Elegant tudors, majestic center hall colonials, Cape Cod style houses and even strikingly modern homes all make up the distinctive enclave of Short Hills, NJ. A small, truly unique community and one where I have the pleasure of working, it is home to just over 13,000 residents, half the size of many neighboring towns. When people mention the town of Short Hills, you often hear, “That is the place with the Short Hills mall!” Of course, it is; but there are many other defining features of this beautiful town which make it an ideal place to live and raise a family.

Here are 5 things that make Short Hills, NJ so liveable and likeable:

1. The Cora Hartshorn Arboretum

Nestled behind the train station and a block away from Glenwood elementary school lies the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum. With 16 acres and 3 miles of walking trails, it is a lovely outdoor retreat and garden. The Arboretum hosts day trips filled with inquisitive children from neighboring schools, after school classes and a popular summer camp series. Inside the Stone House Education Center, there are many interesting creatures to view and sponsor including turtles, hissing cockroaches, and even a corn snake.

2. School Choices

Short Hills is part of the Millburn Township Public School System. Five elementary schools throughout Millburn and Short Hills feed into one combined middle school. Highly-rated Millburn High School is consistently ranked one of the best high schools in the State. Short Hills is also home to the highly regarded Winston School, a co-educational school for students with language-based learning challenges, and there are other private school options as well such as Saint Rose of Lima Academy and Far Brook School, both offering classes through eighth grade.

Schools are a core component of the homebuying process, which I discussed in 3 Ways Schools Drive New Jersey Homebuyers. For both its private and public school choices, Short Hills gets an A+!

3. Midtown Direct

Short Hills is a commuter haven, a mere 30 minutes from New York City on the Midtown Direct train. Midtown Direct is a New Jersey Transit commuter line, and depending upon the schedule, trains on the Midtown Direct stop in Short Hills, as well as the neighboring towns of Millburn and Summit. Summit is a major station on the line and some of the trains actually start and end at the Summit stop, so there are many trains to choose from during rush hour. With Midtown Direct, Short Hills offers commuters easy access to New York and a quick hop home to the suburbs.

4. The Short Hills Pharmacy

It may seem unusual to mention the local pharmacy when discussing the merits of a town, but the Short Hills Pharmacy somehow manages to maintain a small town, friendly feel while providing all of the services of a larger chain. The pharmacy allows residents to set up an account and have their prescriptions delivered. When you enter the store, you find an interesting array of drugstore items and atypical games, sweets and sundries. When your children are young and ill, a pharmacy that delivers is a lifesaver, and I think the Short Hills Pharmacy is definitely a feature of the town which makes it both liveable and likeable.

5. Gero Park

Most of the communities in northern New Jersey have parks, but Gero Park encompasses a large and beautiful Town Pool, a Par-3 golf course, lighted tennis and basketball courts and ball fields. The Town pool is actually two different pools, an adult size one and a smaller wading pool with a mushroom-like structure that has streams of water coming from it to delight the children. Gero Park also sports a playground and snack bar for families spending long summer days at the pool or watching a Little League game on one of the fields.

If you would like to learn more about the unique community of Short Hills, contact Victoria Carter or call 973.220.3050. I would love to show you around!