A small college town that's home to parts of Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College of Saint Elizabeth, Florham Park measures about seven square miles and has a population of approximately 12,000. Its Morris County location, about 27 miles from New York City, makes it popular with commuters, who can get direct train service in Convent Station. Bordering towns include Morris Township, Madison, Chatham, Hanover and East Hanover.

Residents of Florham Park are following in the footsteps of some of the country's most illustrious families. Millionaires Florence Vanderbilt and her husband, financier Hamilton Twombly, settled here in the late 1800s and built Florham, an elaborate estate on 840 acres. The estate name came from combining the owners' first names. The Park part of the town name came from Dr. Leslie Ward, who helped found Prudential Insurance during that same time period. He named the mansion on his 1,000-acre property Brooklake Park. In 1899, the borough recognized the civic contributions of these wealthy citizens and re-named it Florham Park. Earlier borough names were Broomtown (since there was an active broom-making trade here), Hoppingtown, Columbia and Afton.

Community Life

Florham Park residents take great pride in their long-standing traditions, which include one of the oldest Fourth of July celebrations in the state with a flag-raising ceremony, parade and fireworks, and a popular summer concert series at the town gazebo. Commercial enterprises in the borough range from fine dining to take-out restaurants and everything in between. There are several shopping centers, independently-owned shops and numerous service-oriented businesses.

The Free Public Library in the municipal complex was added onto in 2005, resulting in a 16,000 square-foot facility with an extensive book and media collection as well as Internet access. Wide-ranging activities for all ages such as sports teams, trips and classes are sponsored by the Recreation Department. The municipal pool complex is another amenity enjoyed by the community.

Many corporations and organizations have a presence in one of Florham Park's manicured business campuses including BASF, AT&T and the New York Jets football team.

Education

Public schools in Florham Park include the Briarwood Elementary School for kindergarten to grade two; Brooklake Elementary School for grades three to five; and Ridgedale Middle School for grades six to eight. Hanover Park Regional High School in Hanover Township meets the needs of local high school students from Florham Park and several other surrounding towns.

Holy Family School is a private, Roman Catholic school for students in kindergarten through grade eight.

Real Estate

Housing in Florham Park consists of mid-century architecture, newer luxury homes and a few condominium communities. Spacious homes from the 1950s and 1960s are typically seen in the Briarwood neighborhood near the Briarwood School, Pinch Brook bordering the Pinch Brook Golf Course, and Brooklake near the Brooklake School, although this part of town also has some developments built in the 1980s. Colonial-style homes on larger properties of an acre or more typify the Covent Station area, a part of which is in Florham Park. Many residents are within walking distance to the train station, adding to its value for commuters. Spacious contemporary and Colonial homes built mostly in the 1980s are located in the Lakeside neighborhood. Large, upper-end homes built mostly in the 1990s characterize the Summit Woods and Country Club Estates neighborhoods, where prices are in the $1 to $2 million range.

Transportation

Local bus and train service to New York City makes travel easy, while Route 24 is a convenient link to a network of larger highways. New Jersey Transit's Midtown Direct train service connects Convent Station to Manhattan's Penn Station in about 40 minutes. Newark Liberty International Airport is about 15 miles from Florham Park.

Local Attractions

Sports fans may already know that since 2008, the New York Jets have had their training facility in Florham Park. Practice sessions are held at the 120,000 square foot Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.

Notable sites dot the borough including the Greek Theater (based on the Theater of Dionysius in Athens) built into a hillside at the College of Saint Elizabeth in 1932; the Columbia School District Schoolhouse (known locally as the Little Red Schoolhouse), a circa 1866 structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and Samuel Ford Jr.'s Hammock Farm on Columbia Turnpike, a 1773 dwelling also referred to as The Hammock.