A former mining community finds its footing as a historic exurb
Ogdensburg is a small exurb 45 miles west of Trenton and 50 miles northwest of New York City, whose history is based on mining materials like iron, zinc and limestone. The neighborhood’s biggest attraction is the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, where visitors can learn about one of the world’s richest zinc ore deposits and then go underground for a tour of a former mine. The museum also holds mineral sales a couple times a year. Inventor Thomas Edison even tried to get in on the boom by founding the Edison Ore-Milling Company. There are some tradeoffs to living in such a quiet, tight-knit and historic place, according to some local Realtors. “Geographically, it’s not that big of a community,” says George Perrone, a Realtor with Century 21 who’s been licensed for over 35 years. “Another thing people may want to be aware of is a comparatively higher tax rate.” But with proximity to a lot of premier outdoor entertainment, especially Lake Mohawk to the south, many homebuyers find the exchange rewarding.
Cohesive aesthetic for Ogdensburg homes
Housing stands out here for two reasons. The spread in prices isn’t wildly divergent, as they are to the south in Sparta. And there’s cohesion among the aesthetics of homes despite the vast difference in construction dates. Boxy multi-story homes from the 1880s mesh with split-levels from the 1980s. Midcentury ranch-style homes are also prevalent, too. Generally, prices range from $300,000 to $500,000 but it’s possible to find a few outlier properties selling for around $600,000. In keeping with the neighborhood’s exurb status, the lots feature front yards, plenty of trees and driveways leading to garages. But it’s not as common to see sidewalks, unless it’s a thoroughfare that many residential areas feed into, like Main Street. Instead of skylines in the distance, rolling hills carve the horizon.
Extensive extracurriculars at Wallkill Valley Regional High
Ogdensburg School teaches pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and receives a B-minus from Niche. The school has a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Students can then move up to Wallkill Valley Regional High, which is also rated B-minus. The school has 16 athletic teams, and other clubs include Mock Trial and Future Business Leaders of America.
Main Street for local travel, Interstate 80 for regional travel
Befitting a small locality, there’s one main thoroughfare in Ogdensburg, and it’s appropriately called Main Street. Running through the middle of the neighborhood, it leads to state Route 23 just 3 miles north. Passaic Avenue is a sizeable east-west route leading to state Route 94, which is just 4 miles west. This puts residents near the junction with state Route 15, the main corridor serving Sparta and putting the area in touch with Interstate 80. Commuters can complete the 50-mile drive to New York City in a little over an hour.
Shopping and dining along Main Street
There’s a quaint collection of eateries and shops along Main Street, giving a real mom-and-pop quality to the neighborhood. Stew ’N Dolly’s Place brings a sports bar atmosphere with beer, billiards and pizza. There are frequent events, too, like trivia night and live music. Flavors get adventuresome at Jade’s, where Afro-Latin items like jerk chicken empanadas are on the menu. Atlantic Manor goes the Portuguese route in a while tablecloth setting. Roughly 3 miles north in Franklin are a pair of grocery store options, side by side: Shop Rite and Walmart. Plenty of other food options fill out this area, including fast-food chains and casual stops like Starbucks.
Immersive nature at Heaters Pond Park
Ogdensburg Municipal Park has open fields, play equipment and baseball fields. If residents want an immersive nature experience, they can head to Heaters Pond Park on the east end. Besides the namesake pond, which is good for fishing and swimming and nonmotorized boating, there are also trails for hiking and picnic areas to explore. Because the park spreads over 100 acres of forested land, it’s also where visitors go to observe wildlife. Lake Mohawk in Sparta, the neighborhood to the south, is a prime regional attraction with a golf course and shopping district attached. Residents can also go to Sparta for Tomahawk Lake Water Park, which is full of water slides. "You can also go skiing at Crystal Springs," says Juliet Lopez, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Integrity, speaking of the resort 7 miles north.
