Safety and space highlight this community-orientated neighborhood
Just 48 miles west of New York City and 43 miles west of Newark sits Peapack and Gladstone, a spacious neighborhood where residents enjoy safety, space and a friendly community. Those who settle in Peapack and Gladstone stick around for the excellent schools, dynamic parks and impressive restaurants. “Peapack and Gladstone is a gorgeous little place,” Peter Engelmann, a Realtor with Weichert Realtors and long-time resident, says. “You almost don’t need a key to your house here.” The community comes together for events at Liberty Park. “It’s a very close neighborhood, everyone knows everyone,” says Kevin Yento, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty who has sold multiple homes in the neighborhood.
From ranch-style homes to stately mansions and estates
Once two separate villages, the borough of Peapack and Gladstone is known for its stately mansions, historic homes, estates, well-preserved colonial and Georgian-style houses and more modest ranch-style homes. Many homes have well-landscaped lawns along lush, tree-lined streets. Prices range from $500,000 for a small, 2-bedroom cottage to $5.8 million for a 6-bedroom, 12-bathroom spacious estate on 13 acres. Getting in the neighborhood isn’t cheap, as the median home price is over $1 million. Peapack and Gladstone prides itself on the neighborhood's safety, which shows that the CAP Index gave the neighborhood a Crime Score of 1 out of 10, significantly lower than the national average. The neighborhood was given a 0 out of 100 for its Walk Score, so residents rely on cars to get around.
Excellent public and private school options
Local kids are assigned to attend the Somerset Hills Regional School District, including Bedwell Elementary, which earned an A grade from Niche. From there, students move on to Bernardsville Middle School, where they can discover their passions and interests by participating in sports like cross country, soccer, baseball, and softball or clubs like drama, robotics and newspapers. Bernardsville Middle earned an A-minus grade from Niche. In 9th grade, students would move on to the highly regarded Bernards High School, which boasts Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep as an alumna and offers students a wealth of classes like architectural drafting, woodworking and popular music in American history. Bernards High has an overall A-plus grade from Niche, including an A-plus for teachers and an A for academics and college preparation. Families who prefer private education can send their children to Far Hills Country Day School or The Willow School for Pre-K through eighth grade, which earned A and A-minus grades, respectively.
NJ Transit Rail access from Peapack Station
Residents in Peapack and Gladstone are 48 miles from Manhattan, 33 miles from Newark and 43 miles from Hoboken. Commuters can also use the NJ Transit Rail system to head in that direction from the Peapack Station off Holland Avenue. Newark Liberty International Airport is 33 miles away. Hunterdon Medical Center is 20 miles away.
From Ninety Acres to Café Azzuro
Ninety Acres is an upscale farm-to-table restaurant on the estate's property. Customers can order homemade pasta, monkfish or rabbit after choosing a glass or bottle from the extensive wine list. The Gladstone Tavern, which sits inside a 19th-century farmhouse, serves cocktails, appetizers and various entrees like wine-braised lamb shank. Cafe Azzuro offers Italian delicacies like spaghetti carbonara and veal saltimbocca. “The restaurant is super well run,” Engelmann says. “The food is always perfect, and it has wonderful outdoor seating.” Residents can head to Kings Food Market in Bedminster, outside the neighborhood, for groceries.
Liberty Park, a community staple
Liberty Park has a gazebo, benches, picnic tables and walking trails. Peapack and Gladstone are also home to many horses at farms, as well as the United States Equestrian Team training site. If horses aren’t residents’ thing, residents could join two private clubs: the Essex Fox Hounds, a fox-hunting club and Essex Hunt Club, a winter recreational organization with an ice rink for figure skating and hockey. On the grounds of a former 500-acre estate, with the mansion intact, Natirar Park has miles of scenic trails that wind through woodlands, open fields and along the Raritan River (which conveniently Natirar is Raritan spelled backward). Visitors can become members of The Club at Natirar, a private membership where members can dip in the pool or hit the tennis courts. A resort and spa within the mansion, which was once the home of the King of Morocco, is expected to open in 2024.
Active recreation committee for community events
“We have an active recreation committee with paid reps that run all sorts of events,” Engelmann says. “Some of the more notable events include Art in the Park, Concerts in the Park, and movie nights for the children.” These community events typically take place at Liberty Park.
Pair of country clubs
A pair of country clubs are in the neighborhood: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and Hamilton Farm Golf Club. Both clubs are for members only, and both offer 36 golf holes.
