Located about 20 miles from the George Washington Bridge, the borough of Allendale in Bergen County provides residents with small-town tranquility and excellent schools, as well as the conveniences that come with having commuter train service and being near Route 17.
The borough's open spaces, which can be found at Crestwood Park and the Celery Farm, are another reason why buyers come to Allendale and stay in Allendale, said Claudia Sanchez of Terrie O'Connor Realtors, Allendale.
Sanchez, who has been in real estate for 10 years, also lives in the borough.
"Allendale offers a small-town feel," Sanchez said. "You have great schools, a very charming downtown area, and a fabulous set of open spaces. You have the Celery Farm, which is 107 acres of preserved wetlands with walking trails. We also have Crestwood Park, which not only features open space for the kids to play and the playground, but that's also the location of Crestwood Lake, which is Allendale's swim club. That's just a great place for kids and adults."
The schools in Allendale are Hillside Elementary School, Brookside Middle School and Northern Highlands Regional High School.
"All the schools and the library are within walking distance of one another," Sanchez said. "That's a nice feature for the kids. It's a safe community. Even though Allendale is a small town, there's access into Manhattan via the train station, and Allendale is close to major highways, especially Route 17. You have a bit of a metropolitan vibe here; we're charming and cute, but we're current and up-to-date."
Jenny Lindberg, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Ridgewood, said the Garden State Parkway isn't that far from the borough, supplying residents with another convenient roadway on which to get to work or run errands.
"People can take Allendale Avenue to get over to the Garden State Parkway," said Lindberg, who's been involved in the real estate industry for 20 years. "On Saturdays, when Route 17 gets a little congested from all the shopping, you can bypass all that by taking the Garden State Parkway and then just travel across Allendale Avenue and be home."
'A STRONG MARKET HERE'
Sanchez and Lindberg said Allendale is comprised mostly of single-family homes in a mix of ranches, split-levels and colonials. There are several condo/townhome communities in the borough, as well as some two-family homes.
Seniors who seek community living can find appropriate housing at The Allendale Community for Mature Living (allendalecommunity.com), which is comprised of three separate residences: The Atrium, for residential living; Carlton Court for assisted living; and The Allendale Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center.
Located at West Orchard Street and the Franklin Turnpike is Orchard Commons, a housing development for adults with special needs. A second, similar development called Crescent Commons is being built on West Crescent Avenue near Crestwood Park.
"Orchard Commons is near the center of town, which is terrific for the residents there," Sanchez said. "They can access the stores and restaurants easily."
Lindberg said Allendale has one section in town called San Jacinto, which generally features larger properties and larger homes. This section is near the Wyckoff/Waldwick border on the southwest corner of town.
"You may have buyers who purchase a ranch-style home in San Jacinto and build a new two-story colonial," Lindberg said. "In the fall, I sold a three-bedroom ranch in San Jacinto in the mid-$700,000s."
Lindberg said that in the current inventory of 27 single-family homes on the market, the average listing price is $735,685. A three-bedroom ranch on the lower end of the price scale is listed at $469,900, and on the higher end is a five-bedroom, three-bathroom colonial listed at $1.275 million.
Sanchez said the lowest-priced condo in Allendale at the moment is priced at $259,000, and it has two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
"Three years ago, a similar unit would have gone for $360,000," she said. "Allendale, just like any town, has been affected by the housing market's situation and economy. It remains a desirable town because of everything the town has to offer. Although prices have been affected by the economy, it still is a strong market here."
PLACES TO RELAX, WALK OR EAT
Crestwood Park and the Celery Farm provide residents with areas to get in touch with nature, relax or stay active. Residents also can go downtown to enjoy various restaurants and go shopping.
Gregory Earnshaw of The McBride Agency, Franklin Lakes, said Allendale has a great center of town with many nice restaurants.
"There's also a bagel shop and deli," said Earnshaw, who has been in real estate since 1995. "It's a great family town. Everybody gets along and knows each other. People buy and stay here."
Peter McBride - son of J. Nevins McBride, who founded The McBride Agency in 1960 - said his father put him in charge of the land that would later be known as the Celery Farm.
"We had 60 acres up there," McBride said. "My father and a group of investors ran it as a celery farm until 1945. They grew yellow celery; for some reason they couldn't grow green celery there - it was so wet. They used to sell all of it to the [U.S.] Navy."
At the end of the war, McBride said there was no market for yellow celery, so the celery farm was shut down, and the property sat for many years.
"We looked at some options for building apartments, maybe a nine-hole golf course," he said. "I was approached by a gentleman from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and he asked if my family would consider donating or selling the property at a reduced price to his organization to maintain the property as a nature area or park. I thought it was a great idea because I didn't think it was feasible to do anything else with the property. We sold the property at approximately half its value to the conservation foundation."
The Borough of Allendale owns the Celery Farm as municipal open space.
CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Allendale has a number of clubs and organizations for residents to develop hobbies, make friends, or give back to the community.
Some clubs include:
• The XYZ Senior Citizens Club: seniors can enjoy lunch with friends, play cards and hear from speakers.
• The Newcomers' Club: Those new to Allendale or looking to meet more people can take part in various events.
• Women's Club: Members support regional and local organizations through volunteering and donations.
ABOUT TOWN IN ALLENDALE
Population: 6,505, including:
• White, non-Hispanic: 5,450
• Asian: 627
• Hispanic: 304
• Black: 33
Housing Figures
• Avg. Residential Tax Bill: $12,796
• Median Sales Price Year to Year: $590,660
Public Schools
Hillside Elementary School, Brookside Middle School, and Northern Highlands Regional High School
• Graduation rate for Northern Highlands Regional High School: 100%
Points of Interest
• Lee Memorial Library: 500 West Crescent Ave.
• Crestwood Park: West Crescent Avenue, a 71-acre municipal facility that has a lake, three beaches, and, a barn pavilion and, as well as sports fields. Ice skating is available during winter months.
• Celery Farm: Franklin Turnpike and West Crescent Ave., a 107-acre freshwater wetland with footpaths, observation platforms, and nesting boxes. More than 240 species of birds have been identified at the park.
Town events
• Easter egg hunt
• Fourth of July fireworks
• Labor Day festivities
• Allendale Festival Day in October
• Halloween parade
• Holiday visit from Santa
History
• During the 19th century, Allendale was a farming community well-known for its strawberries, "which were shipped in huge quantities to nearby markets in Paterson, Newark, and New York by horse-drawn wagons at first and later by train," stated the borough's website. "The railroad came to Allendale in the 1840s with planning, surveying and construction continuing from 1841 until October 1848 when the first train ran through town. Its route through this area was surveyed by Joseph Warner Allen, an engineer from South Jersey...and when a name was needed for the depot, his name was incorporated into 'Allendale.'"
