Millburn & Short Hills

WHY BUY IN MILLBURN-SHORT HILLS?

The ancient Greeks conceived of a realm where, after life, virtuous and saintly souls might adjourn to pass eternity in a state of unblemished contentment. They called that place Elysium. The word, used as an adjective, is Elysian – “sweetly blissful” – which describes a condition of the spirit but also names a place that can be visited in this life.

Let’s stop for a moment, then, in this place whose name, Millburn, in Scottish means “mill on a stream,” and where Native Indians and early settlers called the area surrounding the tiny New Jersey colonial settlement “the short hills.” Hence, Millburn-Short Hills.

From the vantage of a small hill, in the silent hour of early morning, the sun rises on the eastern horizon and a brush stroke of dusky rose appears behind the trees. Then a breeze quickens and the geometry of the town of Millburn is revealed.

Below, and stretching away past seeing, is the 2000 acre South Mountain Reservation and other open spaces that include three municipal parks with baseball diamonds and soccer fields, three golf courses, tennis courts, the town pool, two water reserves, a reservoir and small parcels of undeveloped land. To the southeast is the Wyoming section of the township, a residential area comprised of English Tudors, Georgian Colonials, Victorians, and historic farmhouses. A similar variety of styles can be found in the South Mountain area bordering Taylor Park and in the newer Country Club section that was built in 1950. The Glenwood section is located only a couple of blocks from the train station, and the beautiful homes here, mostly colonials, were built in the 1930’s. To the north and west, along winding streets, cool and quiet beneath a canopy of trees, lies the old Short Hills neighborhood, the location of the most prestigious homes in the township and one of the finest residential areas in the nation.

Located only thirty minutes from Manhattan, Millburn/Short Hills is a place dedicated to small-town ideals, away from the manufactured sprawl of subdivisions and commercial buildings, with two small downtowns that are connected by a main street that has wide sidewalks that are made for strolling and window-shopping. Along with lots of churches and friendly, family-owned businesses (that include a luncheonette, an ice cream parlor, a hardware store, art galleries, several interesting restaurants, a weekly newspaper, and two banks), there is one of the finest regional theaters – the Paper Mill Playhouse – in the country.

Luxury shopping — Neiman Marcus, Gucci, J. Crew, Luis Vuitton, etc – and a multiplex cinema are only a few miles away, at the million-square foot Short Hills Mall, which is located at the intersection of Route 24 and JFK Parkway, across from the 300 room Hilton Hotel.

The Millburn Township Public School System is considered one of the finest in New Jersey. It has five K-5 schools. The students go on the Millburn Middle School on Old Short Hills Road and then to Millburn High School on Millburn Avenue. Last Year the high school sent 97 percent of its graduates on to higher education. Graduating classes regularly include numerous National Merit Scholarship winners and finalists and, upon occasion, a Presidential Scholar and finalists. Homes Currently For Sale in Short Hills & Millburn, New Jersey

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