Why Chatham, NJ is the best hometown in the US

I’m from a pretty small town right smack in the middle of north Jersey called Chatham. When people ask me where I’m from, I’ve learned to tell just tell them north Jersey – it’s easier that way.

If I want to get technical here, I could either say that I live in the Township or the Borough, but that’s only something that people from town would use with each other. Unless you’re from the area, you probably don’t know where Chatham is, because, again, it’s a very small town.

But if you’re from New Jersey, you most likely know where attractions like the upscale Mall at Short Hills is, and that’s only a quick five-minute drive from downtown.

Chatham may not be big, but it has a lot to offer!

We have one of the best school districts in the state

I moved to Chatham the summer before seventh grade and one of the reasons my family chose it was because of its well known school district. Chatham High School was rated the number one public high school in the state in 2014. I am so lucky to have grown up in a town that offered such a great academic program and that has produced a pretty good amount of Ivy Leagers and top tier university students.

My high school was not only known for many of their sports programs, including swimming (state champs five years in a row!), field hockey and lacrosse, but also for their great arts programs. Not only was I surrounded by motivated students in school, but I was given such great opportunities that other students may not have had in their high school careers.

It’s kind of a bubble

As an (unfortunately) brace-faced middle-schooler, I was able to walk downtown after a long, hard week of school to grab some ice cream without a care in the world. My town is populated by a mostly white, upper class group of people, who live in average to large houses, which is unfortunate in some ways. People aren’t exposed to any diversity or adversity. At times, it is easy to become blindsided to the fact that some people are living a completely different life, under completely different circumstances.

After meeting people from all around the world in college, I’ve come to realize that Chatham is sort of like a bubble: it coddled me and kept me safe, but maybe didn’t do the greatest job of showing me what the world can be like sometimes.

There’s enough beautiful nature to go around

Now, to that silly little stereotype that New Jersey is the “armpit” state: one might find it interesting that it’s called the Garden State for a reason! I have access to a handful of nationally recognized parks and nature preserves when I’m home. I can be at the mall one minute and decide to go for a (light) hike at Jockey Hollow historical park the next, and still be home by dinnertime for some good old Jersey pizza.

We have really good food

There are at least a dozen Italian restaurants in town, which host some of the best pizza and chicken parm you will ever taste. There are also a handful of 24 hour diners in the area where you can get literally anything that your heart might desire – I usually go for a cheeseburger and milkshake. There’s such a great variety of food, from delis and bagel stores (Noah’s anyone?), to Asian restaurants and diners. For such a small town, we have a lot of good food.

It’s pretty close to the city

When I want to do some exploring in a place that’s a little more fast paced and concrete than the forest, I can hop on a train and be in NYC in under an hour! Day trips into the city with friends have been known to fix any boring summer day slump.

Small towns aren’t always a bad thing!

Chatham has given me some of my best friends, whom I have known and attended school with since middle school. I can drive to any of their houses in under five minutes and it’s easy to get around town (especially if you know how to avoid all of the traffic lights). And almost everyone knows their neighbors and other people from town. Whether it be by shopping at local businesses, or by putting together a fundraiser for a neighbor in need, the community will come together to help each other out.

Chatham may not be a lively city: there’s nothing glamorous about it and the fun attractions end at good restaurants and nature trails. But its quaint, historical charm, great school district, kind community, and proximity to much less boring locations, like NYC, make up for that one hundred percent.

It may not sound like much, but it’s mine, and I love it.