Millburn section of the town, has neat streets and a mixture of building styles --Colonials, Victorians, Tudors, Cape Cods and 1950's ranches and splits, on smaller lots. Its northern section, known as Short Hills, is associated with the upscale shopping center, the Mall at Short Hills. The residential area of Short Hills is characterized by hilly and winding roads, bordered by aged oaks and some of the country's best examples of 19th-century residential architecture.
THE HISTORY
The municipality owes its character and its prestige to Stewart Hartshorn, inventor of the spring-loaded window shade. In 1877, when he was 37, Mr. Hartshorn bought up 1,550 acres in Millburn. Because of its undulating topography of low hills, none above 660 feet, the area was already known as ''the short hills.’’ Millburn owes its name to Samuel Campbell, a Scottish immigrant who built a paper mill along the Rahway River in 1790, on what is now Brookside Drive. Using the Scottish term burn, which means stream, he called his factory the Mill-on-the-Burn, and that name was adapted to Millburn when the township split from neighboring Springfield in 1857.
WHAT TO DO
There are several smaller neighborhood parks, including the busy and well-maintained Gero Park, a 36-acre expanse off White Oak Ridge Road, which has a clubhouse, a pool, a playground, a par 3 golf course, tennis courts, basketball courts and several baseball fields. Just east of Gero Park is the private 18-hole Canoe Brook Golf Course. Taylor Park, 13 acres on Millburn Avenue, was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, It has a central fountain and a number of ponds and footbridges, all ringed by a walking trail. There are also four free summer concerts on Sundays at the park. The largest recreational area is the 2,000-acre South Mountain Reservation recreation area, owned by Essex County. About half of the reservation is in Millburn, and the other half in Maplewood, South Orange and West Orange. Despite the proximity of the Mall at Short Hills, which is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue, Millburn's central business district continues to thrive along Millburn Avenue and Main Street. The district has some 130 places that serve food, including half a dozen ice cream parlors, over a dozen coffee shops and about 30 full-service restaurants. The Millburn Delicatessen is renowned for its sloppy Joe sandwiches. The district also has two supermarkets and businesses that reflect the community's wealth: 20 banks, boutiques, beauty salons and antiques stores. Three blocks north of Millburn Avenue, on Brookside Drive, near the site of Mr. Campbell's original Mill-on-the-Burn, is the Paper Mill Playhouse, one of the country's best-known regional theaters.
Millburn Township public schools are quite distinguished and given many accolades and awards on a national level. In Millburn Township, there are five elementary schools. Short Hills is part of Millburn and they share Millburn Middle School, Millburn High School and the new Washington School. Millburn Middle School, in Millburn, has about 1,100 students in Grades 6, 7 and 8. The high school has about 1,400 students in Grades 9 through 12. Nearly half of students in Grades 11 and 12 participated in advanced placement classes, versus 19.9 percent statewide. Millburn High School is consistently recognized as one of the best high schools in New Jersey and in the nation. Its rigorous curriculum is taught on four levels of instruction: Accelerated, College Prep A, College Prep B and Non-ranked. There are also more than 30 Advanced Placement (AP) courses in history, mathematics, the sciences, computers, foreign languages, literature, English and music. . The students are involved in many extra curricular activities as well. With more than 26 varsity sports, 60 clubs and organizations, vocal and instrumental groups, and community outreach and public service activities, there is something for each student outside of the classroom.
Of the 188 students in the class of 2021, 97 percent are going on to college. Students who took the College Board tests had a combined verbal and mathematics average of 1342, nearly 300 points above the state average. There are three private schools in town: the Far Brook School, with nursery through the eighth grade; the Pingry Lower School, with kindergarten through the sixth grade; and St. Rose of Lima, a Roman Catholic school with kindergarten through the eighth grade.
Preschools Near Millburn/Short Hills: There are also many excellent pre-school options in the area. A few of the many options are:
- Alpine Montessori
- B’Nai Jeshrun Preschool
- Christ Church Nursery School
- Hedwig Gruenwald Nursery School
- CBI Preschool
- Millburn Co-Op Nursery School
- Montessori Children’s Academy
- Neighborhood House Nursery School
- Open Door Nursery School
Private and Parochial Schools Near Millburn Township: There are many excellent private and parochial schools in the area. Some of those options are:
- Delbarton
- The Far Brook School
- Golda Och Academy
- Kent Place School
- Montclair Kimberly Academy
- The Morristown Beard School
- Newark Academy
- Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
- Oratory Prep
- The Peck School
- The Pingry School
- Saint Peter’s Prep
- Saint Rose of Lima School
- Seton Hall Prep
COMMUTING TO AND TRANSPORTATION
NJ Transit's Midtown Direct train service: avoiding the more ardous route that terminates in Hoboken, where Manhattan-bound riders have to transfer to PATH trains, commuters leaving Millburn arrive at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. There are two train stations in Millburn Township– one in Short Hills and one in Millburn near the downtown. During peak hours, NJ Transit’s Mid-Town Direct service provides express schedule and within about 45 minutes residents to Penn Station. There is also service to Hoboken where one can transfer to the ferry or PATH and get to the financial district.
Some residents in the Glenwood, Wyoming and South Mountain Sections, are able to walk to one station or the other. There are commuter spots available for permit holders at both stations for residents only. Short Hills tends to fill up earlier. Permits cost $620 per year and are issued by the tax collector.
Millburn Township is very close to routes 78 and 24 which provide access to the Garden State Parkway, Route 287 and the Turnpike. Newark Airport is about 18 minutes drive from Millburn/Short Hills.
Millburn's housing ranges from small colonials near Millburn Ave to multimillion dollar mansions in the Short Hills section. Some of the most expensive homes are in the two historic districts -- Short Hills Park, built by Mr. Hartshorn near the center of town, and the Wyoming section, laid out in 1872 in the southeastern section of town. Short Hills Park is listed on both the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places and the Wyoming district is listed on the New Jersey Register.
Useful Links:
- Downtown Millburn
- Liv Bread Artisan Bakery
- Millburn/Short Hills Chamber of Commerce
- Basilico Fine Dining
- Bhakti Barn Yoga
- Boxcar Bar & Grill
- F.M. Kirby Carriage House
- Millburn Deli
- Millburn/Short Hills Patch
- Millburn/Short Hills Magazine
- OrangeTheory Fitness Millburn
- Racquets Club of Short Hills
- Seed 387
- Sneaker Factory
- The Hills Tavern
- The Item
Unique to Town
- The Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary, a woodland area of almost 16 1/2 acres with 3 miles of trails, provides many educational opportunities for children and adults.
- Greenwood Gardens 28-acre formal Italianate garden located in the Short Hills section of Millburn, Guided tours are available May through November.
- The Mall at Short Hills is a premiere shopping center with four upscale anchor stores and more than 150 luxury specialty stores.
- The Papermill Playhouse is one of the oldest regional theaters in the country, and many shows that premiere here make it to Broadway. It was awarded the Regional Theater Tony Award in 2016.