09/02/2026
What if your kids could walk downtown with their friends, grab ice cream, and spend the afternoon at the pool over the summer?
That’s a little bit of what life feels like in Ridgewood.
The train is right downtown with NJ Transit service to New York and Hoboken, so the commute is one of the reasons families can actually make the move from the city work.
Ridgewood has strong public schools, lots of academic opportunities, sports, clubs, arts and activities and a community that is really involved.
Walking downtown for coffee. Meeting friends at Van Neste Square. Grabbing dinner after practice. Running into people you know. As kids get older, they start doing more on their own, which gives them that little taste of independence you want them to have in the suburbs.
And then there’s Graydon Pool in the summer. Sandy beach, swim team, lessons and a concession stand.
Great schools, a manageable commute and a town that actually feels like a community.
Would Ridgewood make your short list? Let us know in the comments.
