Residential suburb with historic features
Glen Ridge is a historic New Jersey borough with vintage homes and established commuting options to Newark and New York City. Originally farms and woodlands, the Bloomfield Railroad's arrival in 1856 transformed the area into a residential suburb. Over 90 percent of the town sits in a historic district placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Glen Ridge is also easily recognizable by its iconic gaslit street lanterns. “It’s adorably small town,” says Jennifer Ashkinaze, a Realtor with West of Hudson Real Estate, and a resident of Glen Ridge who’s been selling homes here for nearly a decade. “It’s almost like a throwback in a lot of ways.”
Historic colonial-style homes from the $500,000s
In 1987, a local ordinance established the Glen Ridge Historic Preservation Commission to conserve and protect the borough's vintage housing stock. Homebuyers can find 19th-and-20th-century colonial-style and ranch-style houses on medium-sized lots, as well as stately six-and-seven-bedroom properties in a variety of styles. Homes typically include driveways, and some come with dethatched garages. Three-to-four-bedroom single-family homes tend to sell for $500,000 to $800,000, while estates go for $1.5 million to $3 million. There are also a few one-and-two-bedroom condo communities with homes that usually sell for $250,000 to $500,000.
High grades for Glen Ridge Schools
Students may start at Linden Avenue School, which gets a B-plus from Niche, for kindergarten through second grade, before going to Ridgewood Avenue School, which earns an A, for third through sixth grade. They may then attend Glen Ridge High for seventh through 12th grade, which also has an A and boasts a student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1.
Commuting to Newark and NYC
Frequent weekday and limited weekend train service to New York-Penn Station and Hoboken is accessible via the Glen Ridge train station. NJ Transit buses run daily service throughout the neighborhood to and from Newark and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. Those driving into the city or back home to Glen Ridge can take the Garden State Parkway to Route 3 and the Lincoln Tunnel.
Glen Ridge Country Club, Brookdale Park
Glenfield Park is a 20-acre green space with sports fields and courts, a playground and a picnic area. For golfers, the Glen Ridge Country Club has an 18-hole course, pro shop and member dining room. There are also pocket parks spread throughout the borough like Palmer Field with a large, grassy area, baseball diamond, basketball court and playground. Brookdale Park is a 121-acre recreation hub just a mile north of the neighborhood. The park features a 1.5-mile-long paved path, over a dozen sports facilities, a large playground and a fenced dog park.
Glen Ridge events throughout the year
Fitzgerald's 5K Lager Run takes place in the summer, with proceeds going to the Glen Ridge Community Fund. There’s also The Ashenfelter 8K Classic, which takes place on Thanksgiving morning and is organized by the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation. The borough celebrates Memorial Day with a parade and service at Ridgewood Avenue School. Holiday celebrations include an egg hunt in the spring, a pumping hunt in October and a municipal tree lighting in December. Just a mile north in Brookdale Park is a free summer concert series, fireworks shows and cultural festivals.
Shopping and dining near Glen Ridge
With its limited shopping and dining, residents have to leave the neighborhood for general needs. A large retail complex is close by with a Super Foodtown grocery store. Other grocery chains like Whole Foods Market and ShopRite can be found about a mile away from the borough. Fitzgerald's 1928 is the only restaurant and bar in Glen Ridge, occupying a historic building from the early 20th century. “It’s like ‘Cheers,’” says Ashkinaze. “You walk in, and you always know somebody.”
Written By
Logan Soter-Reardon
Photography Contributed By
Sean Madden
