What's It Like To Live In South Orange, NJ? - Maplewood, South Orange Real Estate and Homes

Living in South Orange, NJ

So what’s it like to live in South Orange, NJ? As a local realtor who has been living in South Orange/Maplewood for 18 years and who has seen a lot of homes over the years, South Orange, in my opinion, has the most beautiful houses in New Jersey. From Montrose to Newstead, South Orange homes are filled with original detail and craftsmanship that you could never be recreated in today’s world be they mid-century fabulous or grand Victorian. One other feature that makes South Orange so attractive is its gas street lighting which casts a warm glow at night and eliminates unsightly overhead electrical wires from the streets. You cannot beat the under 30 minute train ride to Manhattan. South Orange is known for its creative community of musicians, artists, etc. South Orange’s proximity to South Mountain Reservation and its active Baird Recreation center offer many choices for hiker, bikers, tennis players and the like. There have been several great recent additions to the Village’s downtown including a new luxury rental building, performing arts center/theater and a gourmet market. The town shares a school district with neighboring Maplewood. Columbia High School is known for its wide selection of advanced placement courses, strong arts curriculum and champion fencing team.

South Orange is about 30 minutes by car from Manhattan via Route 280. South Orange has two train stations—South Orange being the main station in downtown South Orange and Mountain Station in the Montrose West area. Service from Mountain Station is to Hoboken only but a Mid-Town train can be connected to at Newark. The train ride to Manhattan via NJ Transit’s Mid-Town Direct service is about 25 minutes. Hoboken service is also available which brings commuters to lower Manhattan via PATH or ferry connection.

Many people walk to the train station but South Orange has a jitney service that shuttles commuters from various neighborhoods to the station as well.

Click here for jitney fee schedule information http://southorange.org/Parking/jitneyFeesRules.asp and here for jitney route maps http://southorange.org/Parking/maps.asp

There is a waiting list for resident and non-resident parking permits at the train station. Please click on this link for the latest information on permit fees:

http://www.southorange.org/parking/feesNRules.asp

and here for wait list information:

http://southorange.org/parking/waitingLists.asp

The Vibe

Check out some of these places and websites to get a feel for South Orange’s unique vibe

Baird Center www.thebaird.org

Ashley Gourmet Market https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Marketplace/529670690389845

Matters Magazine www.mattersmagazine.com

Montrose Park Historic District www.montroseparksonj.org

Orange Lawn Tennis Club orangelawn.com

The Reservoir soreservoir.com/

Seton Hall University www.shu.edu