Retail-heavy Arlington Heights offers nature and commuting access
A suburban pocket of Stroudsburg in eastern Pennsylvania, Arlington Heights provides residents with a plethora of retail and proximity to the Poconos. “We’re also just off the New Jersey border, so it’s easy to commute to Jersey and New York,” says Xander Weidenbaum, a local Realtor and President at Redstone Run Realty. While nature preserves and green spaces encircle the Monroe County town, shopping centers and residential subdivisions are scattered throughout the area. Home to slightly more than 6,000 residents, Arlington Heights’ location off Interstate 80 makes for more convenient trips to popular destinations in the Poconos, as well as a 75-mile commute into New York City.
Route 611 and Downtown Stroudsburg offer retail and dining
Many people choose Arlington Heights for its abundance of retail and eatery options. On the town’s west side, the Stroud Mall offers department stores like JCPenney and a brand-new ShopRite grocery. Takeout spots, chain restaurants and local diners surround the mall area. Family-owned Triplets Family Restaurant is the go-to for American breakfast platters. Momento serves Italian cuisine in an intimate setting and also has an extensive wine bar. “Along the Route 611 corridor, there’s everything, like Target and TJ Maxx,” Weidenbaum says. “It’s been built up like a residential shopping area.” Also located on Route 611 is St. Luke’s Hospital, complete with an ER unit. On Arlington Heights’ east side, where Route 611 bends into Main Street as the road leads into Downtown Stroudsburg, the Catholic Church of Saint Luke sits proudly on the corner.
Downtown Stroudsburg provides residents with a quieter and less retail-heavy shopping and dining experience, as boutiques and bistros line historic Main Street. Cafe Duet is a coffee shop with a garden-covered patio, and Farmhouse on Main Street is a popular rustic environment for brunch. Sarah Street Grill offers a mixed menu from burgers to sushi, and The Renegade Winery is a stop on the Pocono Wine Trail. Downtown Stroudsburg hosts Concerts in the Square, a live music series each Thursday night from June through August. “I feel like there’s an event happening downtown every weekend,” Weidenbaum says.
Outdoor recreation from the Poconos to community parks
Outdoor enthusiasts have access to a variety of green spaces, from smaller town parks and trails to nationally known mountain destinations. About 15 miles west of Arlington Heights, the Poconos offers all-season adventures, from miles of hiking trails through the area’s natural landscape to indoor amenities like the Great Wolf Lodge and Mount Airy Casino. And when snow falls, Camelback Ski Resort attracts a winter sports crowd. “We’re also near the Jersey border, so there’s the Delaware River recreation area with lots of hiking trails and spots to kayak,” Weidenbaum says. “From the Poconos to the Delaware, it’s all within 15 to 20 minutes in either direction.”
Community parks are generally populated on the east side of Arlington Heights. Albertson Park offers a playground and a pond that freezes in the winter and becomes an ice hockey rink. Nearby, Dansbury Park also has a playground, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, skate park, and athletic fields and courts. “You can also access the Levee Loop Trail from there, which follows along a creek and a big levee,” Weidenbaum adds. “It’s very picturesque. We have a big cycling community here in Stroudsburg, so you’ll find a lot of biking trails throughout the town.” The Levee Loop Trail ends at Yetter Park, which offers disc golf. Residents can access the Appalachian Trail from the south side of the community. Also just south of town is the public Glen Brook Golf Club.
Ranch-style homes and Colonial Revivals make up Arlington Heights
While Stroudsburg locals flock to Arlington Heights for shopping and dining needs, the area is mostly made up of residential homes. Some properties sit along the two-lane roads that wind through the community, separated from the street by meticulous landscaped and hardscaped front lawns. Others are populated off the main roads, tucked into quiet subdivisions or hidden behind a canopy of oak, maple and pine trees. In addition to ranch-style houses and Colonial Revivals, buyers can also find cozy cottages and the rare rustic farmhouse that has seen renovations since its original early-1900s build. Prices generally range from $250,000 for a 1,500-square-foot cottage with three bedrooms and one bathroom to nearly $550,000 for a 5,000-square-foot Colonial-inspired dwelling with six bedrooms and four bathrooms. There are also many parcels of land for sale in the area, from $50,000 for less than a half-acre to $850,000 for nearly 30 acres.
Stroudsburg public schools and nearby East Stroudsburg University
Students in Arlington Heights are part of the Stroudsburg Area School District, which is rated a B-plus by Niche. Learners can begin at Arlington Heights Elementary School before progressing to Stroudsburg Middle School for fifth through seventh grade, and both schools receive a B rating. Students can then move on to Stroudsburg Junior High School, which has a B-minus, before finishing at Stroudsburg High School, which holds a B-plus.
About 3 miles east of town, East Stroudsburg University is a public institution in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university, popular for its Business major offerings, serves about 5,000 undergraduates and 750 graduates each year.
Interstate 80 and the Pocono Pony provide commuting access
Commuters have access to Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 209, which meet and diverge at Arlington Heights’ south side. “Stroudsburg is also just off Route 33, which is another good highway for commuting,” Weidenbaum adds. The Monroe County Transit Authority, also known as the Pocono Pony, is the public bus system that services the town. When traveling to further destinations, residents can fly from Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, about 40 miles south, or Philadelphia International Airport, about 70 miles farther south.
Written By
Mary Beth Greene
