Farmingdale blends small-town living with accessibility
Farmingdale is a borough in Howell Township, and the small area is home to 1,500 people. Amy Faherty is an agent partner at Michelle Paise Group with Signature Realty NJ, LLC, and she’s helped clients move into the area. “It feels even more rural than it is,” Faherty says. “It’s definitely spread out with pockets of development. It's a good balance of small-town living and having amenities to not feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.” Residents can walk to restaurants along Main Street, jobs at the warehouses on Southard Avenue or to highly rated schools. And when people need an escape, things like beaches and outlet stores are a short drive away.
In Farmingdale’s early days, it was a collection of two stores, two taverns and about 12 homes in a half square mile. The addition of a successful bank and industrial companies led to a population increase, though the borough never expanded past its half-square-mile boundary. Today, residents live near everything they need, and anything extra is nearby.
Walking past ranch-style homes and newer Craftsmans
Almost all residential streets are lined with sidewalks that lead past ranch-style and split-level homes, though some homes have colonial-inspired designs. Imlay Lane has the newest Crafstman homes, built around 2016, that have sold for $794,000 to $990,000. Most properties in the borough were constructed in the 1960s or 1970s and sold for $500,000 to $695,000. Anything that sells for $435,000 or less likely needs renovations. The yards are moderately sized, and some even have inground pools. Residents in the borough pay slightly higher property taxes than their Howell Township neighbors, but this is balanced by having amenities within walking distance from home.
Top-rated schools in Farmingdale's school district and beyond
Farmingdale has its own school district, so kids attend prekindergarten through eighth grade at Farmingdale Public School, rated B-minus by Niche. The borough and surrounding township are in the Freehold Regional School District. Farmingdale students attend Howell High School, which earns an A-minus. Additionally, the borough is in the Monmouth County Vocational School District, allowing kids to apply to sought-after schools like Biotechnology High School in Freehold. Biotech High has an A-plus rating and prepares students for future careers and college courses.
Main Street features the busy Connie's and Woody's Roadside Tavern
Residents don’t have to go far for a quick bite or to shop. “There are great restaurants, and it’s close to shopping. You’re 10 minutes from the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets,” Faherty says. The borough’s restaurants neighbor each other along Main Street. Connie’s Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, and the diner has room for customers to sit at a table or the counter. Connie’s has been family-owned since 1972. Harvest serves farm-to-table dishes and rotates its menu seasonally to include fresh ingredients. Woody's Roadside Tavern is the place to hang out after work, especially for events like music bingo and trivia nights. The Shop N Bag grocery store is across the street from Farmingdale Pharmacy, while Mercuriosities On Main is a boutique specializing in perfume oils, tea and organic beauty products.
Short drives to Allaire State Park or Manasquan Reservoir
Lutz Park is the only public green space to walk around in the borough, but kids can also hang out at Ed Brown’s Playground near Farmingdale School after class lets out. Farmingdale is surrounded by golf courses, from the public Howell Park Golf Course in the south to the private Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club in the north. Faherty says residents are close to Allaire State Park and the Manasquan Reservoir. Allaire State Park features the Historic Allaire Village, where visitors can learn how the village became an important ironwork community. There are also hiking trails and spots to fish along the Manasquan River. The Manasquan Reservoir is also open to fishing, but visitors can take a kayak or launch a boat onto the water. And for a day at the beach, the shore is a roughly 10-mile drive away.
An hour to Newark but 15 minutes to Freehold
Farmingdale is about 9 miles from Freehold and the Freehold Raceway Mall, a drive that takes roughly 15 minutes. Anyone who needs to visit Newark can use the Garden State Parkway to drive 50 miles north in about an hour. The Garden State Parkway is also a major route to use when visiting New York City, 60 miles north. Farmingdale is halfway between the CentraState Medical Center in Freehold and the HMH Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City. The nearby Monmouth Jet Center is a private executive airport, so residents travel 50 miles to Newark Liberty International Airport. Because Monmouth Jet Center is close to home, residents might occasionally hear planes. The borough’s churches are also along Main Street, like Farmingdale First United Methodist Church.
Farmingdale Memorial Day Parade and Thanksgiving races
Main Street is the busiest road on any given day, but the street comes alive during the Farmingdale Memorial Day Parade. Main Street becomes a parade route and a market full of local vendors. Race car drivers and fans head to the Wall Stadium Speedway every November for the annual Turkey Day Derby.
