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South Orange, New Jersey

Welcome to South Orange

South Orange is a New York City suburb with an urban feel.

Did You Know? Andrew, Lauryn, Kevin and Zach grew up in South Orange?

Activist and Actor, Andrew Shue	Grammy Award Winner, Lauryn Hill
Actor, Director Zach Braff	Academy Award Winning Actor, and Director Kevin Spacey

History

What is now South Orange was part of a territory purchased from the Lenape Native Americans in 1666 by Robert Treat, who founded Newark that year. South Orange first became well known as a resort town with a country resort called the Orange Mountain House -established in 1847. The town gained prominence because guests could enjoy the “water cure” from natural spring water and walk in the grounds that extended up the slope of South Mountain.

Once South Orange could be reached by the Morris and Essex Railroad which opened in 1837, it became an attractive suburb for wealthy professionals who worked in Manhattan and Newark. The now historic Montrose neighborhood was developed first after the Civil War. It offered large houses on generous lots which still attract similar types of families today.

Local Character

While home to many varied types of people, South Orange residents are active, civic minded, tolerant and enjoy the benefits of living in a town that offers cultural diversity, an emphasis on the arts (including the South Orange Performing Arts center and movie theatre), a vibrant town center and close proximity to New York City.The town is one of only a few in New Jersey to retain gas light street illumination and has long been the symbol of South Orange.

Architecture is extremely varied. Most of the town is single-family wood framed houses, but there are a few apartment buildings from various eras as well as townhouse-style condominiums of mostly more recent vintage. Houses cover a range from brick English Cottages to giant Mansard-roofed mansions. Tudor, Victorian, Colonial, Ranch, Modern, and many others are all to be found.

Many residents commute to New York City. It also has a central business district with restaurants, boutiques, a gourmet food market, banks and drug stores. It offers chain retailers like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Right Aide as well as unique single owned businesses like the Cait & Abbe’s bakery, Spark House Kids toy store, South Mountain Yoga and the Grid Iron Waffle House.

For the most current trends in South Orange click on South Orange Market Report 2012

Click here for the 2011 Full Year Market Trends

Real Estate Market Stats

Zillow Home Value Index: $448,400

Zillow Home Value Index

Owners vs. Renters

Home Size in Square Feet

Year Built

	Local	National
Zillow Home Value Index	$448,400	$146,200
Median Single Family Home Value	$451,800	$146,400
Median 3-Bedroom Home Value	$395,300	$140,900
Median 4-Bedroom Home Value	$473,800	$231,000
Percent Homes Decreasing	58.6%	55.8%
Percent Listing Price Reduction	34.8%	28.9%
Median List Price Per Sq Ft	$190	$92
Median List Price	$515,000	$185,000
Median Sale Price	$498,100	$176,500
Homes Recently Sold	14	267,974
Property Tax	$13,392	$2,105
Turnover (Sold Within Last Yr.)	3%	3.3%
Median Value Per Sq Ft	$206	$106
1-Yr. Change	-1.7%	-3.1%
Homes For Sale By Owner	2	49,740
New Construction	0	44,212
Foreclosures	21	518,473