A quiet, carefully developed community nestled in north central New Jersey in eastern Morris County, Chatham boasts fine schools, parks, recreational and cultural facilities and is home to two major universities. It also boasts another title as well. Money Magazine recently named Chatham as one of the "top ten" places to live in the United States, and it is well-deserving of that accolade.

A Small Town Feel

A bedroom community about 25 miles from New York City and a 40-minute train ride on New Jersey Transit, Chatham received its name from Sir William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, a former British prime minister and renowned statesman during the time of the American Revolution. Both the township and the borough share a common heritage and the same name. Located in the scenic Watchung Hills, the community split into two—Chatham Borough and Chatham Township—in the late 1800s. The 2.3-mile-square borough has more of a village feel with stately older homes and some new condominium construction, and the 9.1-mile-square township is more commercially-oriented but contains a variety of single-family homes, garden apartments and condominiums.

The Early Settlers

Many townships in New Jersey derive their origin from the Lenni Lenape Indians and Chatham is no different. The first settlers in the area were the Minsi group of the Lenape tribe, which are believed to originally have migrated from Canada in search of a warmer climate, according to an historical account on the website, www.chatham-nj.org. The Lenape forded the Passaic River at a shallow point east of Chatham in what they called "the Valley of the Great Watchung."

In 1680, Sir George Carteret, an English politician, who was instrumental in founding the colonial territory between the Hudson and Delaware rivers that eventually became the state of New Jersey, paid the Minsi Indians the equivalent of $55 for land that included the present location of Chatham. The town founded in 1715 received its name officially in 1773 and Chatham's citizens were very active in the Revolutionary War, defending its territory and siding with the colonists' efforts for independence.

The introduction of regional roadways and the railroad helped change the way the town developed. In 1801, the Morris Turnpike made traveling from town to town easier by connecting nearby Elizabeth to Morristown through Springfield and Chatham. Turnpikes and toll roads were originally built in the colony by private corporations to transport their goods to market. Local residents later built an alternate route— what was called Shunpike Road—so that they could avoid paying the tolls. The arrival of the railroad also made quite an impact. The Morris & Essex Railroad came to Chatham in 1837 opening up new modes of travel and bringing in visitors from other faraway locales.

Finding its Roots

With the influx of a busy tourist trade, Chatham became the center of the rose-growing industry in the early 1870s and 1880s. In fact, the American Beauty rose became such a town specialty that at Christmastime, dozens were sent to European royalty. The trains that brought vacationers to Chatham also transported township residents to city jobs and elsewhere. "At the beginning of the 1900s, there were about 1,800 residents living in Chatham Borough, and about 500 in the township," according to the website.

After World War II, the rose farms were transformed into luxurious homesites paving the way for future newcomers. Years later, pharmaceutical and hi-tech companies such as AT&T, Wyeth, Lucent Technologies, Nabisco Novartis, Prudential, and Schering-Plough built their corporate headquarters in the area leading many employees to make their homes in Chatham or vicinity. Today the combined population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, is about 19,000 residents.

Life in the Top Ten Towns

Ranked ninth in the magazine's listing, the town's demographics are typical of an affluent suburban community in the tri-state area. Money Magazine reports that Chatham's average median household income is $114,107 and average median home prices are in the neighborhood of $544,202.

"The town is booming. Property values are very high," says Richard Driscoll, a longtime realtor and the owner of Driscoll Real Estate in Chatham. Many people have relocated to Chatham for its charming downtown and Main Street, its reputation for fine schools, its colleges and a large number of cultural amenities, according to Driscoll. "You've got a good group of people in here. You've got local business people. You've got people from the city that live out here. People who have relocated who want a good school system. It's really the Chathams because you've got Chatham Township and Chatham Borough. If you live in the township or you move to the township, Chatham Borough is really your downtown. They have the combined recreation committees. Although they're two different councils in two different towns they really kind of work together. I grew up in Chatham Township and live now in Chatham Borough. They're great little towns."

Actual selling prices for many properties are even a bit higher than the magazine's average, according to Peter Fife, a real estate broker with his wife, Victoria, and the owner of Prudential New Jersey Properties in Chatham. A town resident since 1988, Fife says that home prices have increased 20 percent since June of 2004. The average sales price as of June 2005 in the borough was $800,000 and in the township, $1 million.

In terms of condominiums, Fife notes that along the borough's Main Street there are garden apartments and 'fee simple' condos that go from about $250,000 to $300,000. A recent one-bedroom in the borough listed for $269,000 and he sold a two-bedroom for about $319,000.

Over in the township, says Fife, you have Chatham Glen, a series of separate condominium developments built in the mid-80s and completed in the early 1990s. These developments are called Briarwood, Sutton Woods, Coach Light Square, Vernon Grove and Heritage Greene. Prices there range from an average of around $400,000 to $500,000 and go upwards to around $700,000, he explains.

As far as new development, Sterling Properties has built The Chatham, eight luxurious townhouses priced in the high $800,000s that received awards from the New Jersey Builder's Association and the Community Builders Association of New Jersey, and another development in the works is RoseValle, a community that will contain 56 luxury townhomes, a clubhouse and a host of amenities for the upscale new buyer.

Recreation, Art and Culture

The Chatham regional school system ranks second in all of New Jersey and Fairleigh Dickinson University and Drew University are located in nearby Madison. Museums and theaters offer cultural activities and nightlife and several retail shopping malls are close by in Madison and Short Hills. Major recreational facilities include the Great Swamp National Wildlife Preserve in Chatham Township and the Morristown National Historical Park. In this area around Morristown, during two harsh winters in 1777 and 1779-1780, the main encampments of the American Continental Army were sheltered and commander-in-chief, General George Washington, established his headquarters.

The Great Swamp was created about 15,000 years ago when melting waters of the Wisconsin Glacier formed a natural basin known as the Passaic Valley. The area is a mix of swampland, marshes, meadows and trees. It also supports a variety of plant and animal life. Visitors to the nature can see plants of all sizes to massive red oaks and wildlife in their natural habitat. The outdoor education center contains two classrooms for formal learning, a large auditorium, a natural history library, natural history displays, and two miles of natural trails for exploration.

The Chatham Community Players runs a full theater season from October through May, operates a children's fantasy theatre, holds a Summer Festival of New Jersey Playwrights and offers year-round internship programs to aspiring playwrights. And if your taste is not into live dinner theater, within a 15-mile radius, you can find about 27 movie theaters, nearly 6,000 restaurants, 416 bars, 86 golf courses, 123 libraries and 26 museums.

Fife said he can appreciate why the town won the award. The Chathams have attracted a nice mix of people, offer a lot of activities to keep its citizens occupied, and it's close enough to New York City to satisfy those looking to work and play in the larger metropolis called the Big Apple.

So if you're looking for a place that has a little bit of the best of everything, Chatham, New Jersey fills the bill for visitors and residents alike.

Debra A. Estock is Managing Editor of The New Jersey Cooperator.