Montclair, a popular walkable suburb with a population of nearly 38,000, is known as a  haven  for  artists  and  writers.  From  Montclair  Center  to  Upper  Montclair, Walnut St., and Watchung Plaza, the housing stock varies from condos and traditional homes  built  in  the  1920’s  and 1930’s  to  impressive  estates  and  contemporary homes,  many  of  which  have  NYC  winter  views. Single family homes range in price from $500K to $3M. Bloomfield  Avenue in  downtown Montclair is reminiscent  of  7th Avenue in Park Slope Brooklyn with  tons  of  trendy restaurants  and  shops,  an  art  house  film  theatre,  and  the  Montclair  Art  Museum. With seven train stations, Montclair is a NYC commuter friendly town.

Raymond’s on Church St. has one of the best brunches around, definitely worth the wait. Zeugma Grill, Laboratorio Kitchen, and Mish Mish  Café are also  favorites.  Veggie Heaven in Upper Montclair  is  amazing,  your  kids  will  start  begging  for  crispy  tofu!  So  many  new restaurants  have  opened,  make  sure  and  check  out  montclaireats.com.  Home  to Montclair State University, Montclair also has 3 public  swimming pools, an indoor ice-skating rink, several parks and public tennis courts. The Montclair school system is a  "Magnet"  school  system  consisting  of  seven  elementary  schools,  three middle schools  and  one  comprehensive  high  school.    The  elementary  and  middle  schools specialize in  various  disciplines  such as  Environmental Studies, Gifted & Talented, Visual & Performing Arts, Global Studies, Science and Technology, and Montessori. Regardless of where you live, you may apply to the school of your choice.

A quaint town that neighbors Montclair, Glen Ridge has a population of nearly 7500, with a mid-town direct train station. It’s consistently named one of the top school districts in the state, which makes for an extremely competitive housing market. Homes here reflect all the major architectural styles from the mid nineteenth century on with many grand estate-like homes along Ridgewood Avenue. With only 3,000 gaslights remaining in operation in the entire United States, Glen Ridge along with South Orange, is one of the few communities that retain a charming old world feel. Glen Ridge is especially proud of its Recreation Program.  The facilities include 9 parks, 4 schools, the town pool, and the Glen Ridge Senior Community Center. Included in the recreation areas are baseball, softball, soccer, football, field hockey and lacrosse fields, playgrounds, tennis and platform tennis courts, and a seasonal skate park.