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Serving All of Cedar Grove, NJ
Welcome to Cedar Grove, a small Essex County township that quietly sits between the First and Second Watchung Mountains, about 12 miles west of Midtown Manhattan. It's the kind of place that surprises people: walkable trails, a 360-foot ridge view of New York City, a tight school system, and a working-suburb feel that still keeps strong ties to its early farming roots. Whether you live in a mid-century Cape near South End or one of the newer detached homes up around the reservoir, finding a trusted roofing contractor in Cedar Grove, NJ, is important because the weather can be severe. Nor'easters, summer humidity, ice storms in January, Cedar Grove sees the full range.
Outdoor space is a big part of why people stick around. Mills Reservation, 157 acres shared with neighboring Montclair, has a cliff trail that opens onto a clear view of the Manhattan skyline. Hilltop Reservation, just over 200 acres up on the Second Watchung Ridge, was built on the grounds of the old Essex Mountain Sanatorium and became a county park only in 2003. Then there's Cedar Grove Community Park, which is honestly where the town gathers, with baseball fields, two playgrounds, a bocce court, plus an entry point to the 36-mile Lenape Trail running through Essex County.
Civic life in Cedar Grove tends to revolve around schools, the community pool, and the parks. The pool opened back in 1963 and still runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, which gives you a sense of how much the town leans into its summer routine. The Cedar Grove Historical Society operates out of the Canfield Morgan House on Pompton Avenue, keeping the township's farming and post-war suburban history visible. And of course, longtime residents will still bring up Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom, the Route 23 venue that hosted Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and the Dorsey brothers back when big bands were the main event in this part of Jersey.
So that's Cedar Grove. Small footprint, big personality, and just enough of everything to make it work.
Cedar Grove's Watchung Ridge Character
Cedar Grove is located in a prime geographic area. The township covers only 4.36 square miles, but because of the elevation of Watchung Mountain, some sections rise to over 400 feet, with the highest point on a hilltop reaching 600 feet. That gives certain pockets of town genuine ridge views, which is part of why neighborhoods like Park Ridge Estates ended up holding the higher-end housing market.
The commercial spine is Route 23, also known locally as Pompton Avenue. It runs north to south through the township and carries pretty much all the retail, dining, and service businesses. The central business district picks up around Sweetwood Drive and runs north through to Little Falls Road, with the industrial section tucked off Commerce Road. East of Pompton Avenue, you've got the Cedar Grove Reservoir (still owned by the City of Newark) and Mills Reservation. West of Pompton Avenue, the site of the former Essex County Hospital Center has been redeveloped into housing over the past two decades.
Cedar Grove leans heavily Italian American in its ancestry, with strong Irish and German roots too. The Center for Italian and Italian American Culture on Pompton Avenue reflects that, and so does the town's general restaurant scene. It's also a township that has produced more notable names than its size suggests: the late inventor Allen B. DuMont (early television), celebrity chef Amanda Freitag, NFL tight end David Njoku, and crossword puzzle inventor Arthur Wynne all have ties to Cedar Grove. This history is worth knowing, even if it doesn't come up at dinner.
Mostly, though, what defines the place is a kind of low-key suburban steadiness. Neighbors actually know each other. Town meetings still happen at Municipal Plaza off Pompton Avenue. The Township Council uses a Council-Manager form of government, which has been in place since 1955. It's quiet, organized, and a little proud of itself, in a good way.
Neighborhoods and Zip Codes of Cedar Grove, NJ
Cedar Grove operates under a single ZIP code, 07009, which covers the entire township. Within that footprint, residents and real estate listings tend to recognize three main sections plus a couple of named communities. Here's how the situation breaks down.
North End (07009)
Central Cedar Grove (07009)
Central Cedar Grove runs along Pompton Avenue between the Fairview Avenue and Bradford Avenue intersections. This is where the township's main business district sits, along with Municipal Plaza, the public library, the community pool, and the older institutional land. The Cedar Grove Reservoir and Mills Reservation are located at the eastern edge, while the redeveloped Essex County Hospital Center property is situated on the western side. If you've stopped for coffee or paid a tax bill in town, you've been in Central Cedar Grove.
South End (07009)
The South End is the most densely built portion of the township, extending from Bradford Avenue down to the Verona border. Homes here sit closer together, and the housing stock is a mix of mid-century Capes, expanded ranches, and a section of larger newer builds. South End Elementary School anchors the neighborhood, and the South End playground and ball fields get steady use year-round. There's also a small commercial strip along Pompton Avenue serving the immediate area.
Park Ridge Estates (07009)
Park Ridge Estates is the most upscale-named community in Cedar Grove, in the elevated section of the North End. The neighborhood is known for larger custom homes, generous lots, and quiet streets, with elevations that draw in views and consistent cross-breezes. It's a small enclave, but it carries a real reputation within the local real estate market.
Reservoir Ridge (07009)
Reservoir Ridge is a more recent addition, built in 1996 off Normal Avenue near the Cedar Grove Reservoir. The community consists of detached single-family homes designed in a townhome arrangement, with exterior maintenance handled by the management association. The location is convenient to the Montclair Heights train station, Mills Reservation, and Route 23, which makes it especially popular with commuters who still want a quiet residential setting.
Income and Education in Cedar Grove, NJ
Cedar Grove ranks among the more financially stable communities in Essex County, with steady housing demand and a workforce that skews toward professional and administrative employment. The median household income is approximately $151,263 according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which puts the township nearly double the Essex County figure and around 1.5 times the New Jersey statewide median. Roughly 60 percent of adult residents hold at least a bachelor's degree, and the average commute is around 34 minutes, reflecting how many residents head into New York City, Newark, or Morristown for work.
Education has long been a priority here. The township is served by the Cedar Grove Schools, a public district that runs from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across four schools, with a student-to-teacher ratio of about 10 to 1. The district enrolls roughly 1,600 students and consistently posts proficiency scores above the state average. North End Elementary School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021, underscoring the district's strength in the foundational grades.
Higher education is very accessible for Cedar Grove residents. Montclair State University, New Jersey's second-largest university, is directly adjacent to Montclair and offers more than 300 academic programs across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Caldwell University, a private Catholic institution, is just minutes away in the neighboring town of Caldwell. With a short drive, residents can also reach William Paterson University in Wayne, as well as Rutgers University Newark and the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
The combination of strong local schools and easy access to multiple universities is part of why Cedar Grove holds the demographic profile it does. Families move here for the schools and tend to stay.
Schools in Cedar Grove, NJ
Public Schools
The Cedar Grove Schools district operates four schools and serves around 1,600 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Cedar Grove High School, at 90 Rugby Road, serves grades 9 through 12 and enrolls just over 420 students. The Panthers, who compete in the Super Essex Conference, offer Advanced Placement courses, career and technical programs, and a full slate of athletics. The school has held continuous Middle States accreditation since 1968.
Cedar Grove Memorial Middle School, at 500 Ridge Road, serves grades 5 through 8 and has about 440 students. The middle school provides core academic programming, athletics, and an arts curriculum designed to bridge the elementary years into high school.
North End Elementary School and South End Elementary School each serve pre-kindergarten through grade 4. North End is located at 47 Spring Avenue, and South End is on Harper Terrace, with each school anchoring its respective side of the township. North End earned National Blue Ribbon recognition in 2021.
Private Schools
St. Catherine of Siena School at 39 East Bradford Avenue is a parish Catholic school operating under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Founded in 1958, the school enrolls roughly 240 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade with a student-to-teacher ratio of about 12 to 1. The curriculum balances academic rigor with faith formation in a small-class-size environment.
Washington Academy, located on Route 23 in the former Leonard R. Parks Elementary School building, is an approved private special education school serving students ages 3 through 21. Founded in 1982, the academy provides specialized academic and behavioral services for students whose disabilities affect their learning. It is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers.
Higher Education
Montclair State University is the closest four-year institution, located directly adjacent to Cedar Grove in Montclair and Little Falls. With more than 300 academic programs and an enrollment exceeding 20,000 students, MSU is the second-largest university in New Jersey and a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution. The University Hall and the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center both sit on campus.
Caldwell University is a private Catholic university located in Caldwell, just minutes away, founded in 1939 by the Sisters of Saint Dominic. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in fields including business, education, nursing, and the arts, with a small campus feel and a Dominican intellectual tradition.
William Paterson University in Wayne, about a 15-minute drive north up Route 23, offers undergraduate and graduate programs across five colleges, with notable strength in nursing, music, and the Cotsakos Business School. Newark also brings Rutgers University Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology within easy reach for students and professionals pursuing law, engineering, business, and the sciences.
Public Transportation and Major Highways in Cedar Grove, NJ
Cedar Grove's transportation network puts the township within easy reach of New York City, Newark, Paterson, and the broader North Jersey corridor, with regional bus service running directly along Pompton Avenue and major interstates only minutes away.
Public Transportation
NJ Transit Bus Route 195 is the primary commuter line into Manhattan, running along Pompton Avenue and providing direct service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown. For Cedar Grove residents commuting into the city, the 195 is the go-to option, with stops located right on Pompton Avenue throughout the township.
NJ Transit Bus Route 11 serves downtown Newark, connecting Cedar Grove to employment centers, Penn Station, and the broader NJ Transit network. The line runs along Pompton Avenue and is the main local option for traveling south into Essex County's urban core.
The Montclair Boonton Rail Line is accessible from neighboring Montclair, with the Montclair Heights and Upper Montclair stations both within a short drive or walk from the eastern edge of Cedar Grove. The line provides commuter rail service to Hoboken and, with a transfer, to New York Penn Station. Residents of the Reservoir Ridge area, in particular, are within convenient walking distance of the Montclair Heights station.
Major Highways
Route 23 (Pompton Avenue) bisects Cedar Grove from north to south and is the township's primary commercial corridor. The state highway provides direct access to Wayne, Riverdale, and the I-287 corridor heading north, and to Verona and the I-280 interchange heading south.
Interstate 280 runs just south of Cedar Grove, with Exit 8B at Prospect Avenue providing the closest access point. I-280 connects Cedar Grove to Newark, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the Holland Tunnel route into Manhattan, making it one of the most important commuter highways for the township.
Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 46 are both accessible within a 10-minute drive via Route 23 north, providing east-west routes across Northern New Jersey to Paterson, Wayne, Parsippany, and points west toward the Delaware Water Gap.
The Garden State Parkway can be reached via Route 3 or Route 46, giving Cedar Grove residents north-south access along the full length of the state, from the New York border down to Cape May.
Things To Do in Cedar Grove, NJ
From the ridgeline overlooks of the Watchung Mountains to a 77-foot waterfall that powered America's first planned industrial city, the Cedar Grove area covers a lot of ground in terms of scenery, history, and family-friendly options. Here are five exceptional spots, all within a 30 to 45-minute drive from 80 Lakewood Avenue.
Eagle Rock Reservation
About 15 minutes south of Lakewood Avenue, the Eagle Rock Reservation is a 408-acre county park stretching along the Watchung Ridge between West Orange, Montclair, and Verona. The eastern overlook delivers one of the most well-known views of the Manhattan skyline anywhere in New Jersey, and that same overlook now serves as the Essex County 9/11 Memorial, dedicated in October 2002. The memorial includes the inscribed names of every victim from the World Trade Center attacks, along with a steel beam recovered from the towers. Beyond the memorial, the reservation has miles of woodland trails connecting to the Lenape Trail system. The Highlawn Pavilion, located right at the overlook, is a longstanding fine dining option with the same skyline view.
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
The Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, located roughly 20 minutes north of Cedar Grove via Route 23, preserves a 77-foot waterfall that drops the Passaic River into a 300-foot-wide chasm. Alexander Hamilton chose this spot in 1792 as the site of America's first planned industrial city, which later manufactured silk, locomotives, firearms, and aircraft engines. The park became part of the National Park Service in 2011 and includes a footbridge across the gorge, two overlook parks, and a visitor center on McBride Avenue with exhibits on Hamilton, the Industrial Revolution, the labor movement, and Paterson's role as a hub for immigrant communities throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The falls themselves are most impressive after a heavy rain, when the flow really opens up.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
The Thomas Edison National Historical Park, located about 20 minutes south of Cedar Grove in West Orange, preserves both Edison's massive research and development complex on Main Street and Glenmont, his Victorian estate within the gated Llewellyn Park community. Edison ran the West Orange laboratory for over 40 years, and he based roughly half of his 1,093 patents on work done here. Visitors can walk through the chemistry lab, the machine shop, and Edison's personal library, which still contains his desk and the original furnishings. A replica of the Black Maria, the first motion-picture studio, stands in the courtyard. The 29-room Glenmont estate, gifted to Edison's second wife, Mina, in 1886, is open for guided tours when staffing allows.
Turtle Back Zoo
A 20- to 25-minute drive south puts you at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, situated on 20 acres within the South Mountain Reservation. Founded in 1963, the zoo houses approximately 1,400 animals representing every continent except Antarctica, with strong exhibits of big cats, primates, and North American wildlife, as well as a free-flight aviary. The surrounding South Mountain Recreation Complex adds a paddleboat lake, a carousel, a treetop adventure course, miniature golf, and the Essex County Codey Arena for ice skating. During the winter holidays, the zoo runs an evening light display that has become a regional tradition. It's one of the more visited attractions in Essex County for good reason.
Branch Brook Park
About 25 to 30 minutes from Cedar Grove via I-280, Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville holds two distinctions worth noting: It is the first public county park established in the United States, opened in 1895, and it contains the largest and most varied collection of Japanese flowering cherry blossom trees in the country, with more than 5,300 trees across 18 varieties. The original donation of 2,000 trees came from Caroline Bamberger Fuld in 1927, and the collection now outpaces the more famous Washington, D.C., groves in both size and variety. The park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame, and runs nearly 3.5 miles long, with lakes, historic bridges, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart standing across from the southern entrance. Peak bloom typically runs across the first three weeks of April, and the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival draws visitors from across the region.