This listing is sponsored by Kimberly Fio Rito at Keller Williams NJ Metro Group. Have a listing you’d like to feature? Email us, [email protected].
Jersey City can be a challenging place to raise a family. You want great public schools in which your kids can learn. You want a lower property tax burden. You want enough space for your growing clan. Maybe you even want a yard.
Solutions to these dilemmas can be found in Essex County’s Verona, where you can move to the suburbs without sacrificing dining, culture, or easy access to the city. As a resident fondly describes the town in an interview with the New York Times: “It’s so cute, the kids all walk to school. They know who the crossing guard is. It’s a very Norman Rockwell setting.” Located next to Montclair, Verona boasts a wide variety of housing options, as well as easy access to the highways.
Take a look at 21 Westover Road in Verona, a four-bedroom, four-bath home situated on a quiet gas lamp street in the Kip’s Castle neighborhood. This classic center hall Colonial is the kind of house that showcases the best of the suburban American dream. With a whopping 3,741 sq. ft. of living space, it’ll give your family room to spread out and maybe even get a little bigger.
This residence includes a fully finished walk-out basement with its own bedroom and full bath, along with a wine cellar and an entertainment center with built-in surround sound. Did somebody say “man cave?”
On the first floor, this home boasts an oversized living room with a gas fireplace and a formal dining room with a wood-burning fireplace. There’s a conservatory that’s perfect for use as a study, or as a playroom; there’s also a remodeled mudroom off the side entrance. As for the eat-in kitchen, you can open sliding glass doors to a deck that overlooks a quiet, beautiful yard measuring approximately 1/3 of an acre.
Climb the stairs to the second floor, where you’ll find four bedrooms and three full baths. There’s also an office which can double as an au pair suite.
We know that no matter how satisfying your suburban home is, you still want a life worth living. That’s why this Verona residence stands out. You’re less than a five-minute walk away from the express bus to New York City and within 2 miles of four NJ Transit train stations on the Montclair-Boonton Line (Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Bay Street and Upper Montclair), making commuting to the city a breeze.
But what is there to do when you want to stay local? With trendy downtown Montclair less than two miles away, the options are almost limitless; there are more restaurants then we can name and you’ll have plenty of shops, entertainment options nearby as well. Here are our top suggestions:
- Discover the thriving restaurant scene on Bloomfield Ave. We recommend Ariane Kitchen & Bar in Verona for modern American specialties. Of note, chef and owner Ariane Duarte is a Top Chef and handily Beat Bobby Flay with her signature dish. For Italian classics, check out Saluga in Verona or its big brother, Salute in Montclair or perhaps Positivitea for vegan fare. If you’re more hands-on, pick up some classic Italian provisions at the quintessential Italian Delicatessen, Belgiovine, and then round out shopping at Whole Foods across the street and have all your apartment dwelling friends over for a cookout.
- Take in a show at the Wellmont Theater, where you’ll find a packed concert calendar, combining big-name comics along with a truly diverse music lineup featuring a little something for everybody. Want some more culture? Try the Montclair Art Museum with its distinctive collection of American and Native American art, exhibitions, and educational programs that link art to contemporary life in a global context or The Van Vleck House, a 1868 Italianate villa with lush gardens offering tours, education programs, workshops & meditations (don’t miss the jack-o-lantern display at Halloween).
- Nearby Verona Park offers 54 acres surrounding a beautiful lake with paddle boats, a restaurant, along with tennis courts, a 1.2-mile fitness path, a playground, and a bandstand. After you stroll the park, walk over to The Towne Scoop for an old fashioned ice cream treat.
- For an outdoor experience with a little more solace and solitude, visit Eagle Rock Reservation, with an extensive walking and hiking trail system within its 408 acres.
- The kids (and most adults!) will enjoy Turtle Back Zoo or Zip Lining and the Ropes Course at South Mountain Reservation in neighboring West Orange
- Explore the long, strange history of Kip’s Castle, a medieval Norman castle-inspired mansion with 30 remarkable rooms and amazing New York City views from an 11-acre perch on the First Mountain ridge. If history isn’t necessarily your thing, try Friday Night Flicks, an open air free movie series on Friday nights during the summer on the castle grounds.
- How about a swim? The Verona Pool is legendary…no really. A half MILLION gallons of water, two 150 foot slides; separate, enclosed kids pool and playground, basketball, beach volleyball, snack bar.
The listing agent, Kim Fio Rito, Sales Associate at Keller Williams Realty in Montclair knows first-hand what it’s like to move from the city to the “burbs”,
“My husband and I made the move from Jersey City to Verona almost 10 years ago. We had grown out of our space, a small condo with 2 children, a dog, and a cat. We had been house hunting for about 8 months with pretty specific criteria – an area where the commute would be less than an hour to NYC and Jersey City and where we can enjoy a downtown vibe with restaurants and shopping; we literally stumbled upon Verona. It was a perfect fit, more for our money, good schools, more living space, easy commute, and close to restaurants and nightlife.”
Since moving, Fio Rito has switched careers and now dedicates her time to helping families like hers find a great place to live.
Verona is a wonderful place to make a life, and this house at 21 Westover Road is a great place to live. And hey, if you miss the City, walk half a block up to the top of Westover Road and gaze at the Empire State Building and the rest of the skyline arrayed before you on the horizon.
For more information about 21 Westover Road, contact Kimberly Fio Rito at 917-497-4907, [email protected] or visit KimFioRitoHomes.com. An open house is scheduled for this Sunday (2/12) from 2p-4pm.
Listing: 21 Westover Rd, Verona, NJ
Asking: $819,000
Agent: Kimberly Fio Rito / Keller Williams NJ Metro Group
[gmap height=”250px”]21 Westover Rd, Verona, NJ 07044[/gmap]
21 Westover Rd, Verona, NJ 07044
