Glen Ridge is a residential community approximately 1/6 the size of its “sister town,” Montclair. Glen Ridge is most known for its strong public school system as well as the 667 gas lamps that light the town’s tree-lined streets. There are approximately 2,200 houses in the 1.5 square miles that make up Glen Ridge, bordering the towns of Bloomfield, Montclair, Orange and East Orange.
Glen Ridge has a rich architectural heritage dating back to the late 1800s when the town was one of the first to employ a professional town planner. Several famous architects have left their thumbprints in town, most notably Frank Lloyd Wright, Stanford White and John Russell Pope.
Commuting residents utilize NJ Transit via the town train station, offering both midtown direct and Hoboken destinations. A jitney bus is available to shuttle residents back and forth to the station. The 35-minute commute to NYC is a top reason why new residents look to move to town. Another is the strong public school system, typically ranked in the top 10% in the state. There are 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 1 high school.
Glen Ridge boasts 9 parks with baseball, softball, soccer, football, field hockey and lacrosse fields, plus tennis and platform tennis courts, playgrounds, a street hockey rink as well as a community pool.
With few commercial areas in town, many residents look to Montclair, Bloomfield and other surrounding communities for shopping, restaurants and entertainment. That being said, here are some of my favorite places and things to do in Glen Ridge:
- Stop in for a pint at Fitzgerald’s 1928
- Walk among the roses at Freeman Gardens
- Go for a bike ride down tree-lined Ridgewood Avenue
- Run or cheer for runners in the Annual Ashenfelter 8K “turkey trot” on Thanksgiving Day
Visit these additional resources to learn more about Glen Ridge:
Glen Ridge Public School Info (hyper link to:
http://www.glenridge.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1
Glen Ridge Town Info (hyper link to: http://www.glenridgenj.org/