With seven parks, two community centers and a municipal pool, recreation abounds in Maplewood. From Golf at the Maplewood Country Club to tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, paddle tennis courts and bocce ball at Memorial Field or one of the many other playing fields throughout town. The South Mountain Reservation on the edge of town offers an additional 2000 acres of open space for hiking and communing with unspoiled nature.
Maplewood Village offers several cafes and restaurants, retail stores, Kings grocery store and a movie theater. It’s truly a one stop shopping experience. Maplewood is also only minutes from South Orange and Millburn-Short Hills offering the renowned Mall at Short Hills, restaurants and upscale boutiques.
Maplewood is conveniently only 24 miles of Manhattan and about 6 miles west of Newark Liberty International Airport. Several major interstates, including Interstate 78, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway are less than five minutes away and offer easy access to the surrounding towns and cities.
Maplewood Neighborhoods
Built primarily in first few decades of the 20th century, home styles in Maplewood are predominantly traditional, consisting of Colonials, Tudors, Victorians and Arts and Crafts. Neighborhoods in Maplewood are named after the neighborhood grade school, Jefferson (or Jefferson-Marshall), South Mountain, Tuscan, Clinton and Seth-Boyden. The center of town, along Maplewood Avenue, divides the neighborhoods with Jefferson and South Mountain to the west and Tuscan, Clinton and Seth-Boyden to the east.
Jefferson is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Maplewood and it is also the most expensive. Stately homes and broad, tree-lined streets most of which are within walking distance to Maplewood Village and NYC trains are hallmarks of this prestigious neighborhood. Home prices range from $600,000-$1,500,000.
South Mountain is an upscale neighborhood of Maplewood offering stately homes in a quiet setting. Located northwest of the Jefferson section, South Mountain is nestled mountainside among mature trees and while most streets are not within walking distance to the Village, Maplewood Jitney stops are throughout the neighborhood. Homes prices range from $650,000-$1,300,000.
Washington Park in South Mountain is a quiet enclave located off of Ridgewood Road. Upscale homes, manicured properties and unique architecture on winding road make this a charming neighborhood to call home. Home prices range from $750,000-$1,200,000.
The Tuscan section, located east of Prospect Street on both sides of Springfield Avenue, offers a diverse range in homes. The desirable Golf Island area of Tuscan is located north of Springfield Avenue. Smaller and more affordable homes are located south of Springfield Avenue. Home prices run the gamut from $300,000-$900,000.
Golf Island within Tuscan is a quiet enclave surrounded by Maplewood Country Club’s golf course in the Tuscan School district. Many homes here back to the golf course or have views of its manicured lawns, but all enjoy the serenity of this private neighborhood which is only a few blocks from Maplewood Village, NYC trains, Maplewood Library and Memorial Field. Home prices range from $500,000-$800,000.
The Clinton section provides wonderful smaller priced homes with some streets within walking distance to the South Orange train station and the Maplewood Jitney stops throughout the neighborhood. Home Prices range from $350,000-$650,000.
The Seth-Boyden section is located in the most eastern part of Maplewood east of Boyden Avenue and on both sides of Springfield Avenue. This up and coming neighborhood is known for moderately priced, smaller homes. Home prices range from $250,000-$500,000.
Maplewood Gardens garden apartments, located off Boyden Avenue, offer units of various sizes and prices. Single floor units and townhouse units are available and prices range from $150,000-$275,000.
The Top (hi-rise) and The Newstead (low-rise) are located on Orange Avenue just above South Orange Village. Both are luxury condominiums elevator buildings with concierge services. The Top offers views of New York City. Both provide valet garage parking, 24-hour doorman, pools, gyms and storage facilities. Units range from one to three bedrooms and feature kitchens with top of the line appliances, parquet floors, balconies, marble baths, washer and dryer and walk-in closets. Prices range from $350,000-$1,200,000.
Commuting
Commuting to NYC is a breeze from Maplewood, NJ. The express trains are just 22 minutes into Penn Station. You must be a resident of Maplewood and have a Maplewood parking permit to park on the designated streets in town. The permit is currently $210 per year. If you want to add in the jitney (from convenient spots/corners in Maplewood) the cost is $225 for a combination permit.
Education
Maplewood shares a common public school system with neighboring South Orange. There are six elementary schools in the district, four of which are in Maplewood and two middle schools, one of which is in Maplewood while Columbia High School serves both communities. Acclaimed Columbia High School has been named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education and active parent and teacher organizations support all the schools in the district.
Elementary schools have up to date facilities that include computer and Internet access in all schools and modern media and technology centers. Special education services begin with pre-K programs and strong support program is available for students needing additional assistance while gifted enrichment programs are available to 4th and 5th graders. Students can attend their local school, but they also have the option of applying to attend the Seth Boyden Demonstration School, the district’s staff development and best practices center, which offers innovative teaching techniques. After-school programs are also available throughout the district to meet the needs of families that require extended child supervision.
Students in Maplewood attend elementary school for grades K-5. Students in the Jefferson district attend Marshall School in the Montrose section of South Orange for K-2 and Jefferson School on Ridgewood Road for grades 3-5. Students are bused accordingly. The South Mountain School district is likewise divided between two school buildings, both within South Orange. The South Mountain Elementary Annex, located in the Newstead section, serves K-1 and the Upper School, located on South Orange Avenue, serves grades 2-5. Students at Tuscan, Clinton and Seth-Boyden schools attend all grades, K-5, in the same building.
Maplewood Middle School and South Orange Middle School serve grades 6 through 8. There is an emphasis not only on the academic, but also on guiding students socially to prepare them for high school. Along with well-structured academics, middle school students also take part in character-building programs and community activities.
Columbia High School was founded in 1885, is rich in history and has been recognized nationally for academic excellence and for offering a wide range of elective courses and extracurricular activities. Columbia offers a strong college preparatory curriculum, with 24 AP offerings and five or more Columbia High School seniors are usually selected as National Merit Semi-Finalists each year. Over 90% of graduates pursue further education and many are accepted to attend some of the best universities in the country including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
Extracurricular activities range from a championship athletic program to an award winning literary magazine and student newspaper to a chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America. There’s a mock trial team, a state-champion chess team, a cable TV station and many music and drama groups.
Cultural Activities
There is a pervasive appreciation for arts and culture in Maplewood. There is a local Cultural Center where community theater productions are performed as well as a strong network of groups and social organizations dedicated to pursuing every hobby and interest. Whether you want to volunteer, do charitable work or find people that share your hobbies, Maplewood is a town with a real sense of community and strong civic involvement.
With its historic preservation activities and community rehabilitation projects that are always ongoing, as well as responsive city government, attractive businesses, excellent schools and friendly residents, it’s no wonder Maplewood continues a tradition that for more than two centuries has offered one of the finest places in the whole country to call home.
Maplewood’s location allows easy access to arts and cultural events in the area including theater at Millburn’s Papermill Playhouse and the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival at Drew University in Madison. Cultural activities can also be found at the nearby South Orange Performing Arts Center, New Jersey Center for Performing Arts in Newark and museums in Morristown and Montclair.