Families Recreate Downtown Summit — LEGO Block by Lego Block

This past Sunday, 50 families joined together at Washington School’s gymnasium in Summit New Jersey to participate in the 6^th Annual Architectural Workshop recreating downtown Summit out of LEGO blocks.  Truly unbelievable to think of a huge map of downtown Summit highlighting streets and historic buildings and over 50,000 colorful LEGO squares and rectangles being assembled to replicate this beautiful town.  Each one unique and truly a work of art!

The event is organized as a fundraiser for the Summit Historical Society, a membership organization created to preserve and disseminate information about Summit’s rich heritage. Read more

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

Home Buyers – Do you stop the car to scan a QR code on a real estate sign?

I just received  an email marketing a listing from a NJ Realtor that made me want to write this post.

There was a QR code in the email that says ” Scan this with your smart phone.. links to a listing website”  WHY would I do that? Wouldn’t it be easier for me to click a link to the listing than  grab  my iphone, go to the app, and  scan  her QR code on my computer? Even if I were on my iphone or ipad, it just seems easier to click a link. Am I the only one who feels this way? 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!

Raise Funds and Be Fit – Race Through Summit Homes

On Sunday, October 16th, the Summit Village Green will come alive as racers converge on the Summit Y5K Run/Walk Course. Runners of all ages and experience levels look to this YMCA 5k Run/Walk/Tot Trot as a meaningful, worthwhile way to combine fitness with fundraising near their New Jersey homes. A bustling annual community event, the 5K course has participants racing throughout scenic areas and close to many landmark homes in Summit.

The new “Friendraising” element encourages the racer/walker to invite others to raise funds in a joint effort to support the Summit YMCA Youth Center. The Youth Center, located at 2 Walnut Street, offers no cost supervised programs and services to youth and teens in Summit, including homework help, Book Clubs, Video Production and Karate Classes; an Achievers Program, and even SAT and college prep classes for youth who qualify. Nearly 300 youth were actively involved in 2010!  For more information or to join in the race fun, please register here.

Should Summit Receive Transit Village Title?

At sueadler.com, we enjoy being known for our ability to help people with their New Jersey midtown direct train line homes.  We’ve always known the virtues of our easy commute and were excited to hear that last week, Summit NJ’s Planning Board voted to recommend the Common Council apply for Transit Village designation. The Transit Village Initiative, a program offered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, encourages revitalization and the building up of commute towns, just like Summit! Being called a Transit Village showcases our use of public transportation and may attract newcomers to purchase a home in Summit.  What do you think… is this a good idea?

The plan for the Transit Village are that it would begin at the train station and expand in a one-half mile area in all directions from the train station. This could also encourage developers to create more business in the area.  If the Common Council agrees to submit an application, map area included in the Transit Village will be more clearly defined and granted within a few months, according to planning and development consultant member Edward Snieckus.  Find out more by clicking on the local article here.

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

Analysis of Millburn/Short Hills & Summit Home Statistics for August 2011

Whether you are buying or selling real estate in New Jersey, you can benefit from having an understanding of the local market.  The average listed sales price of a Millburn/Short Hills, New Jersey home for the month of August, 2011 was $1,250,000, with a median sales price of $947,926 for sold Millburn/Short Hills homes.  Housing inventory has decreased in Millburn/Short Hills when compared with August of 2010, with 94 active listings being reported for the last day of August for Millburn/Short Hills versus 107 in August of 2010. Read more

Nixle System Benefits Summit NJ Residents

Summit  has recently implemented an emergency notification system to keep New Jersey residents in the know during community crisis events. In an effort to keep Summit homeowners safe, the Summit Police Department has developed a free Community Notification Service called Nixle to improve communication with people who live in Summit and surrounding NJ Midtown Direct train line towns.

The value of this free service is amazing when you consider the turmoil that can be caused by not having information you need during a community crisis. If you live in Summit, becoming a user is not automatic. You must subscribe to the system, however it is a quick, efficient, and secure way to get Summit-specific information and does not take more than a couple of minutes to register. Text messages and e-mail alerts are sent to subscribers in the event of an emergency to help Summit home owners better prepare.

Notifications may be used in situations of personal safety, such as the search for a lost child or a natural disaster, but they can also be issues relating to a traffic emergency or power outage, allowing subscribers to better reroute their transportation.  To sign up as a resident of Summit or a nearby town, please click here. Register your email address and cell phone to begin receiving alerts via email and text.

If you have questions about using Nixle, please contact Lt. Robert Weck at 908-522-3603.

Ken ( Cedric) Carpenter reflects about living in Summit NJ… back in the day

I received an inquiry on  a house in Summit, and my follow up led to a fascinating  trip down memory lane by Ken ( Cedric) Carpenter, who has  given me permission to share a little bit of   history with you so that you can imagine what it was like to live in Summit and Short Hills back in the day.

“My interest in 101 Hobart Ave in Summit was based on which house it was.  I was raised in 97 Hobart Ave.  My father was Dr Carpenter one of the founders of the Summit Medical Group in 1928.  Because I owned two Real Estate businesses in Union County in the 1980′s and early 1990′s my siblings asked me to see if I could find out information on 101 Hobart Ave.  While we lived in 97  the house located at 101 wqas owned by two families  the Shultz’s who lived there until the mid 1940′s and the Macy’s who were living there at the time my parents built an new home and Moved to Short Hills.  My mothers family built the second house in Short Hills at the turn of the century  and sold it to the Whaleys shortly after the Stock Market Crash in 1928.

I will always remember Summit as a wonderful small town growing up.  A town where everyone knew everyone  back in those days.  We had a wonderful old wooden  Victorian Hotel in town called the Beechwood Hotel where women still in long dresses  were served afternoon tea by black butlers in white jackets and black pants It was torn down and Kemper Insurance built an office building on the property I attended Lincoln Grammer School across the street.  The Hunt Brothers Circus came to town every summer and set up their tents across from the YMCA  We always had parades with bands and drum majorettes partading down springfield Ave on the 4th of July  we had 2 movie theatres the Lyric and the Strand.  My mother  used to purchase her cloths at Miss Nellies store  Steam engins still carried commuters to Hoboken  Those were wonderful times to grow up in Summit  I was so lucky to have lived at that time  Oh  one more thing  97 and 101 Hobart Ave was built by a man (I do not know his name)  the two houses were built for his two spinster daughters  the homes were very similer. He lived across the street in a large white mansion which later became Miss Hoods Nursery School.  Ofcourse that house has also been torn down .  Before moving to 97 Hobart Ave  my parents owned a home for several years on Waldron Ave. Read more