SOUTH ORANGE – RICH IN HISTORY AND CHARACTER
South Orange is a beautiful suburban community with just under 17,000 residents living in an area of approximately 2.8 square miles. Located in Essex County and east of New Jersey’s South Mountain, the town is distinguished by its gas lamp street lighting. Rich in history that dates back to 1869, residents enjoy an active lifestyle with a large business district and many restaurants. It is conveniently located only 35 minutes away from New York City and serviced by Midtown Direct.
In the most recent niche.com survey, South Orange received A+ ratings overall and in the category Good for Families. A bustling, walkable South Orange downtown is punctuated with historical landmarks, excellent cuisine, and trendy shops. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is in the heart of the downtown and not far from the Stone House, the oldest building in the village and built in 1680. A brownstone mansion built by William Redmond is now used by the Orange Lawn Tennis Club, and the Village Hall, the most distinct landmark, is typically seen in photographs of the town.
The varied architecture in South Orange is stunning with many of the homes dating back to the 1800s. There are Tudors, Victorians, and Grand Colonial Revivals. One of the nicest areas is Montrose Park which is listed on both the state and federal Registries of Historic Places.
In June 2011, South Orange was featured in a New York Times article, The Love for One Orange.
EXCELLENT SCHOOLS
South Orange shares a school district with Maplewood. The district has six elementary schools, two middle schools, Columbia High School, and an early childhood center.
COMMUTING OPTIONS
South Orange has a stop on the Midtown Direct train line, buses to New York City and a convenient Jitney Bus Service to shuttle residents to the train station.
PARKS & RECREATION
South Orange residents enjoy the adjacent South Mountain Reservation as well as beautiful Monte Irvin Orange Park with its original Olmstead-designed landscape.
SCHOOLS
Families that live in South Orange send their children to the combined School District of South Orange & Maplewood. In 2016, there were close to 7000 students enrolled ranging from pre-K to 12th grade. In addition to the excellent education, there is a Beyond the Bell program offering numerous enrichment classes after school. These classes range from writers' workshops to cooking classes and yoga. In the most recent niche.com survey, the South Orange & Maplewood school district was rated #44 in New Jersey. Overall, the schools received an "A" rating and an A+ in the category of College Prep. One notable distinction in the niche.com survey is that the School District of South Orange & Maplewood was ranked #55 in New Jersey in the category of Districts with the Best Teachers in New Jersey.
For complete information on the School District of South Orange & Maplewood, visit the district website and our Schools page.
COMMUTE
South Orange has a convenient stop on the Midtown Direct train line. Residents traveling into New York City have a 35 to 45-minute train ride. There is also NJ Transit bus service from South Orange to New York Port Authority, and the convenient Jitney Bus service shuttles residents to the South Orange train station. The Jitney Bus operates four different routes, and there are also numerous commuter parking options for people who prefer to drive to the train station.
Depending upon traffic, commuters can drive from South Orange into New York City in under an hour. The Garden State Parkway does have tolls as do the tunnels into the City.
For more specific information on commuting from South Orange, New Jersey, see our Commuting page. Also, for convenience, see the South Orange interactive Jitney bus service map below so you can look at the location of a home relative to the existing route.
South Orange, NJ Jitney Service Bus Route [Click the Interactive Map]
PARKS & RECREATION
South Orange is rich in parkland and recreational options. Cameron Field has baseball and softball fields as well as a swimming pool and playground. The Duck Pond at the corner of Meade Street and North Ridgewood Road is encircled by a lovely walking trail, and visitors enjoy the resident ducks and geese in the spring and summer months. Carter Park is known for its children's playground, and of course, South Orange is adjacent to the South Mountain Reservation. The Reservation has over 2100 acres of land and is a nature preserve. The Rahway River winds through the Reservation and residents from South Orange and nearby towns enjoy the trails, footbridges and the stunning 25-foot Hemlock Falls waterfall.
The Wildflower Sculpture Park and Wildflower Preserve are two unique attractions in the South Mountain Reservation. Each spring, residents look forward to the new sculptures added to the Park. The 14-acre Wildflower Preserve is a myriad of plants and flowers, and for pet lovers, there is a wonderful dog park with areas for both large and small breeds.
TIME OFF
Winner of New Jersey Monthly's Hot Town Showdown in September 2017, South Orange has a trending, bustling downtown with great food and a huge variety of activities. In the heart of the downtown is the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) with world-class theater performances, music, and the occasional poetry reading. If you prefer to be outdoors, the Downtown After Sundown summer concert series brings music to the South Orange Village Center. In October, there is a Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival in Seton Village with live music and an incredible lineup of food trucks, and for the first time in 2017, a Diwali Fest.
If international cuisine is your passion, South Orange is a great place to dine. The ever-popular Falafel-ly Yours serves up Moroccan food, and other foodie favorites include Walia for Ethiopian, Grid Iron Waffle Shop for waffles and Boccone South for Italian fare. If you're in a hurry, the Blue Moon Diner has quick eats and a fun, artsy mural painted on the outdoor brick.
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