Mountainside

Mountainside is a small town located in Union County, New Jersey. The town is situated on the southern side of the Watchung Reservation.  It's more rural setting than neighboring towns allow for beautiful landscape filled with lush greenery and scenic views.  It is bordered by Westfield on the southern side, Summit to the north, Springfield to the east and Berkeley Heights and Scotch Plains to the west.  

Landscape

Mountainside is primarily a residential area, with mostly single-family homes with some townhomes/condos - some newly built. The homes that you will find range from ranches to colonials and many of the homes in the area are older and well-maintained.  Public sewer, water and gas are widely available.  Since it sits on the side of a mountain, landscape is mostly hilly and there are a lot of wooded areas.  Many areas do not have sidewalks but there are trails and parks to explore.

AREA ROADS/MANHATTAN/AIRPORTS

There is no train station in Mountainside but the neighboring towns of Summit, Westfield and Berkeley Heights do.  In addition, there is access to bus routes that take you to NYC along Rte 22 which cuts through the southern tip of the town.  There is not direct access to any major highways but Rte 78 is close by.  The Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike are within close proximity as well.  Off peak drive time is approximately 50 minutes to NYC and approximately 1 1/5 hours to Philadelphia.  Major airports are Newark International Airport (under 20 miles), John F. Kennedy International Airport (approx. 50 miles).

SCHOOLS

The Mountainside School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.  With an enrollment hovering below 800 students, personal attention is the norm.  High school students attend Governor Livingston in the neighboring town of Berkeley Heights.

1.  Deerfield Elementary School -  grades 3-8

2.  Beechwood School - grades Pre-k - 2nd

3.  Governor Livingston High School - grades 9-12

In addition to the public schools, Mountainside is surrounded by a number of highly rated private schools.  Finally, the county has several magnet schools and vocational school opportunities for high school students.

WHAT TO DO

The Watchung Reservation encompasses a big part of Mountainside and as a result, there are many outdoor activities.  The Loop Playground and Trailside Nature Center are just 2 of the jewels in the area.  The Nature Center offers many affordable activities for families such as classes and hikes and a free museum to explore. The Loop Playground is located at West R Tracy Drive but can be reached through a trail from the Nature Center.  It features a large playground, picnic area, grill, bathroom facilities and a little snack stand that is occasionally open.   It is surrounded by trails to explore and Lake Surprise sits nearby where fishing, boating and exploring is available.  Watchung Stables is the county Stables that resides in Mountainside.  It offers boarding, trail rides, lessons and some amateur competitions for young riders.  If that isn't enough, Echo Lake Park sits partially in Mountainside where you can find more trails, Echo Lake with Pedal Boats, a cafe, a small park, dog park, sledding, ice skating and concert area.  Mountainside hosts many Community Events throughout the year. 

Of course, you also have easy access to the center of town which boasts several great restaurants and stores.  The neighboring towns have a lot to offer with hopping downtown areas in local Westfield and Summit.  And there are many stores located on easy to reach rte 22 going both east and west. 

HOSPITALS

The closest hospital is Overlook Medical Center in Summit but children's Specialized Hospital calls Mountainside home.  Children's Specialized Hospital is the largest peciatric rehabilitation hospital in the US with centers of excellence in Brain Injury, Spinal cord Dysfunction, Educational and Rehabilitation Technology.