Montvale: The Home of the Octagon House. Montvale New Jersey is home to an architectural oddity, an eight-sided house! The house was inherited by a man named John J. Blauvelt Jr. in 1832 and was originally just a normal mill and farm but at the promptings of his friend Orson S. Fowler (a local author, philosopher and self-proclaimed architect) Mr. Blauvelt decided to renovate and build the Octagon House the way it stands today. Why? Well, because according to Mr. Fowler an Octagon house is more efficient and provides more space than rectangular houses!
Montvale is a borough in Bergen County New Jersey
Montvale: The Home of the Octagon House. Montvale New Jersey is home to an architectural oddity, an eight-sided house! The house was inherited by a man named John J. Blauvelt Jr. in 1832 and was originally just a normal mill and farm but at the promptings of his friend Orson S. Fowler (a local author, philosopher and self-proclaimed architect) Mr. Blauvelt decided to renovate and build the Octagon House the way it stands today. Why? Well, because according to Mr. Fowler an Octagon house is more efficient and provides more space than rectangular houses!
Montvale is a borough in Bergen County New Jersey. As per the 2010 Census its population was estimated to be around 7,844 and the town itself is about four square miles in size. The borough of Montvale was officially established in 1894. This seems to be a popular year for the making of boroughs in New Jersey since twenty six of them (Montvale included) were created that year in Bergen County alone.
Moving to Montvale
When considering a move to Montvale you will definitely want to consider the cost of living. It is one of the pricier boroughs to reside in in Bergen County and rent here is above average for the state as is most of Bergen County. If you are looking for a rental property there are a number of types of properties available. Rental condos in Montvale are fairly common, as well as 1 to 2 bedroom luxury apartments like those in Nottingham Manor apts for rent. Other places for rent to consider are single family homes, of which there are many in Montvale. If you have an income to afford residing here the properties here are well maintained and the area is safe and quiet.
One of the major veins of transportation in the area is the Garden State Parkway. It gives you easy access to nearly anywhere in the state as is a quick commute for those who work in New York State in the areas of Rockland or Orange County. This highway also gives you quick access if you need to commute to work via the Tappan Zee Bridge or Palisades Parkway as a daily commute. The majority of residents in Montvale are dependent on their own personal vehicle to commute to work as there are not many mass transit options available in the borough.
Neighborhoods in Montvale
Montvale is a smaller community than most in Bergen County. As a result, it is self-contained as an entire borough and not split up into multiple neighborhoods.
Living in Montvale
Community Involvement
Montvale's local government is very active in the community. They regularly update the community website with events, alerts about recycling, and other important community information so they are a great resource for getting all the news and keeping up to date with the goings on. They also have a Montvale Senior Club for older residents. It provides a social outlet for older members of the community while conducting regular meetings, trips and other events.
Things to Do
Montvale is on the New Jersey side of the New York/New Jersey state line which means that residents benefit from being close to not one but two major shopping areas. If you take the Garden State Parkway South you can easily access Route 17 which is filled with a diverse amount of shops and great restaurants like the Shannon Rose. If you follow it a little further south you'll get to the Garden State Plaza Mall which is a huge shopping area that features fine dining like Papa Razzi, and Legal Seafood and an AMC movie theater.
If you decide to go north and head up towards Rockland County, New York there is another huge mall called Palisades Center. It's literally like its own country in there, and is considered the sixth largest mall in the area and the eighth largest mall in the entire United States. There is a ropes course, bowling alley, IMAX theater and a huge assortment of restaurants and shops. Literally five floors of entertainment that stretches over 875,000 square feet.
Even if all of that is not your cup of tea and you need to get away from the insanity of the malls, Harriman State Park is an easy day trip, no more than 30 minutes by drive. There's hiking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming and it's large enough for you to get away and find your own little haven of peace and quiet.
