Berkeley Heights is a Union County township of about 12,000 people, set along the Passaic River in the western part of the county. It sits roughly 28 miles from Manhattan, between Summit, New Providence, Watchung and Warren Township, and it has two NJ Transit stops on the Gladstone Branch: Berkeley Heights station downtown and Murray Hill station near the New Providence line. Interstate 78 and Route 287 are a few minutes away, which makes the town practical for households with one commuter heading to New York and another driving to a corporate campus in Morris or Somerset County.
What kind of housing will you find?
Most of the housing went up after World War II. Center-hall colonials, split-levels and ranches from the 1950s through the 1970s fill the neighborhoods on both sides of Springfield Avenue, many on lots of a third to half an acre. A steady share of those houses have been expanded or replaced, and the top of the market is now new and rebuilt colonials with five or six bedrooms that list above $1.5 million. Townhouse communities give downsizers a smaller option, and newer apartments and mixed-use buildings have gone up near the train station as part of the downtown redevelopment.
What should you check before making an offer?
New Jersey has a few steps that surprise buyers from other states. After both sides sign, the contract enters a three business day attorney review period, during which either party’s attorney can cancel or propose changes. Older homes here may still have a buried heating oil tank, so a tank sweep belongs on the inspection list alongside the usual roof and radon checks. When you compare the current homes for sale in berkeley heights nj, look at the property tax history for each address too, because a recent addition or a reassessment can change the annual bill sharply.
What is daily life like?
The town’s draw is space and schools. Students attend neighborhood elementary schools, Columbia Middle School and Governor Livingston High School. The Watchung Reservation and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge are both close by for hiking and birding. Summit Health’s main campus sits on Diamond Hill Road, and the downtown along Springfield Avenue hosts a summer block party, a Rotary pancake breakfast and a December holiday lights contest.
Allison Ziefert, who leads the Allison Ziefert Real Estate Group at Compass, tells buyers to drive the morning route to the Gladstone Branch station they would actually use before choosing a street, since a few blocks can change the commute more than the listing photos suggest.
