North Jersey community with an active downtown near the city
The birthplace of both the first rap song and John Travolta, Englewood is a diverse North Jersey community with an urban atmosphere. “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang was the first hip-hop song to hit the Billboard Hot 100, and it’s still credited with putting rap on the map. The break-out star of “Saturday Night Fever,” Travolta lived in Englewood until he moved to New York City as a teen to pursue acting. This move wasn’t too far, though, as Manhattan is just 12 miles south of the city. That proximity to the Big Apple attracts commuters looking for more space and value without giving up access to the city. “A lot of people here have half their life in New York and half their life here,” says Marilyn Budnick, an agent with Sotheby’s International Realty and a 25-year Englewood resident.
The hilly Downtown Englewood area is lined with international eateries, bakeries and boutiques, while nearby nature centers offer green respites. Home to slightly fewer than 30,000 residents, the Bergen County community of Englewood is located just across the Hudson River from the Bronx, with the Palisades Interstate Parkway running parallel to the water. This major roadway merges with Interstate 95 on the city’s south side, which makes its way east across the George Washington Bridge into Washington Heights of New York City.
Local residents walking downtown in Englewood.
Crispy Crust Pizza was the location where the Sugar Hill Gang was formed in Englewood, NJ.
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The bustle and diverse cuisines of Downtown Englewood
Most of Englewood’s dining scene is situated in the downtown area, where a smorgasbord of cuisines sits next to shopping malls. “The town is diverse,” Budnick says. “Through the years, I’ve known a lot of artists and writers who’ve lived here.” Residents can choose from Argentinian baked goods, farm-to-table Italian, Mediterranean, Korean and Carribean, to name a few of the many culinary options. The downtown area also features Palisades Court, a retail section with salons, medical clinics, department stores and gift shops. The Englewood Hospital is located a few blocks north of this downtown area.
Englewood is considered a Special Improvement District, or SID, with a specific focus on the small businesses and developments in Downtown Englewood. These property owners pay an additional contribution with the goal of maintaining a clean and safe business environment that will help to increase visitors and foot traffic to the downtown district.
Balthazar bakery is a French-inspired bakery offering baguettes, croissants & more in Englewood.
Dishes are rooted in the Mediterranean tradition at the Antioch Restaurant in Englewood NJ.
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Catching a show at the Bergen Performing Arts Center
Located in the Downtown Englewood district, the Bergen Performing Arts Center – or BergenPAC – is a theater with a packed calendar of concerts, dance performances, kids’ shows and comedy acts. The 2025 lineup begins with musical performances by Elvis, The Beatles and Johnny Cash tribute bands, comedy acts from Richard Kind and Tracy Morgan, and other shows including the Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo and Disney sing-a-longs.
Bergen Performing Arts is a very famous venue for entertainment in Englewood, NJ.
The billboards at the Bergen PAC is very informative in Edgewater, NJ.
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Outdoor adventures at Flat Rock Brook Nature Center and Mackay Park
Toward the south side of the city, Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre park with an education center, a playground and a raptor aviary that houses a variety of birds of prey. A 3.6-mile walking trail meanders through wetlands and meadows, and passes by a pond and streams. The nature center also hosts a myriad of programs, including group walks and summer camps.
Centrally located in Englewood, Mackay Park is a 28-acre city park space with an ice-skating area, outdoor swimming pool, soccer and baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a playground. To the north, Knickerbocker Country Club is a private, member-owned golf club, and to the west, Overpeck Golf Course is open to the public.
Mackay Park sign in Englewood, NJ
Visitors of Flat Rock Brook park have a beautiful bridge crossing the brook in Englewood, NJ
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Downtown's Victorian townhomes and East Hill’s colonial-style estates
Englewood has a variety of housing styles, including Victorian homes dating to the early 20th century, colonial-style residences reflecting Englewood’s 18th-century roots, and townhouses and family homes built in the early 1900s. The East Hill neighborhood on the city’s east side features larger million-dollar estates. While the median price for a single-family home is $550,000 and the median price for a townhome is $700,000, the east-side estates can see price tags around $6 million. “Like the rest of New Jersey, prices have really increased because there’s no inventory,” Budnick says. With a 37% price increase from 2023, properties typically sell after an average of three months on the market.
Victorian homes are a very common style of house in Edgewater, NJ.
Single family homes are very popular in Englewood.
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NJ Transit bus service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station
Palisades Parkway and U.S. Route 9 run side-by-side along the east side of Englewood, while Interstate 95 and Route 4 cut across the south side of the city. There is no passenger train service in Englewood, but the NJ Transit bus system offers routes throughout. Residents can take the bus to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and then hop onto a subway to get around New York City. LaGuardia Airport is about a 15-mile drive deeper into the city.
Englewood Public Schools and private Dwight-Englewood School
The Englewood Public School District serves the community, complete with three elementary schools, one middle school and Dwight Morrow High School – John Travolta’s alma mater. Its striking campus dates to 1932 and was built in the Collegiate Gothic architectural style. Dwight-Englewood School is a private kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade institution rated as the No. 1 private school in Bergen County, according to Niche. Another private option is Fusion Academy, an arts-based school for sixth through twelfth graders.
Dr McCloud Elementary School in Englewood, NJ gets an overall rating of C from NIche.
Englewood on the Palisades Charter School in Englewood, NJ has 312 students.
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Crime rates and weather patterns in Englewood
According to FBI Crime Data Reporter, the violent crime rates in Englewood have fluctuated from 2023 to 2024, with rates rising to almost double that of the United States in the summer of 2023, and dropping to just below the national rate at the end of 2023. Englewood’s violent crime rates are typically higher than the state as a whole. The city’s property crime rates also fluctuate, typically staying on par with the state’s and remaining lower than the national rate. The hottest month in Englewood is typically July, with temperatures reaching into the mid-80s for average highs. The coldest month is usually January, with lows averaging in the mid-20s. The rainiest month is most often April, while February tends to bring the most snow.
Marc Ramón Titus is a licensed Realtor at Realty ONE Group, specializing in the North East-West corridor of NJ. After almost two decades of working in finance, he transitioned to Real Estate officially 8 years ago. When he is not out passionately representing Buyers and Sellers, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters, dancing to cultural music in someone's VIP. He is an avid basketball fan, specifically a Lakers fan from NJ, and always down for a political debate and sharing opinions on the world's current affairs. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha and actively participates in making the world a better place.
With his extensive knowledge of the state and its offerings, a wealth of resources, and an uncanny ability to make things happen, Marc is the ideal person to assist anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
