10 Towns in New Jersey that Are Ideal for Seniors

The Garden State pulses with natural beauty and centuries of history, ideal for seniors looking for a vacation or their next home. New Jerseyans enjoy top-notch medical care buttressed by strong, caring, inclusive communities. Planning for one’s next phase of life can be stressful. Allow the Union’s third state to make the transition easier, with diligent Senior Centers in many of its towns. Stay close to the Metropolitan center of the world without paying the Big Apple’s housing costs. Journey to the land that is built according to its motto: "Liberty and Prosperity."

Cranford

Downtown Cranford benefits from being a Special Improvement District, which means public spaces are carefully pruned to remain as inviting as possible. The night is just as beautiful as the day in Cranford. The red light-up sign of the Cranford Theater harkens back to a time when cultural hubs of small American towns thrummed with excitement.

Cranford’s new Community Center has no less than six pickleball courts. Seniors’ services at the Community Center are free to Cranford residents 60+ and include a shuttle service to enjoy the daily roster of activities. Overcome new physical challenges with the help of a conscientious hand at the Cranford Park Rehabilitation and HealthCare Center.

Teaneck

Teaneck Brett Park is the site of a major 1776 battle between the starved armies of Washington and a contingent of 6,000 British troops. The 10-acre park is peaceful today. Birds flock to the Hackensack River banks for food from adoring park-goers. The Richard Rodda Community Center houses the town’s Senior Center and is open every weekday during business hours. The Senior Center’s YouTube channel has over 24 hours of exercise, language, and technology training for when the building is closed.

Teaneck’s Holy Name Medical Center is one of the region’s most advanced hospitals, boasting several specialized clinics that ensure residents seldom travel far for treatments. The town’s Cedar Lane ensures one will never tire of restaurant choices.

Red Bank

Red Bank is the birthplace of jazz legend Count Basie. The town keeps Bassie’s memory close with the beautiful Count Basie Park. The park has a spacious walking track as well as nearly every type of sports field one can think of. The Red Bank Senior Center includes free membership and a view of the Navesink River that you cannot beat. The center arranges deliveries of free midday meals as well as transportation services for shopping trips and special events.

Music lovers can groove on down to Monmouth Street’s Count Basie Theater. The 1926-built theater, on the National Register of Historic Places, is beloved by American musicians for its impeccable acoustics. Art Garfunkel said the hall is "to a singer what a Steinway is to a pianist."

Metuchen

Wildwood Park and its Historic District make for a wonderful stroll in a timeless setting. The Metuchen’s Senior Citizens Center holds special events and a regular roster of daily activities. Membership is free for citizens. The Metuchen Farmer’s Market gives residents a weekly dose of the freshest goods from the town’s surrounding farms.

Metuchen’s Medical Walk-In and Wellness Clinic offers telehealth and in-person services. Comfort Keepers provides healthcare services for seniors who wish to maintain an independent lifestyle in their own homes. The Metuchen Golf and Country Club started with only nine holes in 1915. The destination now boasts a state-of-the-art pool and fitness facility, world-class dining, and 18 elegant scenes to sink a putt.

Closter

The name Closter refers to a Dutch word that means "quiet place." The historic tranquility of Closter offers just what the name suggests. The scenery of Veterans Monument Park fills in nicely on days when one’s favorite spots at the Closter Nature Center are too crowded. With well over 80 acres to explore in, the Nature Center is always hiding the next slice of unexpected heaven.

The Closter Senior Citizens Club meets twice a month and is the best way to get the lay of the land. Closter benefits from a van service for seniors shared with two other areas. Transportation requires registration and reservation 48 hours in advance and operates from 9 am to 3 pm.

Fanwood

Fanwood was chosen by New Jersey Monthly as the state’s Best Town. The magazine looked for towns with a population of 12,000 or less and a median home price of $800,000 or less. The Fanwood Senior Club has been active for over 60 years. It assists its members in applying for New Jersey Property Tax rebates and has regular free health screenings.

Fanwood’s 1874-built train station is the oldest in the county. Today, it houses the Fanwood Museum and occasionally serves as a backdrop for special events. See birds up close behind the bird blind at the Fanwood Nature Center. The preserve has trails leading to Robinson’s Branch Tributary as well as a butterfly garden.

Glen Rock

Lovers of the Glen Rock outdoors frequent the Thielke Arboretum in the morning, the Glen Rock Duck Pond in the afternoon, and the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park on weekends. The Northwest Senior Activity Center in Glenrock has regular health screenings, daily activities, as well as a lunch program. The Center includes activities for the hearing impaired, with a group that meets semi-regularly.

While the town restores the 1913-era Glen Theater, enjoy the next generation of musical theater talent at the Porch Light. Explore the town’s past with startling artifacts on the last Sunday of every month, from 1 to 3 pm, at the Main Line Station, built in 1905.

Chatham

With the migrating birds of the Great Swamp to the west and the Passaic River running through the town, Chatham overflows with natural beauty. The Fairmount Country Club was built within that setting and today features tennis courts, two clubhouses, and an 18-hole golf course with a staff of club pros led by New Jersey Golf Hall of Famer Karen Noble. The Senior’s Center of the Chathams provides free health screenings, seminars, and fitness regimens as a part of a regular calendar of activities. And if you need to go into the big city, New York City is only 25 miles away.

New Providence

New Providence is a mere hop, skip, and jump across Highway 78 from the Watchung Reservation, a 2000+ acre park designed by the Olmsted Brothers best known for NYC’s Central Park. The DeCorso Community Center is the home of the New Providence Seniors Citizens Club and includes an exercise class for nearly every day of the working week. A shopping trip shuttle leaves every Tuesday morning.

Get enlightened with the help of the New Providence Historical Society. The Society’s Salt Box Museum has a surprising trove of pre-Revolution American artifacts. For a deeper dive into local lore, check out the Mason Room with the help of a handy Society member volunteer.

Morristown

Morristown’s natural assets run riot alongside its practical advantages. Breathe New Jersey’s freshest air in the 124 acres of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. The grounds wrap around a wheelchair-accessible Colonial Revival mansion. Watch the leaves change by the ponds of Burnham Park or Speedwell Lake Park’s peaceful waterfall. The Morris County Historical Society is in Morristown, with a gallery available for viewing in the restored Acorn Hall Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The Morristown Medical Center was voted the #2 hospital in the state by US News and World Report. The town’s sense of community is unmatched. Morristown has its own "Fiber-Fairy," an anonymous citizen who knits hats, scarves, and gloves for strangers when the temperature drops. Could this be the start of a revolution of kindness with knitters on the avant-garde?

The Garden State is a garden paradise with many towns that are ideal for seniors. While scouting retirement locations, please consider patronizing Native American businesses whenever possible. New Jersey was home to the Lenape people long before General Washington defended it as his own.