also has a very highly rated school system. There are many renowned private schools in Summit as well.
Wyoming and Montrose Sections of South Orange were planned as a haven for wealthy New York businessmen looking for stylish large homes away from the city – the area’s first commuters. The fact that the commute into Manhattan is only 25 minutes from South Orange is a big draw to commuters who aren’t willing to sacrifice a short commute for their estate home. These homes of history between Ridgewood Rd and Wyoming Ave in the Wyoming Section, and between Scotland Rd and Grove Ave in the Montrose Section, have magnificent craftmanship, beautiful mature plantings, and have historic gas lights along their tree-lined streets. Prices are much less than Summit or Short Hills, but the taxes tend to be equal to ( and sometimes a little higher) what the taxes for the same house in Short Hills or Summit would be, so keep that in mind because home buyers normally compare by price range town to town, not size of home. Check out “Tulip Hill” circa 1906! Asking $1,095,000.
West of Maplewood Village- Maplewood Ave, and some of the tree-lined streets west of Maplewood Village, such as Woodland Ave, Mountain Ave are examples of streets boasting beautiful homes of character, and an easy walk to Maplewood train station, which is only 1/2 hr to NYC, as well as Maplewood Village shops, restaurants and Memorial Park. The upper bracket homes in Maplewood tend to cap in the low 1 Million dollar range, which is much more affordable than luxury homes in its surrounding trainline towns.
Chatham - The area between Fairmount Ave and Watchung Ave, near the Lafayette Elementary School and the Chatham High School are under a mile to the Chatham Train Station and beautiful upscale homes can be found on these tree-lined streets. Highland Ave, Washington Ave, Dellwood Ave, and Chandler Ave are a few worth noting in Chatham Boro. Chatham is another Blue Ribbon School District and has a great down town area as well.
Hill Section of Madison - Southwest of the Madison train station, you’ll find luxury homes that are walkable to the Madison Train Station and the trendy restaurants on Main Street. Midwood Terrace has the reputation for the most upscale homes in Madison. However, there are other beautiful streets with gorgeous new and older homes in the Hill Section. To name a few- Pomeroy Rd, Woodland Ave, Crossgates, Garfield Ave, and the small streets that come off of these.
Much of the luxury home market in Short Hills, Summit, Livingston, Chatham and Madison, Maplewood and South Orange still feels overpriced. However, the serious sellers have priced their homes to sell, and these gems are now trading at more affordable prices, ( although I guess “affordable” is a relative term considering we’re talking about luxury homes!) Just in the past few weeks, homes in the high end are starting to sell again, however we’re back to late 2003-early 2004 prices, which is very hard for many sellers to accept.
It is more important than ever to get good advice in buying or selling a luxury home from realtors who KNOW the luxury home market. Call Sue at 973-464-9129 to discuss your options.
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