West Long Branch is the kind of community where business owners and patrons are on a first-name basis and children know their classmates from kindergarten through graduation. The neighborly borough of Monmouth County is largely residential with pockets of commercial activity.
A drive through the borough reveals that most residences are on generous lots with mature trees, manicured lawns and paved driveways. Regarding single-family homes, the area's selection includes modern builds, split-level ranchers and Colonial Revival-style homes. While the area's more expanise four-bedroom homes can easily go for upwards of $900,000, most homes fall between $550,000 and $850,000. Condominiums are also available in West Long Branch, and start just below $400,000.
West Long Branch School District serves roughly 550 students in prekindergarten through eighth grades, allowing students to build enduring relationships that begin in their tender years and last through adolescence and beyond. The district's youngest students attend B-rated Betty McElmon Elementary School. Fifth through eighth-grade students attend Frank Antonides School, located next door. The B-rated middle school maintains and impressive 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Most secondary students attend Shore Regional High School and District, which boasts an A-minus rating on Niche.com. This International Baccalaureate World School is open to students from four Monmouth County communities. West Long Branch's southeast corner is taken up with the Monmouth University campus. The private university's stately campus enrolls close to 6,000 students. Twenty-three Division 1 NCAA athletics teams bring a strong sense of school spirit and local pride to West Long Branch. Go Hawks!
Franklin Lake Park is a community gathering place. The lake has a central fountain and is stocked for fishing. A paved walking trail winds for nearly a mile around the lake. The park's gazebo is used for live musical concerts, and there's a seasonal farmers market on Fridays. The park also hosts a fireworks show every Fourth of July and the community's annual Fall Festival every October.
A few chain cafes and sandwich shops dot the borough along with mom-and-pop restaurants. Zachary's Restaurant & Bar is a local pizza, steak and seafood joint where you can also get a drink and kick back to live music. Jersey Mike's hits the spots for sub sandwiches. For a classy date night with an international flair, head to nearby Mar Belo Portuguese Restaurant and Lounge—the sangria and paella pair very well. For groceries and household essentials, locals can head to Route 36 to the ShopRite or an ALDI.
Route 36 cuts along the northern section of West Long Branch and provides a straight shot west to Garden State Parkway. The community is just over 50 miles from both Trenton, New Jersey and New York City, so locals commuting with personal vehicles typically have an hour-plus commute to either city. There is a Long Branch Rail Station, but the commute time to New York City is between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half hours depending on the time of day.
Piotr Sudal
EXP Realty
(609) 913-2425
106 Total Sales
1 in West Long Branch
$424,950 Price
Zoraida (Sarina) Duvall
Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living
(848) 266-5105
59 Total Sales
1 in West Long Branch
$716,000 Price
Michael Imbriaco
RE/MAX Revolution
(848) 301-2604
107 Total Sales
1 in West Long Branch
$560,000 Price
Chris Katz/Remax Long Branch
Douglas Elliman of NJ LLC
(732) 838-7521
28 Total Sales
1 in West Long Branch
$1,100,000 Price
Charles Rubenstein
COMPASS NEW JERSEY, LLC
(667) 771-4974
112 Total Sales
1 in West Long Branch
$3,150,000 Price
Grace Marcus
Sonya Grill Real Estate
(848) 272-7359
25 Total Sales
4 in West Long Branch
$400K - $1.3M Price Range