Maplewood

Location | Commute

Maplewood is around 20 miles west of lower Manhattan. New Jersey Transit (Morris & Essex line) trains go directly to New York’s Penn Station in about 35 minutes and NJ Transit buses run direct to Port Authority in about 50 minutes. For those who don't live within close distance of the train and don't want to park at the train station, a shuttle that costs around $90 for the year and picks up in the more residential parts of the town.

Schools

Maplewood is part of the unified South Orange-Maplewood School District, together with the neighboring community of South Orange. The student-teacher ratio is 14:1, and more than 90 percent of Columbia High School graduates plan to attend college each year. According to Niche, Maplewood/South Orange has an overall rating of an A- and is ranked as the #7 best school district in Essex County.

The School District of South Orange and Maplewood serves more than 6,800 students in nine schools, including six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. The six elementary schools serve grades K-5 — Seth Boyden, Clinton, Jefferson, Marshall, South Mountain and Tuscan. Maplewood Middle School and South Orange Middle School serve grades 6–8 and Columbia High School grades 9-12.

Activities | Recreation | Arts

At the center of Maplewood is Memorial Park which includes 25 acres of ball fields, picnic areas, tennis courts and playground. Here is where the town’s annual Maplewoodstock, a two-day music and art festival, takes place each July. Another popular summer spot is the Maplewood Community Pool, open to residents through a paid membership. The South Mountain Reservation, a 2,047-acre county park that is partly in Maplewood, has a zoo, an ice skating arena, a dog park, about 20 miles of paths and 27 miles of carriage roads. The town has two libraries, and a weekly farmer’s market runs from June through October.

Dickens Village is a festive gift from the business community to the local residents and visitors. Horse-drawn carriage rides, carolers, concerts, refreshments, children’s activities, and more – all help carry on this treasured community tradition that opens in December and runs every Saturday until Christmas.

Fun fact: Maplewood is the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee - invented in Maplewood in 1968 by students at Columbia High School and the wooden golf tee, invented by William Lowell at the Maplewood Golf Club which is also situated in the center of town.

Dining | Shopping

When you step off the train in Maplewood, you immediately get a feel for the artistic community vibe of town by way of the murals and mosaics featured in the stations underground passage. You will find biannual art shows, art-centric community centers & private businesses, including the Burgdorff Cultural Center, The Woodland, Studio B, Acting with Emily, Geralynn’s Art studio, and more.

The township’s downtown area alternatively known as "the village" or "Maplewood Center" is home to a movie theater, several beloved upscale and mid-scale restaurants, a resident owned bakery “Able Baker” a Kings supermarket and destination boutique shops. The towns’ community-oriented independent bookstore is host to many events and well-known authors. {Words}, founded by Maplewood residents Jonah & Ellen Zimiles, provides a comfortable and personal atmosphere and strives to “help Maplewood become a model community of inclusion through our treatment of differently abled customers and employees, especially those with autism”.

South Orange

Location | Commute

South Orange commuters can travel to NY via New Jersey Transit by two different train lines; The Morristown Line and The Gladstone Branch line. The Morristown Line, aka the "Midtown Direct", which provides service to Penn Station 34th Street without any transfers and in a commute time of about 38 minutes.The Gladstone Branch line provides service to Hoboken with 2 direct trains into Penn Station 34th Street. In Hoboken, one can connect to either the PATH or Light Rail along with Ferry access via the Waterway.

The 107 New Jersey Transit bus line also provides direct service into the city, taking 48 minutes to get to the Port Authority. During non-commuting hours, the drive into the city, via Route 280, can take as little as 25 minutes.

Schools

South Orange is part of the unified South Orange-Maplewood School District, together with the neighboring community of Maplewood. The student-teacher ratio is 14:1, and more than 90 percent of Columbia High School graduates plan to attend college each year. According to Niche, Maplewood/South Orange has an overall rating of an A- and is ranked as the #7 best school district in Essex County.

The School District of South Orange and Maplewood serves more than 6,800 students in nine schools, including six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. The six elementary schools serve grades K-5 — Seth Boyden, Clinton, Jefferson, Marshall, South Mountain and Tuscan. Maplewood Middle School and South Orange Middle School serve grades 6–8 and Columbia High School grades 9-12.

Activities | Recreation | Arts

Outdoor activities include a community pool that charges residents about $35 a year to join; the Orange Lawn Tennis Club, which was founded in 1880, has 10 grass and 10 artificial-turf courts, hiking and biking trails in the South Mountain Reservation, and a 2,000-acre preserve that also has a dog park run by the county.

The Baird, located in Meadowland Park, is the center for the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Most of the department's programs are housed in The Baird or in adjoining Meadowland Park. The center offers arts programs, including the Pierro Gallery of South Orange, The Theater on 3, and other arts spaces, along with preschool and other educational, arts and recreational programming. The departments programming celebrates and features local and regional artists through art exhibits, classes, hosted discussions, performances and festivals adding to the depth of the South Orange experience.

Year round organized sports, fitness & wellness programs are plentiful and bring residents, from youth to seniors, together in celebratory and recreational activities at all times throughout the year.

The South Orange River Greenway is currently under construction. The River Greenway will be a promenade for residents that will connect part of West Third Street in South Orange with West Parker Avenue in Maplewood. Several buildings will be removed near the South Orange Department of Public Works facility to make way for the River Greenway. Fishing and canoeing is available on the spring-fed Rahway River.

Dining | Shopping | Arts

Opened in 2006, the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a regional destination offering music, theater, dance, comedy and visual art in its 415-seat auditorium, as well as a five-screen movie theater and sits as a modern anchor in the middle of town. SOPAC is one of the many reasons, South Orange was the winner NJ Monthly’s 2017 “Hot Town Showdown”.

The town center has a mix of eclectic restaurants and one-of-a-kind stores. An upscale grocery store, Ashley market, has taken over the site that once housed a ShopRite supermarket and a popular rooftop restaurant, Above is a draw in the warmer months.