Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, also known as The Chathams, are located on the southeast edge of Morris County and offer the perfect blend of historical ambiance and some of the finest amenities a small, affluent town can offer. Chatham residents enjoy an above average socio-economic level with a high percentage of college graduates employed in professional or managerial occupations at one of the nearby corporate headquarters or research centers in the metropolitan New York area.
The Borough, which occupies an area of 2.4 square miles has a quaint, village-like business district and commuter railroad station and is a very pedestrian friendly community making Chatham real estate very desirable. The Township is 9.2 square miles and combined with the Borough, has a total population of about 17,000. The Chathams border on six other municipalities including Madison, Harding, Long Hill, New Providence, Florham Park, and Summit. Ideally located, Chatham is only a 45 minute train ride to NYC, and less than one hour to popular shore point destinations via Routes 24, 78 and the Garden State Parkway.
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- Welcome to Chatham Borough - Chatham NJ
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- NJ Transit Train Station in Chatham NJ with midtown-direct service to NYC in 45 minutes.
Located on New Jersey Transit's Morristown Line of the Morris & Essex Lines, Chatham receives traffic bound for and coming from both of New Jersey Transit's main terminals: Hoboken Terminal and New York Penn Station. Service is relatively frequent, with morning rush hour trains arriving at intervals of as little as six minutes. During off-peak hours, a train arrives at Chatham almost every thirty minutes.
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- NJ Transit Train Station in Chatham NJ with midtown-direct service to NYC in 45 minutes.
Chatham station opened on January 1, 1838 along with other stations on the Morris and Essex Railroad between Orange (at one time the western terminus of the line) and Morristown. In the early 1900s, the station was mainly used by vacationers from New York City who came to Chatham to experience what was then considered a beautiful town away from the bustling city. A new elevated station was built in 1914. The train station would later prove a vital role in Chatham's continual population increases. In 1929, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, the owners of the railway at the time, spent $100 million to electrify the Morris & Essex lines. This meant that Chatham station would be electrified and would be served by electric trains, some of the first in the United States.
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- NJ Transit Train Station in Chatham NJ with midtown-direct service to NYC in 45 minutes.
New Jersey Transit stops at the Chatham station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to the Hoboken Terminal and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
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- Commuter's Oasis at Chatham Station - Chatham NJ
The Public Arts Council's (PAC) enhances Chatham Borough's public spaces through indoor and outdoor public art displays.
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- Public Library of The Chathams - Chatham NJ
Chatham Library was founded in 1908 in downtown Chatham after decades of discussion and planning. Growth of the collection brought about expansion and movement to progressively larger facilities until the current building was built on Main Street. The new site was chosen after the Fairview Hotel, which had been on the site, burned down. The hotel land was bought in the early 1920s by Charles L. Lum, after whose family Lum Avenue is named, and a brick building was constructed to house the library. The new Chatham Library was dedicated and opened to the public in 1924.
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- Public Library of The Chathams - Chatham NJ
In 1974, the library was renamed as the Library of The Chathams, which now is administered by six trustees, who are appointed jointly through the two governments via the mayors of Chatham and Chatham Township or their representatives, as well as a representative from the newly created joint School District of the Chathams.
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- Public Library of The Chathams - Chatham NJ
The Library of The Chathams joined the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database linking together all the public libraries in Morris County, in 1985. Recently, an expansion costing nearly $4,000,000 was completed (with the governments of Chatham and Chatham Township contributing a combined $2,000,000). The project was completed and the new addition dedicated on January 11, 2004.
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- Public Library of The Chathams - Chatham NJ
A sculpture entitled "The Search" by Seward Johnson is on display in front of the main entrance.
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- Village District - Chatham NJ
View from the corner of Main & Fairmount.
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- Cafe Beethoven - Chatham NJ
Located on Main St. in the Borough, Cafe Beethoven is a pastry and coffee shop with full-service catering facilities. Specialties include: French pastry, traditional German cakes, wedding cakes, classic English Tea, business breakfasts, bridal luncheons, and private parties.
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- Village District - Chatham NJ
View from the corner of Main and Center St. in the Borough.
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- Village District - Chatham NJ
View on Main Street in the Borough looking south towards Passaic Ave.
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- Village District - Chatham NJ
Out for an afternoon stroll on Main Street in beautiful Chatham Borough.
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- Supper Restaurant - Chatham NJ
Supper Restaurant is in a charming building originally built in 1931 and home of the former Chatham Diner. The American food-themed restaurant has been in business since 2007 and serves classics like hamburgers and also more sophisticated dishes such as duck. The quaint spot has a welcoming ambiance with seating outside in the summertime.
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- Chatham Borough Municipal Building - Chatham NJ
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- Powerflow Yoga - Chatham NJ
Conveniently located on Main St., Powerflow offers hot yoga, which means the heat is turned up in the room and clients learn to control their breath and flexibility while sweating. The studio offers yoga for kids in a separate studio down the street and massage therapy by appointment.
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- Charlie's Aunt Restaurant - Chatham NJ
Located on S. Passaic Ave. just off of Main St. and close to the train station, this longtime local favorite restaurant serves an eclectic menu, from burgers and chicken fingers to elegant pasta dishes and swordfish.
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- Chatham Clock in Reasonar Park - Chatham NJ
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- 9/11 Memorial in Reasonar Park - Chatham NJ
Located near Firehouse Plaza in the Borough.
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- Reasonar Park Gazebo - Chatham NJ
Located near Firehouse Plaza in the Borough.
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- Chatham Post Office - Chatham NJ
Chatham's Post Office is conveniently located on S. Passaic Ave. in the Borough. There is also an annex to the post office at 219 Main St. Passport application services available at that location.
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- Welcome to Chatham Township - Chatham NJ
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- Hickory Tree Shopping Mall - Chatham NJ
One of the larger shopping centers located on Shunpike Rd. between Green Village Rd. and Southern Blvd. in the Township.
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- Corner of Shunpike and Green Village Rd. - Chatham NJ
Looking south east on Shunpike Road in front of the Hickory Tree Shopping Mall.
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- Chatham Skate Park - Chatham NJ
Located on Southern Boulevard adjacent to the police station.
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- Chatham Skate Park - Chatham NJ
A self contained park completely dedicated to skateboarding.
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- Chatham Skate Park - Chatham NJ
The Chatham Skate Park is located on Southern Boulevard adjacent to the township's police department. It opened in 2003, and received funding from a variety of community organizations. It also received various grants that also helped fund the project. Its half pipes and equipment can be used by both skateboarders and inline skaters alike.
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- Fairmount Country Store - Chatham NJ
Located on Fairmount Avenue in the Township, this deli is truly a local favorite. Open for breakfast and lunch and offering eat-in, take-out and catering for all occasions.
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- Esternay Field - Chatham NJ
Esternay Field is located near Passaic River Park on Johnson Rd. just off of Fairmount Ave. It is named after Chatham's sister city—Esternay, France. The township facility, which is administered by Chatham Recreation (a joint effort between the borough and township), features a soccer/football field and a playground.
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- Great Swamp County Park - Chatham NJ
Located on Southern Boulevard in the Township, this county park serves as an Outdoor Education Center and features a mile of trail, much of it on neat boardwalks, an observation blind with real wildlife cavorting in the distance along with weekly programs, guided nature walks and maple sugaring in March.
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- Loantaka Brook Reservation Bikeway - Chatham NJ
The system of trails in Loantaka Brook Reservation are open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians with trails marked as to which uses are permitted on each segment. The reservation has more than 570 acres and nearly 5 miles of trails. Bicyclists are restricted to using a well-maintained 4-mile long paved trail that stretches the Reservation’s entire length. Surface conditions along the paved trail range from fair to excellent. The surrounding scenery consists of thick foliage in some locations and open fields or sprawling farms in others. There is an unspoiled brook that winds its way back and forth across the trail in many spots.
The Morris and Essex Line of New Jersey Transit serves Chatham with direct service to New York’s Penn Station and Hoboken. The Hoboken terminal offers commuter train service to Manhattan, with stations to Wall Street, Greenwich Village and Midtown. With the new Secaucus transfer station, NJ Transit trains from Chatham can connect to other NJ Transit lines in New Jersey, the shuttle to Newark Airport and the Amtrak rail line. The Lakeland Bus Line provides limited commuter bus service between Chatham and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City; Morris County Metro & New Jersey Transit provides local bus service.
Access to Chatham from New York and all points north, south and west by auto is readily available on nearby Interstate highway Routes 24, 78, New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Newark-Liberty International Airport, with direct flights throughout the world, is about 12 miles (20 minutes) away. Nearby Morristown Municipal Airport provides corporate and individual private flight services.
The present character of Chatham still reflects its early roots. The town evolved as real estate developers purchased land and started building homes for the commuters in the early 20th century. Within its neighborhoods exist a colored palette of America´s most popular housing styles from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Though Chatham today could be considered a “bedroom community”, since most of its citizens work out of town, it has a special character generated by its small town atmosphere. The Borough’s central business district is traditional Main Street USA, featuring quaint shops, stores, professional offices and restaurants with small retail centers and several garden apartment complexes, town houses and condominiums. For the more serious shoppers, residents can easily drive to the nationally known and very upscale Short Hills Mall in addition to the Livingston Mall. The surrounding towns of Florham Park, Madison and Summit also offer downtown shopping.
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public school district serving approximately 3,500 students from both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township for grades K through 12. Chatham is well known for its excellent and highly ranked district, which is comprised of six schools and was awarded by the State of New Jersey the designation of being a “Blue Ribbon” district in 2004. The schools are within walking distance of most households and are one of the primary reasons why many families choose Chatham as the preferred place to raise their children. The Borough and the Township share an excellent public library as well.
Recreation in Chatham is a joint venture between the Township and the Borough and offers a variety or programs and activities for residents of all ages which include a multitude of indoor and outdoor sports, band, teen activities, access to walking / jogging / bicycling paths & trails and two municipal swimming pools. The Colony Pool is located in the Township and is open for membership to its residents and the surrounding towns. It has six tennis courts, a sand bottom pool, a playground and a full snack bar. The Borough has a municipal swimming pool which is located at Memorial Park and is open to residents only. Chatham also has three private swim and tennis clubs, a private country club with an 18 hole golf course and it’s own movie theater. In addition, there are two YMCA’s in neighboring Summit and Madison. Chatham is also home to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a 7,800 acre national park of varied habitats and a key feeding and resting spot for migrating birds.
There are plenty of cultural opportunities including historical, art, garden and musical groups, as well as the facilities and programs provided through universities in neighboring towns. In addition, Chatham offers access to county, state and federal parks, many of which are within its borders or just a few minutes drive in any direction in surrounding towns. Among the town´s annual activities are: The Fishing Derby at Kelley´s Pond, the Fishawack Festival, The Fourth of July Parade and the Green Fair. Also, the Farmer’s Market operates at the Railroad Station between June and November, to allow the residents to purchase locally produced and grown goods, meat and fish, promoting the trade of locally made products.
Finding Homes For Sale in Chatham
The Borough offers many different housing options from traditional garden apartment living, to condos and townhomes spanning a wide price range, to small ranches, capes and colonials on smaller lots in a very suburban setting to grand Victorians for those seeking the ultimate in luxury estate living.
The Township was formerly known as a farming community and epitomizes small-town beauty in Morris County providing more spacious country living and a more suburban setting with larger homes and properties. Bucolic, tree-lined streets featuring Victorian and colonial residential architecture make Chatham an ideal community to raise a family.
As you can see, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township has something to fit everyone’s needs. Call me direct at (908) 267-2465, or email me at Bob@BobZorechakRealtor.com and I will be happy to discuss your specific requirements and find the right home for you. For listings in the Chathams, Madison, Morristown, Morris Township or anywhere in Morris or parts of Somerset or Hunterdon County simply use the search tools located on the right side of this page. All listings are updated throughout the day so be sure to come back often for the most current information. If you are unable to find what you are looking for using the search function on this website, or you are looking for a home that is unique with specific features, feel free to contact me direct and let me know exactly what they are. My colleagues and I preview all kinds of properties each week and will be sure to identify just what you are looking for. In addition, my office often features “exclusive” listings that are not released to the public that might be of interest to you as well. I will be glad to answer all of your questions and arrange to show you the homes of your choice at a time convenient to your schedule.
I also serve the surrounding towns in southern and western Morris County including the Long Valley (Washington Township), the Mendhams, Morris Township, Morristown and Madison as well as select towns in northern Somerset County including Peapack Gladstone, Far Hills, Bedminster, Bernardsville and Basking Ridge along with the Hunterdon County towns of Lebanon and Tewksbury Townships.
Chatham NJ Schools
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public school district serving the students of Chatham Borough and Chatham Township for grades K through 12. The highly ranked district is comprised of six schools and was designated by the State of New Jersey as a “Blue Ribbon” district in 2004. The schools are within walking distance of most households and provide an excellent education from kindergarten through high school. With a student population of approximately 3,500, the district is comprised of the following schools:
Elementary students (K-3) attend one of three neighborhood schools:
- Milton Avenue School – 16 Milton Avenue, Chatham
- Southern Boulevard School – 192 Southern Blvd. Chatham
- Washington Avenue School – 102 Washington Ave., Chatham
- Lafayette School (4-5) – 221 Lafayette Avenue, Chatham
- Chatham Middle School (6–8) – 480 Main Street, Chatham
- Chatham High School (9–12) – 255 Lafayette Street, Chatham
Chatham NJ Public School Links
School District of The Chathams
NJ Department of Education School Report Card
Follow this Chatham NJ School Info link for more detailed information about each school in Chatham Township & Chatham Borough NJ, including nearby private school information.
Bob Zorechak
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