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Living In Montclair
Nestled on the foot of the First Watchung Mountain sits the township of Montclair which is identified by its diverse population, beloved historic homes, proximity to New York City and its budding arts community. This vibrant city has something for everyone and while the commute from Montclair to New York City is a mere 20 miles, you don’t even need to leave the township to find exceptional dining, shopping, and entertainment. Often touted as where “the suburbs meet the city”, Montclair's lively business districts are flush with restaurants, movie theaters, shops and nightlife in addition to an art museum, live theaters, art galleries, and beautiful gardens and parks. Many fun events and festivals are held in Montclair throughout the year including a Jazz and Film Festival featuring global filmmakers and jazz musicians. This pedestrian friendly and welcoming community offers six Train Stations and easy access to all major highways.
The Township’s public schools are dedicated to educational excellence for every child. The district serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade and comprises seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. In addition, the district’s award-winning magnet system has elementary and middle schools identified by themes: global studies, science & technology, creating connections, Montessori, university, STEM, environmental science, and gifted & talented.
Montclair High School provides a diverse curriculum with more than 25 AP classes, small learning communities (the Civics and Government Institute, Center for Social Justice and STEM); and visual art and performance options in the School of Visual and Performing Arts (SVPA). MHS offers more than 100 clubs, including community service, salsa dancing, bridge, Ultimate Frisbee, robotics, and literary magazine and 30 Varsity Sports. Along with several State Champion athletic teams, their Math League team is ranked top 20 of all New Jersey High Schools.
Deriving its name from the French mont clair, meaning "clear mountain" or "bright mountain” , Montclair certainly has enough mountains, parks, and nature reserves to entertain any outdoor enthusiast. In total Montclair has 153.9 acres of township park land spread over 18 parks and 123.8 acres of county park land consisting of five parks.
Municipal parks include Mountainside Park, the township's largest at 33.2 acres, which offers extensive tennis and recreation facilities, and includes the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, a 6.5-acre living museum donated by the family of Frank Presby that is maintained by volunteers and dedicated to the iris. The township is also home to the Van Vleck Gardens, a center for horticulture, education, music, and art.
Covering nearly 20 acres of wetlands and uplands along the Third River, the Alonzo F. Bonsal Wildlife Preserve offers hiking trails and other passive recreation. Yantacaw Brook Park, covering 11.5 acres , surrounds a pond that is fed by Yantacaw Brook and that in turn feeds into the Third River on its way towards the Passaic River.
The township has 18 public tennis courts, four skating rinks (two of which are indoor), youth and adult sports leagues and art programs along with three public swimming pools: the Mountainside pool, the Nishuane pool, and the Essex pool.
If you are moving to the New York City area for arts and culture then look no further than Montclair. The township is home to a world class art museum. Visit the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) to browse its collection of more than 12,000 works and special exhibits. Wellmont Theater, a theater and concert venue, Montclair History Center, George Segal Gallery and Studio Montclair are located within the township. Also take a trip to Montclair State University, home to Peak Performances, Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, George Segal Gallery, and a place to attend fascinating lectures, conferences and presentations.
At its core, Montclair’s far-flung neighborhoods, cultures, and flavors coalesce into an array of culinary boundary-bending restaurants that make it one of the most compelling places to dine in Northern New Jersey. There are a multitude of places where you can easily score a slice of gluten-free pizza, spend an evening on the rooftop of the MC hotel for cocktails or an afternoon sipping tea at one of their many coffee houses. Montclair has such a variety of restaurants to choose from, there’s sure to be one for everyone’s taste buds. Whether there’s family coming into town, date night or it’s a girls night, there are more than 100 ethnically diverse restaurants and eateries located throughout the Township to choose from.
There are also big-name retailers like Anthropologie, Lululemon, the Gap and Whole Foods mixed in with small boutiques, indie bookstores and vintage second hand stores that can be found essentially in two separate shopping areas located around Bloomingfield Avenue and in the Upper Montclair district. Makeup guru and local resident Bobbi Brown, recently opened a 32-room boutique hotel, The George Inn.
With 6 Train Stations (Bay Street, Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Mountain Avenue, Montclair Heights) throughout the Township, Montclair is perfectly suited for New York City commuters. Aboard the NJ Transit Montclair Boonton Line, residents can arrive in New York Penn Station or Hoboken in about 40 minutes. There is also a Decamp Bus on Bloomfield Avenue that you can take to the Port Authority in about 30 minutes.
Situated 20 miles west of New York City, Montclair also allows for commuting by car. Major roadways such as routes I-80, 24, 202 and I-287 as well as The Garden State Parkway and The New Jersey Turnpike are easily accessible from town. For jetsetters, Newark Liberty International Airport is an approximate 30 minute drive away.
We feel that if you are in the market to buy or sell real estate in this town, it is important to understand the trends in Active Listings, Days on the Market, and Listing to Sale Price ratio so that you can make an educated decision. If you are interested in learning how current market trends affect you as a home seller or buyer, we would love to chat! Call us at 973.936.9129. Data compiled from the GSMLS. Deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.
Montclair
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