Ramsey

"Ramsey is a super cute town, with a great downtown area, train line and it's super walkable," says Rhonda Battifarano, a sales partner at The Home Navigators Team at Compass. Battifarano describes Ramsey, a borough of Bergen County, as a mini version of nearby county towns Ridgewood and Glen Rock. 

Many new residents flock to the Ramsey Golf & Country Club to settle down. On the club's residential streets, like the notable Canterbury Drive, Abbey Court and Nottingham Road, you can find more than 550 houses on over 200 acres of land. The country club describes living in a peaceful neighborhood that offers a private setting for families while keeping residents close to Main Street and other nearby shopping destinations. "I feel like it's a popular area to live in. While it's a public course, if you live there, you have to be a country club member," says Battifarano. The club recently renovated its pool and clubhouse area. As an added bonus, parts of the area are within walking distance to downtown, Battifarano says. Homes in the neighborhood range between $750,000 to nearly $2 million. Elsewhere in the borough, you can find penthouse condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes. Older condos can start around $250,000, while newer complexes are in the $500,000s. You can find plenty of architectural styles for anywhere from $500,000 to $2.2 million for single-family residences. 

Neighborhood children can attend the Ramsey Public School District for their entire educational journey. The district divides the youngest learners among Mary A. Hubbard Elementary and Wesley D. Tisdale Elementary for prekindergarten through third grade before all students attend John Y. Dater Elementary for fourth and fifth grade. Children then attend Eric S. Smith Middle and Ramsey High School. Students can also attend Bergen County Techincal Schools. Ramsey High School is highly ranked by Niche, including being in the Top 100 of all New Jersey High Schools in the categories of best public high school, best public high school for athletes and best college prep public high school. Ramsey High School has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1 and has an overall A rating from Niche. 

Every Sunday on Main Street, meet your neighbors at the train station for the Ramsey Farmers Market. You can purchase locally sourced produce, flowers, food and beverages each week. "The Sunday farmers market is awesome," Battifarano says. You can also find so many local restaurants and boutiques on Main Street. There are plenty of cafes, pizza shops and restaurants of varying cuisines like Greek, Italian, Chinese and Thai. Residents love Ramsey Corner Cafe, where you can get omelettes, triple decker sandwiches and wraps. Along where Route 17 splices through Ramsey, there's a ShopRite, multiple car dealerships and big box stores. 

The borough is home to several parks and open green spaces. Thanks to the state's Green Acres protection, roughly 153 acres are permanently preserved as open space. Finch Park is the place to be in Ramsey. Headquarters of the Ramsey Recreation Commission and home to the Ramsey Baseball and Softball Association, there is plenty to do. Kids can romp around the playground before a picnic lunch, or your entire family can play a friendly game of street hockey. Residents can also use the tennis courts and track behind Ramsey High School and the softball fields behind Tisdale Elementary. Cool off from the summer heat at the Ramsey Municipal Pool. Splish and splash in the newly renovated pool and waterslides, or play beach volleyball and basketball with friends. The Ramsey Golf & Country Club, open to the public, has an 18-hole course, swimming pool, tennis courts and playground. 

Ramsey is roughly 30 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Many Ramsey residents hail from New York City thanks to the two train stations providing reasonable commutes in and out of the city. The Main Street station, built in 1868, is the oldest operating passenger station in service in the entire state. Whether you're a New Yorker looking for more space or not, Ramsey has a lot going on that's worth checking out.

Written By

Hannah Rainey

Photography Contributed By

Brendan Rogers

Video By

Jonathan Bradley