Madison Real Estate: Small Town Charm, Easy Access to the Big City, and the Perfect Suburban Lifestyle

Explore World-Class Destinations Close to Home

Madison is home to more than 16,000 residents. Many of the area’s most popular attractions are found along Route 124, or Main Street, which runs east-west through town and is lined with restaurants and shops. Nestled between rolling hills and soaring pines, the community is located about an hour from some of the most popular Jersey Shore attractions. For vacation or business travel, Newark Liberty International Airport is about 16 miles northwest, Morristown Municipal Airport is even closer, just three miles south.

Travel to New York City and other regional destinations are also convenient. New Jersey Transit’s Madison station provides commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to Hoboken Terminal and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Since Madison is just four square miles, many commuters choose to walk or bike to the local train station. NJ Transit provides local bus service while a low-cost, convenient campus-to-downtown shuttle bus operates between two universities and Madison Avenue and Main Street during the afternoon and evening.

Experience a Treasure Trove of History and Stunning Architecture

Madison, named after President James Madison, was nicknamed the Rose City because of its 19th-century rose-growing industry started by wealthy residents drawn to the area because of its location on the Morris & Essex train line. The local rose industry peaked in 1950 but today’s residents continue to take pride in their beautiful parks, gardens, and manicured lawns.

Visitors to Madison take notice of its Victorian, Georgian, and Edwardian architectural influences, evident in its old-fashioned street lamps and cast-iron benches. The town’s library, YMCA, train station, municipal buildings, and schools reflect this “Millionaire’s Row” charm as names such as Vanderbilt, Twombly, Morgan, Gibbons, and Dodge left their mark on this community.

With 52 buildings within the community registered with the National Register of Historic Places, Madison features an eclectic mix of real estate listings for sale, some of which date back to the 1800s and early 1900s. Home styles consist of colonials, Cape Cods, ranches, and split-levels designs, with an average real estate listing for sale priced in the $800,000s, and larger, restored properties ranging upwards to more than $3.5 million.

Receive a Quality Education at Top-Notch Schools

Homebuyers with school age children are drawn to this area’s variety of highly-acclaimed schools. The Madison Public School district, ranked 78th out of 487 districts in New Jersey, consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Students also enroll in several prestigious private schools, such as Kent Place, Pingry School, Newark Academy, Morristown Beard, and Delbarton.

The two universities in Madison, Drew and Fairleigh Dickinson, were both built on the estates of millionaires. Drew University, which first admitted students in 1928, was built on the grounds of the spectacular Gibbons Mansion, a Greek revival masterpiece now known as Mead Hall. Fairleigh Dickinson University purchased the 178-acre Vanderbilt-Twombly estate and opened the Florham-Madison campus in 1958.

Get Outdoors and Explore an Abundance of Recreational Opportunities

Sports and recreation opportunities abound in Madison. For starters, there are 11 parks within city limits. No matter the season, nature lovers, hikers and bikers enjoy easy access to nearby pastoral sites including the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which features a renowned bird sanctuary. Another popular destination to appreciate nature’s glory is the Loantaka Brook Reservation, which includes Seaton Hackney Stables, where visitors can bike, walk, jog, hike, or cross-country ski on more than eight miles of trails surrounded by 744 acres of prime real estate.

Local real estate owners who value an active lifestyle are often found at the local YMCA. More than just a place for kids, the YMCA offers residents a wide variety of activities to suit every age group and lifestyle, including swimming, arts and crafts, Pilates, dance classes, nutritional programs, drama and theater, gymnastics and a host of sports programs. In addition, the Madison Community Pool is a busy hot spot during the summer months. The expansive facility includes multiple diving boards and slides as well as a snack bar stocked with frozen treats.

Interested in a round of golf? Local golfers tackle the challenging fairways at the Madison Golf Club and Course, a private nine-hole course, which is one of the country’s oldest, dating back to 1896. Residents are also within easy driving distance of several prestigious country clubs including Spring Brook, Baltusrol and Brook Lake.

Bustling Night Life and an Abundance of Culture and Shopping

Madison buzzes with culture and nightlife. Home to The New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre, The Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, and Madison Music Association, local real estate owners have multiple opportunities to appreciate and support the arts without leaving town.

There is also a full menu of great food here, and local foodies take advantage of the eclectic mix of area restaurants. In fact, there are 55 eateries within five miles, featuring everything from pizza parlors and delis to fine dining at Garlic Rose, Takuma Japanese Restaurant, or Soho 33. One of the area’s best, Shanghai Jazz, on Main Street, has been rated one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world. Known for its gourmet Asian cuisine, it offers live jazz music six nights a week.

Madison and the surrounding area is also a shoppers’ paradise, with 40 different stores in downtown Madison alone, including Whole Foods, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, and McCool’s Ice Cream. The Mall of Short Hills, one of New Jersey’s most upscale malls with more than 170 top retailers and restaurants is anchored by Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus, and is less than a five-mile drive from home. Another popular shopping destination, the two-story Livingston Mall, with more than 70 shops, including Macy’s and Sears, as well as an ample food court, is located about five miles northeast.

Savor the Scenic Landscape While Having Easy Access to City and Shore

Madison’s picturesque quality, resembling a small New England town, coupled with its convenient location, make it an appealing choice for real estate buyers. Add in all the recreational amenities, abundant shopping, highly rated schools and variety of real estate listings for sale, and it’s easy to see why Madison is a popular choice among today’s homebuyers.

“The schools are great and the people are wonderful,” says Pfeifer. “We’ve lived here for more than a decade and I can’t imagine being happier anywhere else.”