About Montclair
About the Montclair, New Jersey Area
Montclair Township, located in Essex County, is 6.3 square miles. Montclair has long highlighted its diversity, a feature that has attracted many to the community. Montclair has attracted many who work for major media organizations in New York City, including The New York Times and Newsweek. A March 11, 2007, posting in the blog Gawker.com listed some of those who work in the media and live in Montclair.
Montclair was the setting for some of the stories in the HBO television series The Sopranos, and many Montclair streets, locations and businesses were featured in the show, such as Bloomfield Avenue.
Shopping
Montclair has six distinct commercial zones:
- Montclair Center, centered on the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue, South Fullerton Avenue, Glen Ridge Avenue and Church Street. This intersection is also known as Six Corners. Montclair Center is the main commercial zone of Montclair and has the largest stores such as furniture stores and large restaurants which are more upscale near the center, which has many restaurants and boutiques. Near the eastern end of this business area is Lackawanna Plaza, a shopping center with about ten stores built inside the former Lackawana railway station. There is a post office one block to the north of this area.
- Upper Montclair in the north of the town, the second largest commercial zone. The center is the intersection of Valley Road and Bellevue Avenue, with surrounding areas as well. The Upper Montclair Business District is home to several restaurants and shops. Unlike many of Montclair's other commercial zones, it has chain stores like Starbucks, Talbots, Williams-Sonoma, Gap, Cold Stone Creamery, Supercuts and CVS. Despite the recession, the area in 2009-2010 saw the opening of several new national and local merchants. Upper Montclair also has both a park, Anderson Park, and a railway station, Upper Montclair, nearby. There is a post office here.
- Watchung Plaza, around the intersection of Watchung Avenue and Park Street. It is home to many "Mom and Pop Stores" and other small businesses and is located on the divide Montclair's two ZIP Codes, 07042 and 07043. Watchung Plaza has its own post office. It is served by the Watchung Avenue train station. Walnut Street, built around the Walnut Street train station. In the Spring, Summer, and Fall it is home to the Montclair Farmer's Market.
- South End, in the south of town, at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Orange Road.
- Valley Road between Chestnut Street and Claremont Avenue. Known locally as "Frog Hollow", this area has some strip-mall style shops on one side of Valley Road, and on the other side window shops with residential apartments on top of them.
Transportation
New Jersey Transit and DeCamp Bus Lines are the providers of public transportation in Montclair. Montclair is considered a commuter town of New York City. The average Montclair commute is 38 minutes each way. 24% of commuters take mass transit, while 59% drive alone. Twelve times more Montclair commuters take mass transit than the national average.
Outdoor Life
Montclair is home to many parks and nature reserves.
In Montclair there are many parks, such as Edgemont Memorial Park, Essex Park, Glenfield Park, Nishuane Park, Erie Park, Tuers Park, Rand Park, Graz Park, Canterbury Park, Watchung Park, Eagle Rock Reservation, Brookdale Park, Anderson Park, Yantacaw Brook Park, the Bonsal Nature Reserve, Mountainside Park, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, and Mills Reservation. There are also many sports fields, some public, like in the parks, or some school owned, like the Essex Park fields or Montclair State University's Sprague Field. In total Montclair has 153.86 acres (0.6226 km2) of township park land spread around 18 parks and 123.76 acres (0.5008 km2) of county park land consisting of five parks.
There are also 18 public tennis courts, four skating rinks (two of which are indoor) and three public swimming pools, which are the Mountainside pool, the Nishuane pool, and the Essex pool.
In Montclair there are many parks, such as Edgemont Memorial Park, Essex Park, Glenfield Park, Nishuane Park, Erie Park, Tuers Park, Rand Park, Graz Park, Canterbury Park, Watchung Park, Eagle Rock Reservation, Brookdale Park, Anderson Park, Yantacaw Brook Park, the Bonsal Nature Reserve, Mountainside Park, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, and Mills Reservation. There are also many sports fields, some public, like in the parks, or some school owned, like the Essex Park fields or Montclair State University's Sprague Field. In total Montclair has 153.86 acres (0.6226 km2) of township park land spread around 18 parks and 123.76 acres (0.5008 km2) of county park land consisting of five parks.
There are also 18 public tennis courts, four skating rinks (two of which are indoor) and three public swimming pools, which are the Mountainside pool, the Nishuane pool, and the Essex pool.
Education
The Montclair Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2010-11 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are seven elementary schools (K-5, except as noted, with enrollment and magnet program listed in parentheses) — Bradford (470 students, Magnet Theme: The University Magnet), Bullock (387, Environmental Science; was Rand), Edgemont (287, Montessori), Hillside (3-5; 615, Gifted and Talented), Nishuane (K-2; 478, Gifted and Talented), Northeast (432, Global Studies) and Watchung (446, Science and Technology) — Glenfield (696, Visual and Performing Arts), Mount Hebron (568, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and Renaissance at Rand (245, Liberal Arts) for grades 6-8, along with Montclair High School (1,948) for grades 9-12.
Montclair is home to Montclair State University, which was originally founded in 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair.
Immaculate Conception High School (coed) and Lacordaire Academy (for girls) operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Montclair is also home to a host of private and parochial schools, including Montclair Kimberley Academy, St. Cassian's School, Virginia Harkness Sawtelle Learning, Maria Montessori Early Learning, Montclair Cooperative School, Trinity Academy and Deron School II.
Montclair is home to Montclair State University, which was originally founded in 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair.
Immaculate Conception High School (coed) and Lacordaire Academy (for girls) operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Montclair is also home to a host of private and parochial schools, including Montclair Kimberley Academy, St. Cassian's School, Virginia Harkness Sawtelle Learning, Maria Montessori Early Learning, Montclair Cooperative School, Trinity Academy and Deron School II.
Community Events
There is always a host of activities to participate and see in Maplewood. For the latest events and festivals you can visit Montclair Township's website.
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