Warren County NJ: the New York Metro's Undiscovered Jewel
When people head out from New York and surrounding environs in
search of weekend retreats, invariably they end up in western
Connecticut, the Hudson River Valley, the Catskills and other
upstate New York areas, the Jersey Shore, and the Hamptons.
As places where New Yorkers traditionally vacation, purchase
second homes, celebrity watch and more, it's understandable that
these locales are top of the list.
But what about a place as close to Manhattan as any of the
aforementioned hotspots that offers almost everything we find
endearing about our destinations of choice for second and
vacation homes - historic villages and towns, amazing
countryside, outdoor activities, farmhouses, farm markets,
artists, country restaurants - but doesn't have the buzz or the
name recognition, at least not yet. There is an area within the
New York Metropolitan region that is still overlooked by the
masses. Where residents are already starting Friday night dinner
in their stone farmhouses while weekenders are stuck in traffic
on the way to Litchfield, or Rhinebeck, or East Hampton. Even
places farther a field like Bucks and Pike Counties in
Pennsylvania and Sullivan County in New York get more press.
Well let me introduce you to the formerly depressed backwater
turned beautiful and convenient countryside of Warren County,
New Jersey. Interestingly, Warren is surrounded by counties
which consistently rank among the wealthiest in America:
Hunterdon, Somerset and Morris. These are counties full of
investors, a highly educated workforce, an abundance of so
called McMansions, and quite a bit of disposable income. And to
be sure, some of Warren's eastern border towns have picked up
developments and transplants from these ever more unaffordable
neighboring areas. But for the most part, it's the locals who
know about or consider living in or visiting Warren County and
even then, the western and northern reaches are still quite
rural and untouched. For most of its history, Warren County has
either been a mystery to those who have never seen it or a place
to avoid to those who had heard of its largest town,
Phillipsburg--a poor industrial city that had fallen on hard
times.
A Pleasant Surprise
Four years ago, my partner Mark and I stumbled across the
village of Finesville in southern Warren County completely by
accident. Living in suburban Morristown New Jersey, we were
contemplating a second home purchase in the country and saw a
house in Bucks County Pennsylvania on a real estate Website that
interested us. Always up for a weekend drive, we decided to find
it. With map in hand, we took what looked like the most direct
route to Upper Bucks County and found ourselves following the
Musconetcong River, along Warren County's southern border, past
a collection of about fifty small but magnificent 18th and 19th
century stone and clapboard buildings, known as Finesville, just
before we crossed into Pennsylvania. Although Warren County was
barely on my radar screen, as a Real Estate Agent specializing
in historic homes and neighborhoods -- www.gerrykasper.com ---,
I was flabbergasted that there was a hamlet of this size and
quality in Northern New Jersey of which I was unaware. Even more
amazing, Mark grew up in eastern Warren County and we had
attended an auction only three miles away from Finesville so I
had some knowledge of the area.
With its roots in the mid 18th century, Finesville began as a
collection of taverns, shops and a mill along the Musconetcong
River run by the Fine and Siegel Families of Germany. The
village was fairly prosperous for most of its history but
declined during the twentieth century. Today, locals have bought
and restored many of its buildings and, indicative of its
burgeoning upscale nature, two vineyards, a winery, an antique
store, and an alpaca farm have set up shop in the hamlet. Some
of the restorations have been so impressive that two Finesville
homes were recently featured in national home and garden
magazines.
At the time we discovered it, a c.1825 stone Georgian colonial
was for sale in the village. The exterior was in some disrepair,
the stucco was cracking and peeling, and the original front
doors were gone. But the setting in this pristine and unusual
village was beautiful and the price, at $135,000, was
irresistible. Once inside, we realized this was our dream house
in the country. The interior was almost completely intact with a
walk-in fireplace, cupboard stairs, beamed ceilings, wide plank
floors, and original windows--a jewel box of a house that just
needed some sprucing up. And so we bought and restored this
house and received the Warren County Historic Preservation Award
for our efforts. Even better, because of Warren County's
proximity to work, we were able to sell our primary house in
Morristown and move to the country permanently.
The Villages and Countryside
Warren County is full of hidden and beautiful villages and towns
like Finesville and since arriving, several of them have tempted
us to consider moving again.
As testament to Warren County's less than stellar reputation,
the sign welcoming visitors into its county seat describes
Victorian Belvidere as "New Jersey's best kept secret".
Belvidere is a sleepy town located off the beaten path and layed
out around a New England-style Village Green. Each September,
the town celebrates Victorian Days, highlighting the prevalent
19th century architecture that lines its streets and forms the
basis of the town's small commercial district. Most of the grand
homes have already been restored and there is a great sense of
pride in this small close-knit community. Its location directly
on the Delaware and Pequest Rivers also makes it a good base for
outdoor activities.
Northern Warren County offers a scene that rivals the most
beautiful in New England. Hope is a one-traffic light crossroads
town, founded in the 18th century by a group of Moravians who
left an impressive collection of stone dwellings now restored
and converted to businesses and residences. One of which is a
former gristmill turned into an inn and conference center. Stone
and clapboard homes surrounded by cows and sheep dot a landscape
that is reminiscent of the Litchfield Hills. With little
commercial development, the pace in Hope is decidedly slow but
that just adds to its appeal.
North of Hope lies the slightly larger village of Blairstown
with its recently restored collection of shops and restaurants,
currently under consideration for the National Register of
Historic Places. Main Street is bookended by a prestigious prep
school and the town's venerable feed store. This is a walking
village, good for an hour's stroll with weekend guests and a
poke around the stores and quiet streets.
Just west of Hope and Blairstown, outdoor activities exist in
the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area which includes
part of the Appalachian Trail, Millbrook, a recreated 19th
century village, and Peters Valley, an artists colony which
offers regular shows and exhibits.
On the eastern edge of Warren, Hackettstown still retains its
19th century feel with impressive multi-colored Victorian homes,
antique stores along Main Street and Centenary College in its
midst.
Phillipsburg - An Industrial Town Reborn
As beautiful as Warren County's countryside is, it's the city
that we originally tried to avoid that has captured our
imagination and may eventually tear us away from Finesville. The
county's largest town is a small, formerly industrial city and
transportation hub along the Delaware River that had been
neglected for years. Think Hoboken New Jersey or Hudson New York
before gentrification. Thankfully that neglect, as in most of
Warren County, has kept much of its historic fabric intact and
over the past 20 years, building owners have been peeling off
old aluminum siding to reveal stunning architecture.
The town actively encourages restoration and business
development -- businesses in Phillipsburg charge only 3% sales
tax with some of that money going to revitalization projects.
Progress had been slow, but now there are several highly
regarded restaurants in the restored downtown as well as antique
shops and several specialty stores. Train rides along the
Delaware River start downtown and are popular in the summer as
well as for Halloween and the winter holidays. On Thanksgiving,
Phillipsburg High School plays its rival Easton Pennsylvania in
their annual football game. P'burg, as it is known by locals, is
extremely convenient as Routes 78 and 22 run just outside of
town as does the express bus to Manhattan, which stops at the
Phillipsburg Mall.
There are several plans to transform Phillipsburg including the
redevelopment of its underutilized waterfront into a residential
neighborhood, with construction set to start in 2006, and the
repurposing of a vacant industrial park into a new commerce
center. Rumor has it that a bed and breakfast is slated to open
in an historic stone tavern near the Delaware River bridge.
Phillipsburg was named as the location for the New Jersey
Transportation and Heritage Museum. Sadly, legislation to
provide the funding to make it happen has been stalled and
appears unlikely. However, the town is committed to building its
own museum and has plans already in the works.
Just over the river, Easton Pennsylvania offers more
restaurants, the Crayola Factory museum, a very popular local
grocery store (a branch of which may hopefully pop up in Warren
County), a thriving artists community, the State Theater, and
the historic College Hill neighborhood. Even more exciting,
there are several luxury condominium developments currently
under construction or planned in existing historic Easton
properties, such as the former Easton Hotel, which will bring
wealthy people within walking distance of downtown Phillipsburg.
Phillipsburg has great bones and incredible architecture. South
Main Street near the Delaware River Bridge is mostly restored
and ready to become the next Cold Spring or South Norwalk or New
Paltz. And prices are still a relative bargain. Last year we
purchased two historic properties on Phillipsburg's Main Street:
an 1887 firehouse for $60,000 and a 19th century Georgian-style
colonial for $90,000. As the town continues to revitalize, we
are considering a move into the colonial as our permanent home
so we can wake up on Saturday mornings and walk to our favorite
breakfast spot down the street. Although, we'll probably keep
the Finesville house as our place in the country.