The city of Summit, population 19,612, is atop the second Watchung Mountain. During the Revolutionary War, Summit played a pivotal role due to its higher elevation. Today, there are several local historians who help maintain the proud history of this lovely city.
The railroad spurred the development of a town center, complete with luxury hotels. One, the Blackburn House, built in 1868 on Springfield Avenue was reconstructed in 1929 as the Summit Suburban Hotel, then renovated in 1986 and renamed the Grand Summit Hotel. Today, it caters to executives visiting corporations in Summit and nearby.
Single-family homes range in price from the low $200’s, for a smaller split-level up to $2.5 million for a beautiful, large, center hall colonial situated on one of north Summit’s distinctive tree-lined streets. There is also a large selection of condos, many situated in comfortable old buildings, within walking distance of downtown, and some in conveniently located younger developments.
Schools are a major attraction in Summit with 89% of graduates going on to higher education. There are five elementary schools, Summit Middle School and Summit High School, as well as various private schools.
Summit has 496 acres of green space. Memorial Field has a baseball field, two softball diamonds, two soccer fields, two basketball courts, a playground, an outdoor roller skating rink and eight tennis courts spread out over 25 acres.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a 12-acre city-owned facility that is operated by a private foundation without local tax support which offers extensive child and adult nature education programs and there is an Olympic-size municipal pool. There are various cultural events including the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, which has 20th Century art galleries and daily classes.
The center of Summit offers fine small shops and excellent shopping, which many find to be welcome alternative to mall shopping, which is also nearby. Summit has several popular restaurants catering to a variety of tastes.
One of downtown Summit's many amenities, the Promenade, was a gift of the Summit Area Development Corporation, a nonprofit group dedicated to providing aesthetic public improvements in and around Summit.
Summit is 22 miles from Manhattan, 45 minutes by NJ Transit train or Lakeland bus.
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