About West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is among the largest communities in
Essex County, New Jersey with a population of nearly
fifty thousand people. Almost twenty percent of the
town is open space devoted. to magnificent parks and
nature preserves West Orange has great beauty, not
only in nature but in its beautiful and sometimes
historic housing stock set in different sections
with unique names such as St. Cloud, Gregory,
Redwood, Lourdes, Llewellyn Park, and others. For
photos of West Orange, click on Town Photos tab.
What's in West Orange
West Orange has more high profile attractions and
organizations than many other communities in Essex
County and even the state of New Jersey. The Turtle
Back Zoo is an enormous draw for its exotic animals
such as bison, llamas, emu, cougars, wolves, bear,
peacocks, penguins, monkeys, reptile house, real
live children's train, enormous carousel, pony
rides, snack bars, outdoor picnic area and
playground. Next door is the Governor Richard Codey
Ice Arena with two indoor rinks and a fiercely
competitive hockey and figure skating program.
The Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center is
thriving with year round productions. It is also
known for its annual two day jazz festival held in
its glorious outdoor amphitheater for two days each
September.
Llewellyn Park is a famous gated community full
of magnificent historic homes including the national
landmark home of Thomas Edison. The prestigious St
Barnabas Medical Center is on the West
Orange/Livingston border and is ranked in the top 5%
of hospitals in the country. West Orange is also
home to the world renowned Kessler Institute for
Rehabilitation. Patients come to Kessler from all
over the globe for treatment.
Parks and Recreation
The Eagle Rock Reservation is an enormous red oak
forest with miles of bridle paths and hiking trails
and all kinds of flora, fauna and natural beauty.
From the old Look Out Point, which is now the site
of the 9/11 Memorial Park, it has an unrivaled
sweeping view of Manhattan from the George
Washington Bridge to the Verrazano Bridge. Located
on the crest of First Mountain alongside the
Highlawn Pavillion restaurant, it's at the top of
what old timers here call 'Snake Road', a winding
road connecting West Orange to Montclair.
Aside from Turtle Back Zoo and Richard Codey Ice
Arena, there is also the Francis A. Byrne Public
Golf Course; the wonderful and competitive Essex
Equestrian Center with year-round riding in the
Olympic-sized indoor ring; a community pool with a
diving tank, slides and baby pool; as well as a
number of different sports leagues for individuals
of all ages. There are also several private country
clubs in West Orange, as well.
Commuting From West Orange
Many residents in West Orange take the bus -
accessible from almost anywhere in town - to New
York City's Port Authority. For those commuters who
prefer the train, there are options such as driving
a very short distance on Rte 280 to Harrison for the
park and ride or, using the train stations in
neighboring Orange, South Orange or Montclair.
Because of the easy access to Rte 280 from West
Orange, many residents also drive.
West Orange School System
The West Orange Public School District offers an
excellent education to students in kindergarten
through twelfth grades. There are eleven schools
total with seven elementary schools including
Gregory, Hazel, St. Cloud, Mt. Pleasant,
Pleasantdale, Redwood and Washington. There are
three middle schools including Edison, Liberty and
Roosevelt and of course, West Orange High School.
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