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Summit

Summit, NJ

What We Love About Summit

  • Excellent public school system and several area private schools
  • Large, walkable downtown with a Downtown Historic District
  • Fantastic restaurants, shopping, and nightlife
  • Midtown Direct train service to NYC
  • Lots of parks for active and passive recreation, including the beautiful Reeves-Reed Arboretum
  • Wide variety of housing, with houses and apartments for sale and for rent
  • Lively arts scene, including The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and The Summit Playhouse
  • Top-rated Overlook Medical Center and its network of doctors

Summit is located in Union County, New Jersey

Summit is part of The Gateway Region of NJ and is only a short car ride from New York City at just 35 minutes.

The Gateway Region is home to major stadiums for soccer, football and hockey. Some of the most expensive and luxurious real estate in New Jersey can be found here along the Hudson River having incredible views of New York City and the Statue of Liberty. The Gateway Region also houses major transportation routes via water, air, road and rail, as well as being home to several major industries that play a vital role in the state's economy. Transportation hubs include Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal, Newark International Airport, The New Jersey Turnpike, Route I-80 (which runs all the way to San Francisco) and also major local, regional and national freight and passenger train lines. Many jobs are available here in healthcare, hospitality, transportation, warehousing, government, finance, insurance, wholesale trade, retail, technology and science, petrochemical and other manufacturing. These and other industries keep the economy strong in The Gateway Region. Being the closest NJ region to New York City means The Gateway Region includes a lot of the more densely populated towns, such as Jersey City, Patterson, Hoboken and Newark and, of course, the shortest commute times.

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Ratings and Reviews

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Quick Facts

Summit is located in Union County, New Jersey – Gateway Region – less than an hour from NYC by car.

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Quick facts about Summit:

COMMUTE TIME (Hour:Minutes) ⓘ

These times are based on info from New Jersey Transit and Google Maps. Shortest times are given. Use our map above to calculate more accurate commute times to any address.
0:35+

Car ride to NYC.

0:40+

Train service to NYC.

0:40+

Bus service to NYC.

SIZE ⓘ

People per square mile gives you an idea of how much breathing room a town has. NYC has around 27,000 while a well equipped walkable town might have around 5,000. Smaller towns with more single family homes and large yards usually have under 1,000. Click on more info below to see where we get our data. 
21,897

Population estimate, July 1, 2019

6.00

Square miles

3,579

People per square mile

HOUSING ⓘ

Median cost to rent or own is basically the average cost of renting or owning per month in any given town. It’s not exact. Median values include the most expensive dwellings and the cheapest dwellings all averaged together, but with some weight added to higher concentrations in the data set. Just gives you some basic basis of comparison between towns. Click on more info below to see where we get our data.

$1,816

Median gross rent, 2014-2018

$4,000

Median selected monthly owner costs – with a mortgage, 2014-2018

$879,000

Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2014-2018

PROPERTY TAX ⓘ

Approximate tax on $100K of home value. Ex: If you pay $500K for a house, multiply the number in the left column by 5 to get an idea of what you will have to pay each year in property taxes.

$4,360

Property taxes per $100,000 in home value.

Compare tax rates in Summit area.

EDUCATION ⓘ

Gives you the ability to quickly see how much of a town has graduated from high school or higher ed. Click on more info below to see where we get our data.
95.2%

High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2014-2018

71.0%

Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2014-2018

INCOME ⓘ

Gives you an idea of how much people make in this town compared to other towns you look at. Click on more info below to see where we get our data.

$84,258

Median household income (in 2018 dollars), 2014-2018

AGE DISTRIBUTION ⓘ

Gives you an idea of how old your neighbors might be. Click on more info below to see where we get our data.
28.2%

Persons under 18 years

12.9%

Persons 65 years and over

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE STATS & INFO ON RACE, INCOME AND HOUSING

See more stats on race, income and housing
(Hint: Sort by using the “All Topics” pull down menu)

See more stats on property taxes in NJ (green is lower, red is higher)

Does it flood? (FEMA flood maps)

Schools

Some of the schools in Summit are good and some are below average.

See the school scores

Walking and Biking Score

NOTE: All scores over 50 are actually good! Scores under 50 mean you would have a more difficult time

See walking and biking scores

Political Climate in New Jersey

As for most of New Jersey fewer than half of registered voters actually vote and most of the elections are decided by a fairly tight margin. Historically New Jersey has elected more Republicans to office; however, in recent elections conservatives are being edged out somewhat, in part because there are fewer registered Republicans than Democrats in most of the state. About 80% of the counties have more registered Democrats than Republicans, but elections are still tight. In general Republicans are better at getting out the vote on election night than Democrats. 

Union County Voting Results by Town

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School Scores – click on schools please

Walking and Biking Score – any score over 50 is good​

The Full Story of Summit, NJ

What is it like living in Summit, NJ?

Twenty  miles west of Manhattan in Union County, upper-middle-class Summit is a charming, vibrant, clean, walkable city with a large downtown (including a Downtown Historic District), known for its excellent school system; more than 200 wonderful restaurants, unique shops, and businesses; the gorgeous Reeves-Reed Arboretum; as well as many parks and playgrounds. Summit’s six square miles feel like a substantial city, with chain businesses such as West Elm, Serena & Lily, Lululemon, Kings Food Market, Starbucks, and Dunkin, as well as plenty of independent establishments such as The Summit Cheese Shoppe, multiple ice cream shops, the gourmet sweet shop Sweet Nothings, and two bicycle stores, to name a few. The upscale Mall at Short Hills is just ten minutes away. 

That’s Summit in a nutshell!

Click to read more

Community activities for all ages abound, including a weekly farmers market, street fairs, and holiday celebrations. The Summit Area YMCA is a hub for the community, offering many fitness, recreation, and educational programs. The city provides many opportunities for those interested in participating in performing and visual arts, music, theater, painting, sculpture, art classes, and more, particularly through The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, The Summit Playhouse, and Continuo Arts Foundation.

Summit is home to Overlook Medical Center and its network of well-respected doctors.

 

Schools

The top-notch Summit public school system serves 3,961 pre-K through 12th-grade students. More than 300 pre-K through kindergarten students attend the city’s two primary centers, the Summit Primary Center at Jefferson and the Summit Primary Center at Wilson. Brayton School, Franklin School, Jefferson School, Lincoln-Hubbard School, and Washington School house the district’s 1st-5th graders. Lawton C. Johnson Middle School has 923 students in 6th-8th grades, and Summit High School has 1,170 9th-12th graders.

Kent Place School is an all-girls independent school for K-12th grades, with a coed preschool. Oratory Preparatory School (Catholic) offers 7th-12th grades for boys. Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child (Catholic) is coeducational from pre-K through grade 6 and is all-girls from 7th through 12th grades. St. Teresa of Avila (Catholic) has pre-K and kindergarten programs.

 

Parks and Recreation

Summit sits right up against the 2000-acre Watchung Reservation, the largest nature reserve in Union County, with a 6-mile History Trail (with interpretive signage), a great playground, and the Trailside Nature & Science Center, offering environmental education programs for all ages. Summit is home to the beautiful Reeves-Reed Arboretum, which offers breathtaking gardens and an indoor venue for special events. Don’t skip  an April visit, when the arboretum’s sloping hill of thousands of daffodils bursts into bloom. Soldiers Memorial Field, Martin’s Brook Park, Woodland Park, Mabie Playground, Passaic River Park and Passaic County Park Picnic Area, Summit Park Line, and Grove Terrace Park are all lovely places for both passive and active recreation. The Passaic River Trails, which wind through Summit and Chatham, are perfect for walking. The Beacon Hill Club is a private country club in Summit.  

Residents have access to the Summit Family Aquatic Center, which is the community pool, Summit Tennis Club, and Summit Municipal Golf Course (known as “The Muni”). Summit Area YMCA offers myriad recreational programs.

 

Dining and Nightlife

Summit has a wide selection of restaurants—everything from diners and pizzerias, to casual bistros, to fine dining. Cuisines include American, Italian, Greek, Mediterranean, Portuguese, Argentinian, Spanish, Mexican, Colombian, Chinese, Asian, Japanese, and Thai. Great casual dining options include Summit Diner, Hat Tavern at the Grand Summit Hotel, Pizza Vita, The Committed Pig, Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar, Piattino: A Neighborhood Bistro, and The Office Tavern Grill. Summit has some great cafes for coffee, breakfast, and lunch; popular spots are Boxwoods Coffee, Batavia Café, and Marigolds. For dessert, people from all over come to stand in long lines for ice cream from the famous Magic Fountain (ZRolls Ice cream is another fun spot). If you’re looking for an upscale restaurant for a special dinner, check out Summit House Restaurant & Bar, Fiorino Ristorante & Bar, Huntley Taverne, Roots Steakhouse, Fin Raw Bar & Kitchen, or Due 360. After dark, popular bars with entertainment include Fin Raw Bar & Kitchen, Fiorino Ristorante & Bar, Hat Tavern, Huntley Taverne, Marco Polo Restaurant & Tavern, The Office Tavern Grill, and Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar. 

 

Arts and Culture

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is a wonderful place to see exhibitions of contemporary art, take a class in the Studio School, and participate in community programs. There’s also Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre and The Summit Playhouse, one of the oldest continuously operating community theaters in the US. Continuo Arts Foundation offers music education and performances. Downtown, Summit’s Village Green hosts many community events (with food trucks) including the Hot Summer Nights Concert Series and the Screen on the Green Movie Series. 

 

Housing Stock

Although Summit’s housing stock is made up primarily of single-family houses, there are townhouses, condominiums, and apartment complexes, including The Parc at Summit, Summit Park Condominiums, Townhouses at Summit Crossing, New England Village Apartments, Constantine Village, Summit Square, and Spring Hill Apartments. About 70% of Summit’s residents own their homes; 30% are renters.

 

The Commute

Midtown Direct train service (Morris and Essex Line) runs to NY Penn Station from the Summit train station (one-way $9.75, monthly pass $298), where there’s also a connection to the Gladstone Branch. Station to station takes as little as 41 minutes during the morning rush. The train line also provides service to Hoboken and Jersey City (with connections to lower Manhattan by the PATH train). Private bus companies Lakeland Bus and Boxcar also run busses to Manhattan. Parking is available in these municipal parking facilities: Broad Street Garage, Chestnut Avenue Lot, Elm Street Lot, Sampson Lot, and Broad Street East Lot. Resident parking permits cost $864 annually. Daily parking fees are $4 weekdays 6 am-6 pm. Machines accept payments starting at 4 am. Rte. 78 runs just south of Summit, and it takes about 45 minutes to drive to Manhattan at off-peak times (and about 15 minutes to Newark Airport). 

Neighborhoods

One of the most desirable sections of Summit and within walking distance of downtown, Northside has stately homes with large front yards. Franklin Hills has colonial houses set along quiet winding streets. Other neighborhoods include Canoe Brook, Oak Ridge, Memorial Field, The Highlands, Woodland Park, Edgewood Heights, Blackburn Place, and Briant Park. 

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The information provided on this site is for promotional purposes. Not all statements are verified before publishing. It is strongly suggested that always contact the school district and the local municipality directly to verify important information before deciding to move or buy in that location. LovableTowns does not discriminate against any state or federally protected class as it relates to Fair Housing Act and The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD).
Photos by: Casey Kittel, Google Street View, etc.