Chatham, New Jersey
The media and polls all agree – Chatham NJ is one of the best residential communities in New Jersey. When locals refer to “Chatham,” they are actually referring to two neighboring towns, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township. Together, these towns have wonderful homes, parks and amenities, share a vibrant downtown, various public services and a common High School. The 2.4 sq. mile Chatham Borough is centered on the downtown area and its neighborhoods are within easy walking distance to town and the train station. Chatham Township is only a few minutes drive from the town center and tends to have larger homes sited on larger pieces of property. Chatham is one of the most sought after towns on the Midtown Direct Train line.
About Chatham
Chatham is approximately 25 miles due west of New York City. It is 45 minutes by car, 47 minutes from NYC’s Penn Station and Wall Street by train and 18 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport.
The highly regarded Chatham School District is a major draw for families moving to the area. Chatham Borough and Chatham Township share one school system that strives to “equip each student with the competencies and awareness to succeed academically, professionally, and socio-emotionally.” Chatham parents are very involved with their schools. In 1997, they created the Chatham Education Foundation to help raise money for the district Schools. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed over $850,000 to the Chatham schools.
Chatham High School – Grades 9-12
Chatham High School’s excellence has made it one of the top high schools in the state for many years. CHS has also been recognized with the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence, the highest award conferred on schools by the US Department of Education. CHS has an average enrollment of 1,159 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 16:1. The school offers over 17 AP Classes and has many extra-curricular activities, including an award-winning marching band, an extensive theater program and athletic teams in almost every sport. The mascot for Chatham High School is the Cougar.
Chatham Middle School – Grades 6-8
The Chatham Middle School, located right off Main Street, aims “to recognize the unique and complex nature of the middle school student.” As a parent of a Middle School “tween,” I can tell you that that is an ambitious goal indeed! Chatham Middle School achieves this goal by subdividing the student body into “Houses.” Each House is a community made up of students from all grades, in which a student will remain for the duration of his time at the Middle School. The House system makes the larger group more manageable and creates camaraderie among the students in each House. CMS has a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including a very strong Middle School athletic program
Chatham Elementary Schools & The Lafayette School – Grades K-5
There are four elementary schools in Chatham. Washington, Southern Boulevard and Milton operate grades Kindergarten through 3. Lafayette School covers grades 4 and 5. In addition to traditional classes, the elementary schools offer innovative learning programs; the new STARLAB Portable Planetarium helps students learn more about astronomy and the solar system and Destination ImagiNation assigns students to teams that learn to solve instant challenges in a very short time frame. The goal of this initiative is to teach the creative process from imagination to innovation.
Washington Avenue (K-3rd)
Southern Boulevard (K-3rd)
Milton Avenue School (K-3rd)
Lafayette School (4th-5th grades)
Private and Parochial Schools Near Chatham
For those looking for private or parochial schools, the following schools are just a few of the many excellent options near Chatham.
The Pingry School
Golda Och Academy
Delbarton School
Kent Place School
Oratory Prep
Saint Patrick’s School – Chatham
The Peck School
Montclair Kimberley Academy
The Morristown Beard School
Newark Academy
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
Seton Hall Prep
Working in Manhattan? The commute from Chatham is an easy and relaxing 47-minute train ride on New Jersey Transit Morristown Line. The Midtown Direct trains bring commuters directly into NYC’s Penn Station and the Hoboken Line brings commuters to Hoboken, NJ where Ferries and Path trains easily carry commuters into lower Manhattan. The train station is located in the heart of downtown Chatham Borough and offers parking to residents for an annual fee of around $435.00. Metered parking and bike racks are other options available to commuters.
Located right off Route 24, Chatham is near I-78, the Garden State Parkway, NJ Turnpike, I-287 and Route 280. This easy access to major highways guarantees Chathamites smooth driving to and from New York and Newark and as well as convenient round-trip travel to all points north, south, east, and west. NJT’s MCM-3 bus connects Chatham to Madison, Morristown, Livingston Mall, Short Hills Mall, Morris Plains and Greystone Park. Area airports are also within easy reach; Newark Liberty International Airport is only an 18-minute-drive away.
