Your Local Town Guide to Caldwell, NJ
Local Town Guide: Caldwell, NJ
Are you considering moving to Caldwell, NJ? Caldwell is a suburban town located in northwestern Essex County, about 16 miles west of New York City, and 6 miles northwest of Newark. Caldwell is a family-oriented and pedestrian-friendly town with a small hometown feel with walkable shops, a variety of restaurants, great schools, and an easy commute to NYC. Here are some of the town highlights of Caldwell, NJ.
The history of Caldwell, NJ
Caldwell is a part of “The Caldwell’s,” the group of three Essex County municipalities including West Caldwell and North Caldwell. The area is named after Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot who played an active role supporting the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Grover Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, was born in Caldwell in 1837, when his father, a minister, served in the First Presbyterian Church. The former president’s birthplace is now a museum run by the State of New Jersey.
EDUCATION
The Caldwell-West Caldwell school district is a highly rated school district in Essex County and in the entire state of New Jersey. Serving about 2,600 total students with an average student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1, the district encompasses elementary, middle, high school, and a full-day kindergarten program.
Asides from public school, Caldwell also features private schools such as Trinity Academy, a Catholic school from Pre-K up to eighth grade, and Mount St. Dominic Academy, an all-girls Catholic High School.
For continued education, Caldwell is also home to Caldwell University, a private Catholic liberal arts college, and in West Caldwell is Essex County College.
A glimpse of Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell, New Jersey
LOCAL DINING AND SHOPPING
The borough of Caldwell offers a diverse local economy with a variety of small businesses such as restaurants, bars, bakeries, boutiques, grocery stores, hardware stores, and other points of interest within a walkable area.
For local dining, there are several ethnic restaurants including Italian, Filipino, Thai, and Japanese cuisine located on Bloomfield Avenue. One of our favorite local eateries is Calandra’s Italian Village, run by the family that owns the well-known Calandra’s Bakery in Newark, which offers a deli, bakery, and restaurant under one roof.
To discover new places, we have shared some of our favorite local shops and places for lunch in Caldwell, NJ to read more.
ACTIVITIES & LEISURE
There are plenty of places to go and things to do in Caldwell, NJ.
If you are into health and fitness, there is a plethora of gyms, yoga studios, and recreational facilities. For sporting activities — visit Green Brook Country Club or Mountain Ridge Country Club to golf, Grover Cleveland Park to play tennis, or The Caldwell Community Center to swim in the six-lane pool or shoot hoops at the basketball court. To reconnect with your inner self, the town offers a variety of yoga studios such as Mad Mat Yoga, Indigo Yoga, and Inner Vault Wellness Center.
To learn more about history, visit the Grover Cleveland Birthplace which is the only home museum dedicated to Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, who was born in Caldwell, NJ.
Grover Cleveland Park in Caldwell, NJ
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
For nature lovers, stroll through Grover Cleveland Park, which is the seventh-largest park in the county park system with 41-acres of property located in Caldwell and Essex Fells.
Also visit the Rumsey Park in Caldwell or neighboring parks in West Caldwell such as Memorial Park, Richard Park, and Wrensch Park.
TRANSPORTATION
Work in New York City? Although NJ Transit does not offer a direct bus line or train service from Caldwell, you can still experience a hassle-free and relatively short commute to NYC by driving over to nearby Montclair Township (Bay Street Train Station) and hopping on a direct train to New York Penn Station. Don’t like to drive? No problem, simply take the NJ Transit Bloomfield Avenue Bus 29 from Caldwell to Newark and take a direct train line from Newark Broad Street Station to Penn Station. There’s even a DeCamp Bus Line Route #33 that runs from West Caldwell township and stops at Caldwell to take you directly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC: all within 1 hour of commuting time.