Washington Township Bergen

The Township of Washington, roughly six miles from the state border, is located in the Pascack Valley of Bergen County. The township, named after George Washington, fosters a close-knit community thanks to its local businesses and robust recreational programs.

When peak fall hits, the trees change their leaves, coating the township with reds, oranges and yellows. These trees, dotted along most residential streets, providing shade to sidewalk walkers, lead residents to their homes. Besides nature beautifying the residential streets, well-maintained yards are a sense of pride for the residents of the Township of Washington. Most residents live in split-levels, colonials and ranch-style homes. "This town is great for young families and first-time homeowners," says Samantha Palazzolo-Perini, a licensed real estate salesperson at Compass. And, unlike in most recent years, while the township's market is still robust, there is not as "the simple difference from this year to last year is instead of seeing 25 offers, we may most likely see five on a new listing," Palazzolo-Perini says. Most houses that hit the market in the Township of Washington fall somewhere in the $700,000s. However, you can find three bedrooms for around $550,000 and five bedrooms for roughly $850,000.

Neighborhood children can attend kindergarten through the 12th grade at the Westwood Regional School District, which serves students from the Township of Washington and Westwood. Students can begin their educational journeys at one of four elementary schools, including Jessie F. George Elementary School, which has an overall B-plus rating from Niche. For middle school, all students attend Westwood Regional Middle School. The middle school has earned an overall A-minus rating from Niche and has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1. High schoolers attend Westwood Regional High School, which is ranked in the top 25 of best public high schools in Bergen County. Westwood Regional High School has also earned an overall A-minus rating from Niche. The district takes pride in local students who make the honor roll, displaying their names prominently to the entire township.

Speaking of little ones, the township offers a robust recreational sports program, including baseball, softball, football, cheerleading and soccer. On the weekends, you will find sports fields at the various township parks packed with games and roaring fans from the sidelines. One such park is Clark Field, where kids can hit a home run in a little league game, while others shoot hoops with friends. Memorial Field hasa field for nearly every sport. Enjoy snacks from the concession stand under the covered picnic pavilion. In the township's center, you will find Schlegel Lake, commonly called Washington Lake. Owned by the Washington Lake Association, members can enjoy fishing, boating, and picnics on this man-made lake.

Right next to the lake is township's downtown area. Here, you can fill up your fridge with groceries from The Fresh Grocer, pick up prescriptions at Rite Aid and grab your dry cleaning. After running errands, relax with a cold brew and a burger from The Dog House Saloon. For dinner, enjoy a craft cocktail at Bacari Grill. Choose from sushi, brick oven pizzas, steakhouse cuts or traditional Italian entrees for your meal.

"If you have to commute into New York City, this is a prime area for you to be able to do that," says Realtor Bob Dzienis of eXp Realty. New Jersey Transit trains run from the neighboring Westwood to Manhattan via Hoboken and the Secaucus Junction. Township of Washington residents can also take an NJ Transit bus from Westwood, which offers direct trips into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Residents can also hop on the Garden State Parkway, which cuts through the township.

Written By

Jess Nocera

Photography Contributed By

Joseph DiBlasi

Video By

Matt Pangman