Far Hills is an elite community west of Newark
About 30 miles west of Newark, Far Hills is an esteemed residential community where large estates on rolling hills list with million-dollar-plus price tags. "It's a beautiful town with rolling hills and mountains and lakes," says Realtor Lee M. Opperman with Coldwell Banker Realty, who's completely transparent that the town is only occupied by the wealthy. "Far Hills is very, very old money," he says. "It's a unique situation. It's a very small community, and it's very private. People that live there tend to stay there, and people that leave tend to leave their homes to their heirs."
Large estates on rolling hills
Far Hills has mostly single-family homes with a few townhouse options. Palatial multi-acre luxury estates are common and sometimes feature resort-style amenities. Traditional, Colonial Revival and Cape Cod architecture are standard, though French, farmhouse and ranch-style homes can be found as well. Most sales prices in the neighborhood fall between $1 and $3 million, but prices can sometimes climb as high as $10 million.
Highly rated private and public schools
"Far Hills doesn't have its own school, so a lot of the kids in Far Hills go to private schools," Opperman says. "Not a lot of Far Hills kids go to public schools." Far Hills is home to Far Hills Country Day School, a private K-8 school with an A-plus rating from Niche. Parents wanting their children to attend public school can send them to schools in Bernards Township School District, which gets an overall A-plus grade from Niche. They can start at the A-rated Liberty Corner Elementary before continuing to the A-rated William Annin Middle School and the A-plus-rated Ridge High School. Students at Ridge High School can take dual enrollment courses with Kean University, William Paterson University, Seton Hall University, and Raritan Valley Community College.
A scenic garden, the Far Hills Fairgrounds and the Far Hills Race Meet
Far Hills is home to Leonard J. Buck Garden, a picturesque 33-acre rock garden with ponds, streams and a variety of colorful plant life. At the Far Hills Fairgrounds, residents visit Atlantic Visiting Nurse's biannual rummage sales to raise money for the uninsured. The fairgrounds also hosts an annual Easter egg hunt and is enjoyed year-round for its basketball courts, swing set and fishing access on the Raritan River. The Far Hills Race Meeting attracts 75,000 visitors annually as one of the country's premier steeplechase horse race venues. Founded in 1875, the Far Hills Race Meeting today has the highest purses in the country for the sport.
Dining options in nearby Bedminster
Less than half a mile down the road, Bedminster has several dining options. Pizza Brothers is a casual local chain that serves Italian takeout and delivery. Delicious Heights is an upscale American tavern serving sandwiches, salads and other entrees. Trattoria Mediterranea is a family-owned Italian restaurant beloved by locals for its food and service alike. Three miles away, Ninety Acres is an upscale farm-to-table restaurant on a large estate with a lengthy wine list. Residents can buy groceries 3 miles away at The Fresh Market or Kings in Bedminster.
The Far Hills train station connects to Newark and New York City
Interstate 287 and U.S. Route 202 run through Far Hills, connecting the community to Newark, 31 miles east, and New York City, 41 miles east. Far Hills has a train station that offers NJ Transit routes to both destinations. "You're probably not living in Far Hills if you work in Manhattan every day, but it works if you work in Manhattan every once in a while," Opperman says. When traveling out of town, the closest airport is Newark. The nearest medical center to Far Hills is Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, 11 miles south.
