This New Jersey Gem With Big-City Appeal And Small-Town Charm Is A Scenic Train Ride Away From Manhattan

The next time you plan a trip to New York City, skip the expensive stay in Manhattan and instead travel an hour to scenic Summit, New Jersey. This community strikes a perfect balance between the bustle of the city — it's home to over 20,000 residents — and the quiet charm of small-town New Jersey. And it's more than just a place to sleep between shuttles into the metropolis. Summit is a destination in its own right, with plenty of restaurants, shops, community events, and green spaces to explore.

Like many picturesque New Jersey towns and cities, Summit consistently gets high marks from magazines like NJ Monthly and aggregate sites like Niche. Its comfortable suburbs, great education system, low crime rates, and accommodating urban design appeal to families with kids. And folks who have to commute out of Summit love its proximity to New York and other hubs like Newark and, to a lesser extent, Edison, New Brunswick, and Elizabeth. The downside, though, is the real estate prices — if you don't have a million dollars to shell out for a home, then visiting is the next best thing.

If you're just in Summit for a few days, there's no need to worry about home prices anyway. Grab a room at one of three historic accommodations in town: the quiet and comfortable DeBary Inn, the 150 guest rooms of the Grand Summit Hotel, and the Turkey Hill Inn, which is the cheapest of the three but still offers a cozy stay and a hot breakfast. Be sure to enjoy a mean slice of pie and a delicious Jersey bagel, and build an itinerary from a long list of nearby activities and attractions. This suburban New Jersey gem has something for everyone.

Summit might be just an hour's train ride away from Manhattan — 30 minutes if you take the express train — but it's far from the urban sprawl of some larger New Jersey cities like Newark or Elizabeth. Hilltoppers pride themselves on their community's green spaces, perfect for a morning spent walking through nature. Grab a bagel at one of Summit's baker's dozen bagel joints, like at Manhattan Bagels or local chain Bagels-4-U, and then walk it off at the newly restored Briant Pond. Stroll the grounds of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum, where you can see azaleas, daffodils, wildflowers, and carnivorous plants as well as a gallery space and visitor center. Admission is free. Golfers can avail themselves of two guest-friendly 18-hole courses at Canoe Brook Country Club, located next door in Millburn — a small town that blends luxury and Americana vibes. The town is also building another park at the time of writing, a railroad transformation intended to mirror the iconic High Line in New York's Chelsea neighborhood.

Hikers can seek out the 6-mile history trail in the Watchung Reservation at the southern end of town. The 2,000-plus-acre green space includes the family-friendly Trailside Nature and Science Center, which contains educational habitat dioramas and a gift shop. Or you can seek out the deserted village, which you can either hike to or drive to via Cataract Hollow Road. The village, called Feltville, was established around 1845 and was built around a sawmill and paper factory in the area. But when the factory closed, Feltville became abandoned. Today, it's been dutifully preserved thanks to the efforts of Union County. The park closes at dusk, but it's a perfectly spooky place to visit come autumn.

Staying in Summit gives you access to all manner of attractions around Northern New Jersey, from the hiking trails at Great Swamp National Refuge to multi-sensory experiences for the whole family at the American Dream Mall. But Summit still has plenty to see and do, and you could easily spend a whole weekend seeing all the city has to offer.

For starters, check out the thriving downtown space, where dozens of stores offer everything from clothes to fine wine. Parking downtown is tricky, so try leaving your car at the hotel if it's near the downtown district. Once you're downtown, though, you can visit MONDO Summit, an eclectic multi-story building that's home to cafes, theaters, a kitchen goods store, and an art gallery. Elsewhere downtown, Badawang Art is a great destination for international Fair Trade gifts, shop hair products at Drybar, or visit the beauty boutique My Love Story. Stop for a coffee from Batvaria or a glorious, full New Jersey breakfast at the old-fashioned Summit Diner around the corner. Thursdays and Fridays in June and July, you can enjoy live music as you shop courtesy of Summit Street Sounds, and there's a farmers market running every Sunday morning from the end of April to Christmas.

If you need some downtime, seek out the Summit Public Library or browse exhibitions at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. If you want to see a show while you're in town, choose from three community theater groups — the Stony Hill Players, Vivid Stage, and The Summit Playhouse. Or just tuck into a pie at Natalie's Bakery. For dinner, you can't go wrong with the top-rated Fiorino Ristorante and Bar; the pricey but strong Roots Steakhouse for American fare; or Pizza Vita for wood-fired Neopolitan pies.