So, you're considering making the move to Montclair?

Situated in northern Essex County between communities like Glen Ridge and West Orange, some may view Montclair as an overrated commuter town with an expensive lifestyle, dormant social scene and haughty attitude.

But with a population of residents that is passionate about community engagement, neighborhoods that are filled with historic homes and a trendy downtown area with a booming arts and food scene, Montclair might really be worth the hype.

Is the perception of Montclair — a quiet and congested suburb with overpriced homes and uppish residents — the reality? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's your guide to deciding whether Montclair is right for you.

The draw of Montclair

Perception: Despite all of its praise, Montclair is just a congested commuter town with a sleepy social scene and overpriced housing.

Reality: A diverse and bustling hub in North Jersey, Montclair is know for its rich arts, culture and dining scene. The artsy suburb is also home to trendy shops, favors all different types of lifestyles and offers plenty of ways to get involved in the community.

Sometimes referred to as "The Park Slope of New Jersey," Montclair is a trendy and historic suburb in the foothills of the Watchung Mountains. The town spans 6.3 square miles in Essex County and is home to a diverse population of about 40,000 residents, all within about 17 miles of Midtown Manhattan. Given its proximity to New York City, the town is often a popular choice among North Jersey commuters.

"It’s a very diverse community and there’s a lot of community spirit. Also it’s proximity to New York City makes it the best of both worlds," said Jackie Apicella, marketing and events director for the Montclair Center BID and director of Experience Montclair. "We have that New York charm, but we also have the suburban life."

Montclair is broken up into six main districts: Montclair Center, Watchung Plaza, Walnut Street, Valley Road, South End and Upper Montclair. Each of these districts offer their own array of local businesses and restaurants, as well as a variety of different housing styles.

June Raegner, a broker associate with Stanton Company Realtors, said Montclair is unique in that there is not just one type of person that calls the town home. Having these different districts and a variety of neighborhoods lends Montclair to be an appealing place for many different demographics.

"It's not like a lot of these commuter towns that are like Wall Street. There's finance sector people, there's a lot of people in advertising, there's a lot of media people, there's a lot of film production people and there's a lot of writers," she said. "You've always had people who do a lot of different things, which I actually think has really insulated the town in economic downturns."

Similarly, Apicella said that whether you're looking to be in the thick of the town's hustle and bustle, or would prefer a more quiet lifestyle, there's a place in Montclair for you. If you want to be close by to the downtown area and always visit the town's different events, Montclair Center might be your best best. Or if you want an environment that's more relaxed, but still within close distance of the downtown, Upper Montclair could appeal to you.

And despite having residents with so many different lifestyles and interests, Montclair has managed to maintain a close-knit community that prides itself on getting involved in what the town has to offer. Apicella said that when she's out and about in Montclair, it's nearly impossible to not run into someone you know.

"I'll be going out and it's like, 'There's Bob from the shoe store,' and 'Oh, there's Sally who I met at the Jazz Festival,'" she said. "The great part about Montclair is really the community. It's kind of like the whole 'Cheers' thing, like where everybody knows your name."

As for amenities, Montclair is home to supermarkets like Acme, Kings Food Markets and Whole Foods. And while Montclair does not have any major shopping centers, it is full of local businesses in each of its six main districts.

Apicella said that one of the biggest highlights of Montclair is its booming dining scene. Between Michelin-starred chefs, restaurants owned by celebrity chefs and more than 100 spots that offer outdoor dining, she said its impossible to name just how many options are available. To name a few, there's Faubourg, Nami Nori, Masaharu Morimoto, Le Salbuen, Marcel, Ray's Luncheonette, The Corner and much more.

Montclair real estate

Perception: Montclair is an affluent community, so the town must only offer multi-million dollar homes and luxury rentals.

Reality: Montclair is known for being one of North Jersey's priciest suburbs, and therefore housing here is more expensive than other North Jersey towns. But sale and rental prices do vary.

Raegner said that home prices in Montclair have rapidly increased over the last several years. But she noted that potential buyers should keep in mind that this is not a unique issue to Montclair.

"I say this all the time, but it's not just a Montclair problem. It's an east coast and tri-state area problem," she said. "Having these rapidly escalating prices is pricing people out who have been here for generations. It's great that our biggest financial investment is rapidly increasing in value. But as far as it being a healthy dynamic for the town, it's not."

Still, those considering a possible move to Montclair should expect to pay a pretty penny for a home here. The median listing price for a home in Montclair was about $1.15 million in September, according to Realtor.com .

As of mid-October, listing prices range anywhere from $249,000 for a studio condo on Valley Road to as much as $17 million for an eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom estate on Club Way . But a majority of homes listing for sale in Montclair sit in the $600,000 to $1 million price range.

When it comes to the styles of homes available in Montclair, the town is known for having a high supply of historically-significant properties. Expect to see classic architectural styles like Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Tudor, Georgian and Craftsman, as well as homes that feature a mix of these styles.

""We have a lot of different neighborhoods and I would say a majority of our housing stock was built in the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s. So we have amazing architecture," Raegner said. "We have a lot of houses that were built by really interesting and special architects who either lived in Montclair or who did work in Montclair. That's a really neat part about being a realtor here. There's so many cool and special houses."

And if you're someone who isn't looking to permanently settle down quite yet or just prefer renting over owning, there is an abundance of rentals available in Montclair. Raegner said that housing in Montclair is about 35% rentals, which is a higher-than-usual amount for most towns.

These rentals primarily consist of those found in newer luxury buildings — like Two South Willow Apartments, Alister Montclair and Valley & Bloom — or other existing rental communities in Montclair, such as Montclair Gardens, the Whitehall Apartments and Eagle Rock Apartments.

There are rentals sometimes available in multi-family houses as well, but Raegner said that there have been less of these units available over time.

"Montclair is interesting in that there was a big push, I would say in the 70s and 80s, where people took all these huge homes and made them into multi-family homes," Raegner said. "There's been an update to fire code, building code and rent control since then, so we actually do see people buying those and returning them to these enormous single-family homes. That's kind of an interesting dynamic, which is actually a shame because it takes more of the more affordable rentals off the market."

As for pricing, Montclair's town council passed a rent control ordinance in 2022. This ordinance applies to rental units within a building, but excludes single-family homes and owner-occupied housing that contain three or fewer rental units.

Additionally, because of state law, Raegner said this rent control can only apply to buildings that were built within the last 30 years. She said this means that this rent control ordinance does apply to many buildings in Montclair, but will not apply the new luxury rental buildings that are constantly being introduced.

Overall, you can expect to pay anywhere from about $1,600 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on Bay Street to as much as $6,000 for a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Orange Road or $8,000 for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse on Walnut Street .

Activities in Montclair

Perception: Because Montclair is known for its arts and culture scene, the town must be home to mostly music, art and film events.

Reality: In addition to its abundance of arts and culture attractions, the town is also home to thriving local businesses, public parks and a variety of highly-rated restaurants.

Because Montclair is a popular hub for artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creatives, the town is full of attractions for those looking to foster these interests. And most of these can be located in the town's downtown arts district, known as Montclair Center.

The Montclair Art Museum — founded in 1914 and featuring a diverse collection of more than 12,000 works — regularly updates its exhibits, and hosts a variety of workshops and events throughout the year. There's also the Montclair History Center , which stewards three historic houses on Orange Road and showcases the local history.

For theaters, The Claridge — a six-screen theater owned by non-profit Montclair Film — holds screenings of recently-released films and is home to the annual Montclair Film Festival. And for live entertainment, The Wellmont Theater constantly has a calendar full of musical arts, comedy acts and more.

Other arts and culture events in Montclair include the annual Jazz Festival, Light Up Diwali, Walnut Street Fair, Rose Squared Art Show and more. Apicella said the Montclair Center BID often hosts events throughout the year as well, such as the annual fall Art Walk.

"Right now, there's like 100 fall events that happen within Montclair, both big and small. Big means like the Jazz Festival and the Film Festival, but we have zombie walks and a haunted house. We have a winter wonderland in the winter," Apicella said. "We have all sorts of different things throughout the districts."

Montclair is also home to an abundance of green spaces, with approximately 175 acres of parks . This includes Edgemont Memorial Park, Glenfield Park, Anderson Park, Nishuane Park, Mountainside Park and more. You can also visit the Brookdale Park Rose Garden and the Van Vleck House and Gardens, which features an array of brightly colored flowers during the peak blooming months.

The Montclair Public Library — opened in 1893 after the town's residents voted to create a free public library — has two locations open to the public today: the main library branch on S. Fullerton Avenue and the Bellevue Avenue branch. You can enjoy a selection of books, audiobooks, movies and games from these libraries, or participate in clubs, workshops and other events.

You can also explore the shelves of Montclair's two bookstores, Watchung Booksellers and Montclair Book Center, or add a record to your collection at Almost Ready Records. If you're looking for a coffee, you can visit cafes like Paper Plane Coffee Co., Trend Coffee and Tea House, Bluestone Coffee, Eagle Rock Café and Java Love. You can also spend a day looking through the treasures at Jerry's Antiques and Estates.

Commute from Montclair

Perception: Located about 17 miles from Midtown Manhattan, Montclair offers residents a convenient commute to New York City and surrounding North Jersey towns.

Reality: Montclair is known for having a large commuter population, with residents having access to several train stations, bus lines and highways in and around the town.

Montclair is home to, or within close proximity to, several commuting methods, making it an ideal town for those who have to regularly commute to New York City and nearby North Jersey towns. In fact, Montclair has consistently ranked as one of New Jersey's best commuter towns.

"Although we are close to the city, you'd need to figure out if you're commuting and working in the city. What part of Montclair makes sense for that?" Apicella said. "You'd have to look into that if you were going to be a commuter to make sure it makes sense for you, whether you'd be taking the bus as opposed to the train."

For train service, Montclair has six different train stations: Bay Street Station, Walnut Street Station, Watchung Avenue Station, Upper Montclair Station, Mountain Avenue Station and Montclair Heights Station. All six of these stations are serviced by NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line, which runs directly to New York Penn Station — including stops at Newark Broad Street and Secaucus Junction for transfers to Hoboken — on weekdays. The trip from Montclair to New York City takes anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the time of day and which train station you use. And a month worth of rides will cost you anywhere from $241 to $261, when purchasing an unlimited monthly pass, if you have to commute regularly.

On weekends though, the Montclair-Boonton Line does not travel directly to New York Penn Station. Trains run to Hoboken instead, so those looking to travel to Secaucus Junction or New York Penn Station will have to transfer trains at Newark Broad Street.

No major highways run straight through Montclair, but there are several just a short distance away for those who prefer to drive. This includes the Garden State Parkway, Route 280, Route 3 and Route 46. Depending on the area of town, though, residents often stress that finding parking in Montclair is difficult. So, keep that in mind if you choose to commute by driving.

Montclair schools

Perception: Because Montclair tends to foster a wealthy lifestyle, most residents must send their children to private schools and therefore the public school system must be lacking.

Reality: While some students in Montclair may attend private schools, many students are enrolled in the town's public schools system. The district tends to be highly-rated in New Jersey and actually provides specialized education between its different schools.

With 11 schools within its district, Montclair Public Schools serves more than 6,000 students. The district has what is known as a magnet system — established in 1977 — where each school offers a specialized program based on specific areas of study. Students are not required to attend the school closest to where they live as part of the system, and many of the district's schools were named in the 2025 Best Magnet Schools in New Jersey ranking by Niche.

There are seven elementary schools in the Montclair school system. This includes Nishuane Elementary School (pre-K-2) and Hillside Elementary School (3-5) for students considered to be gifted and talented, as well as Bradford Elementary School (pre-K-5) — known as "The University Magnet" for its partnership with Montclair State University.

The remaining elementary schools are K-5 and offer different magnet themes: Charles H. Bullock Elementary School (liberal arts), Edgemont Montessori School (Montessori), Northeast Elementary School (global studies) and Watchung Elementary School (science and technology).

For students in sixth through eighth grade, there are three middle schools. This includes Buzz Aldrin Middle School, specializing in STEM, Renaissance Middle School for liberal arts and Glenfield Middle School for visual and performing arts. And Montclair High School services students in ninth through 12th grade.

Overall, Montclair Public Schools is considered to be an above average school district in North Jersey. Many students throughout the school system's elementary, middle and high school tests above the state level in math and reading, according to U.S. News and World Report.

And outside of the public school system, there are also several preschool programs in Montclair. This includes Early Explorers Preschool, Montclair Community Pre-K, Park Street Academy and Parkside Montessori School.

The Montclair social scene

Perception: Montclair's downtown is home to so many different events and attractions, so it would only make sense that there's also plenty of options for nightlife.

Reality: Montclair does offer plenty of lively nightlife options for residents, but there's also an abundance of community organizations, clubs and places of worship for residents to get involved in.

Montclair a very community-oriented town, so regardless of whether you want to join a recreational club, become a member of a local non-profit, listen to live music or just relax with a cold drink, there's bound to be something that appeals to you.

In terms of nightlife, you can get a drink at places like Montclair Brewery, Tierney's Tavern, Pineapple Express and Just Jake's. There's also Bar Franco, where you can try a custom Italian cocktail by globally acclaimed mixologist Luca Cinalli, or The Meatlocker, a Halloween-themed punk entertainment venue where you can catch live music just about every night of the week.

Montclair also offers tons of community organizations and clubs for residents to join, such as faith-based organizations, arts and cultural groups, learning groups, senior citizen organizations and everything in between. This includes the Montclair Women's Club, The Garden Club of Montclair, Kiwanis Club of Montclair, the Senior Care and Activities Center, as well as the YMCA of Montclair, just to name a few. There's too many to name them all, but the township has a directory of the organizations and a full breakdown of what each one does online.

For adults looking to participate in recreational sports , Montclair offers a women's pick-up slow pitch softball program for residents 21 years or older, an adult volleyball league, a softball league for residents 30 years or older, as well as open gym basketball for residents 21 years and older.

There are also several places of worship in Montclair. This includes First Congregational Church of Montclair, Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair Community Church, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Bnai Keshet, Congregation Shomrei Emunah and Masjidul Wadud. A more comprehensive list of places of worship in Montclair is included in the township's non-profit organization directory .

So move right in to Montclair: An artsy hub with a rich dining scene, trendy shops, districts that foster different lifestyles and a close-knit community.

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