South Orange (officially named the Village of South Orange Township) is a quaint town with an urban feel just 14 miles from Manhattan, NY. Take a drive through the various neighborhood streets all lined with stately oak trees and gaslight streetlamps. You’ll also see an architectural mixture of charming colonial, tudor and victorian homes. South Orange is blessed to have two New Jersey Transit (NJT) train stations on the Morris and Essex line (South Orange station and Mountain Station) that get you right to New York Penn Station in 35 and 37 minutes respectively.
The heart of South Orange is a charming downtown area that you’ll find coffee shops, bakeries, specialty grocery stores, casual, family and fine dining restaurants. Check out the plethora of entertainment, cultural and artistic options that South Orange has to offer from the South Orange Performing Arts Center, Bow Tie Cinema, Baird Center or the Pierro Gallery. South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) hosts plays and concerts all year round. The Baird Center offers arts programs, including the Pierro Gallery of South Orange that encourages involvement in the arts and artistic works and exhibits through art education. They spotlight local Essex County NJ artists. If you want to see the latest movie, grab some movie tickets and see the movie at the Bow Tie Cinema which is located right beside the NJT South Orange Train Station in downtown South Orange.
South Orange is a very walkable town. If you’re a runner or an avid walker, the neighborhoods network together brilliantly with parks and playgrounds spread throughout the town. If I’m not running through the various neighborhoods of South Orange, I especially love running through Cameron Park, looping around the gorgeous Duck Pond and running up Floods Hill. It’s a great work out to start your morning right. Or, if you’re into swimming, check out the Peter S. Connor Memorial Swimming Pool, which South Orange’s Community pool located in Cameron Field. Cameron Field also has tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a children’s playground.
South Orange is home to my alma mater Seton Hall University, a NCAA Division one private Catholic university with approximately 10,000 students. Seton Hall offers approximately 90 possible majors in undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies. Campus life is close knit where students bring a diverse worldly perspective. Seton Hall has 14 men’s and women’s varsity sports teams and is part of the exclusive Big East conference.
