South Orange Apartments and Rentals

South Orange, NJ, may be small, but the feeling of community in this township is anything but. Since its founding in 1806, those who look for South Orange apartments for rent know they will get to enjoy mountain air and scenery that provides the perfect backdrop to the area's many sports and recreation activities.

Today, the township boasts about 16,198 residents and maintains much of its historic character, with Tudor, Colonial and Victorian homes and original 1800s-era gas lamps lining the streets.

The area of South Orange was largely composed of vegetable farms, livestock, small shops and a diverse population when it first became a township in 1806. The mid-1850s brought many wealthy businessmen from nearby cities to summer in the region with their families, thanks to the introduction of dependable rail service to the town. Summers at South Orange's Mountain House Spa were popular because of the town's mountain air, which was thought of as a "cure" that had "life-giving currents" for cityfolk. Because of its location in the mountains and pleasant summer climate, South Orange's sports and recreation thrived, with golf, tennis, football, baseball and basketball organizations cropping up.

Today, South Orange residents still enjoy an active lifestyle, thanks to Cameron Park, the centerpiece of the city that hosts nearly all of the sports, recreation and arts and culture activities.

Within the park is The Baird, a classic Tudor-style home that was turned into a recreational facility and the central point of the township. The facility now has eight lighted tennis courts and two lighted platform tennis courts, as well as a basketball court. It also houses a theater, a senior services unit, a preschool and the Pierro Gallery of South Orange. Across the street is Cameron Field, where residents enjoy a baseball field, playground, swimming pool, more tennis courts and a field sports area. Schools, churches and restaurants edge the park, creating the town's center.

South Orange Village, the center of town where most of the businesses are located, has been thriving since 1991. This is thanks largely to Main Street South Orange, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that works to revitalize the downtown area by stimulating business development while supporting community growth and the preservation of the town's historic character. About 53.1 percent of the workforce is professional and managerial, and about 57.4 percent of the population has at least a four-year college degree. Those who seek out rentals in South Orange join an educated and motivated workforce.

Families in South Orange send their children to school through the South Orange-Maplewood School District, which comprises six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Seton Hall University is also located in South Orange. This 58-acre campus offers 60 majors to its 10,000 students. Founded in 1856 by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, the school is the oldest U.S. diocesan university, and is still under the Archdiocese of Newark.

Residents of South Orange enjoy a high income level, with the median household earning about $116,411 in 2009. Those looking for apartments in South Orange will find rents that are proportionate to the income levels in the area - the median gross rent in 2010 was $1,521, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

South Orange is more of a hometown community than a tourist destination, but that doesn't meant the residents don't have anything to do. In the spring, the South Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs has baseball leagues for children ages 5 through 15, adult softball leagues as well as tennis lessons, track and field, soccer leagues and Tae Kwon Do. In the summer, children can attend any number of programs through the town, from playground and sports camps to swimming lessons and travel baseball teams. Fall brings soccer training and leagues for people of all ages, as well as basketball and baseball clinics. In the winter months, residents enjoy basketball, platform tennis and a number of indoor sports.

However, there are also activities for the non-athlete. The Baird's Pierro Gallery offers regular exhibits of contemporary visual art, and South Orange's Friends of the Arts organization works to bring a variety of arts and culture to the town. At The Baird, residents can take classes that span the visual and performing arts.

If not participating in the arts, residents are likely watching them. The town hosts free outdoor concerts in the summer that encompass all sorts of music genres, and many people catch performances by the Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre or Flying Ship Productions, a musical theater program catered to a young audience.

If you are looking for an apartment for rent or a house rental in South Orange, N.J., search for rental properties at Rent.com®.