Livingston School district is renowned for its consistently high level of student achievement and ranks among the top school districts in New Jersey. There are six elementary schools- Burnet Hill, Collins, Harrison, Hillside Mt. Pleasant Elementary,  Riker Hill – two middle schools  –  Mount Pleasant, and Heritage –  and a high school,  Livingston High School

Livingston High School has been named one of the state’s best high schools in New Jersey Monthly Magazine.  The school won first place in the Essex County Mathematics Competition every year since 1989 and offers a great range of AP courses. The AP grade average was 4.56 out of 5 for tests taken in May 2006. Livingston High School students also regularly receive recognition for their outstanding artistic and athletic achievements.  The school is currently being transformed into a state of the art facility through extensive building and renovation that will give it 14 new science rooms, new fine arts and technology facilities, major classroom renovations, and a gymnasium facility capable of housing all the students.

Mt. Pleasant Middle School educates all of the sixth graders in the Livingston School District before they move on to Heritage Middle School for grades 7-8

Livingston is a great place for families, with some awesome activities and camps for kids outside of school hours. Among those I recommend are Camp Horizons, on the grounds of Newark Academy in Livingston, which has great facilities and a wide variety of activities; Weekday, run by the YMCA; and the Gesher Summer program.

Gibbs College on West Mount Pleasant Avenue, Route 10, is a center for higher education specializing in business, administration, computer technology, graphic arts, medical assisting and criminal justice.

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Shopping

When it comes to great shopping, Livingston has it all, from sleek shopping centers with big name brands to strip malls and small family-owned speciality shops.  The Livingston Mall  off the Eisenhower Parkway has Macy’s, Lord and Taylor, Sears and Gap, among others. Traveling east along Route 10 are Borders bookstore, Circuit City, Staples and many more household names.

You can’t miss the charming new development of 20 or so boutiques, gift shops and restaurants at Livingston Town Center. It has an upscale feel – and the best kitchenware shop in the area.

For the last few years Livingston BID – a volunteer group of business people and residents – have been working on improving the main shopping district with extensive streetscaping from Northfield Road through South Livingston Avenue.

A taste of the country comes to town every Thursday afternoon from June to October when Livingston Farmers Market opens for business on South Livingston Avenue, just across from Fire House Commons.

Shopper parking is plentiful in Livingston. Plus the Morris County Metro bus runs a service to Livingston Mall, Short Hills Mall, Chatham, Madison, Morristown,  Morris Plains and Greystone Park.

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Recreation

Entertainment

As you would expect in a family oriented community like Livingston, there are masses of activities for all ages.  Several local organizations shelter under the  umbrella of Livingston Arts Council including  Livingston Community Players, who really do brings Broadway style productions to the community. The Children's Theatre of Livingston  is for young perfomers in grades 2-8, while Livingston Symphony Orchestra recently celebrated its 50 anniversary with a resounding performance of Beethoven’s 9th.

Art exhibitions are often displayed in the beautiful Livingston Public Library which recently underwent an extensive makeover.  Occasionally it is possible to catch a glimpse of work in progress at Riker Hill Art Park on Beaufort Avenue, where around 50 professional and aspiring artists have studios in the former army barracks.

You can’t drive through Livingston without noticing the beautiful wide open space of Memorial Park in the center, on South Livingston Avenue. Trails meander through a nature preserve and past the pond, and there’s a tranquil 9-11 Memorial Garden. The facilities include two baseball fields and basketball courts, a bocce court, football fields, six tennis courts and a tennis wall, plus lacrosse fields in winter, when it is also the place to ice skate. At Northland Park there are four tennis courts and a basketball court, as well as a community center.

Livingston has two pool complexes for residents. Haines Community Pool and the Northland Community Pool, where there is also a kids wading pool. 

Playgrounds are sited at Memorial Park, Monmouth Court, Northland Park, Grand Terrace and at all schools.

Livingston Township Recreation and Parks Office has produced a great little map of all the recreation facilities and other points of interest in the area.

Great Outdoors

Joggers head for East Hills Park on Shrewsbury Drive, a 1½ mile fitness trail that winds through part of the 55 acres of wooded parkland. The dog park there always gets tails wagging, with two fenced areas and a doggie drinking fountain where our four legged friends can socialize and exercise off-leash. Further north along Shrewsbury Drive is Prospect Park, 29 acres of unspoilt forest that is being developed into hiking and biking trails. Six acres of Becker Park, the 147-acre Essex County Park,  are in Livingston. The Lenape Trail traverses the park.

Sporting Life

The sport of soccer thrives in the town, with Livingston Soccer Club coaching several teams of all age groups. Lacrosse begins early in these parts, and  Livingston Lacrosse League has members who have only just started kindergarten, right through to strapping eigth graders. Another very popular group is the Livingston American Little League.

Cedar Hill Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole course in beautifully manicured grounds on Walnut Street, with a recently renovated clubhouse.

And if indoor exercise is more your style, the New York Sports Club on  West Northfield Road is one of the leading gyms around, with plenty of programs to keep you in shape, plus a  popular kids’  program and swim sessions. The Little Gym  and Jellybean Junction on Okner Parkway are specifically designed to teach fun agility and movement to younger childen – and the great news it they also host parties!  Other programs for kids that come highly recommended are Ad-In Kids Tennis,and Adojo Shaolin Karate.

For tiny prima ballerinas, Michelle’s Dance Studio   and the NJ School of Ballet will let you come and try a class for free before you commit.  Music Together with Kelly runs a range of classes introducing babies and young children to the wonders of sound and rhythm.

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Eating Out

You could eat out every night for a month in Livingston and never visit the same place twice. The area offers a cornucopia of excellent eateries to match every occasion (and every purse). One of the most distinctive in the district has to be Eppes Essen, a New York, Jewish-Style Deli and Restaurant famous for its sloppy Joes and corned beef & turkey triple decker platters. The Livingston Diner on Northfield Road hits the spot if you’re looking to feed a hungry hoard. Head over to Nero’s Grille  on South Livingston Avenue if great steaks, chops and lobster are your thing – they are said to be the best in New Jersey.

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Our Community
A vibrant suburban community with traditional family values, Livingston has an admirable record of charitable and public service. It was home to US Representative Robert Kean (Congress 1939-1950) and his son Thomas Kean, who was Speaker from 1971-72 and New Jersey Governor from 1982-90.  Livingston Sunrise Rotary
Livingston Kiwanis, and Livingston Chamber of Commerce  are just three of the dozens of active clubs and organizations. A full list is available from Livingston Township Recreation and Parks Office.

Events & activities

A high note during the summer is the program of free Sunday evening concerts at the Gazebo in Memorial Park. September sees Art at the Oval - the annual outdoor fine art and fine craft exhibition and sale in September sponsored by Livingston Arts Council and the Livingston Arts Association. And there’s an annual town picnic where newcomers are always made especially welcome. Add to this Memorial Day and Veterans Day Parades, Halloween parties, the Community Thanksgiving lunch and the jolly Winterfest, and you can see there’s always something going on here.

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History

Livingston is named after the noted Governor of New Jersey, William Livingston, who held the post from 1776 to 1790 during the formative years in America’s history.  It became a township on February 5, 1813 when seven neighboring hamlets joined forces. But it was in the 1700s that early European settlers started moving to the area when overcrowding in Newark triggered their progress eastwards in search of farming land.  Most came along three major paths to this area: the Colonial Road (Route 10 today), an extension of the Minnisink Path (Northfield Road) and the road to Swinefield (Eagle Rock Avenue).

The area prospered and a few small industries evolved. In 1745, The Force family built a homestead on South Livingston Avenue – today a registered historic landmark and museum furnished with period pieces donated by Livingston residents and maintained by Livingston Historical Society. By the middle of the 19th century Livingston was a thriving center for the leather trade and shoemaking. Fifty years of so later the people of the town built a new school and library and organized police and fire departments.

When the newly affluent middle class emerged after World War II, Livingston began its most rapid change. In 1950 there were 9,932 people. By 1960, the population had more than doubled to 23,124, peaking in 1970 with 31,653. New schools, roads, amenities and shopping centers were built and the once sleepy farming township of Livingston emerged as the affluent community we see today.  It is still evolving, with continuing developments to improve and enhance the lives of its residents. Recently, town leaders have been carefully overseeing  the details of architecture and construction  on new public and commercial developments to ensure they are in keeping with the Federalist style evident at the high school, Town Hall and library.

The newly renovated state of the art Livingston Public Library has 60,000 sq ft of space including two reading terraces, teen and children’s areas, 40 public computer stations and meeting rooms. 

Livingston School district is consistently ranked among the top school districts in New Jersey. There are six elementary schools- Burnet Hill,Collins, Harrison, Hillside & Riker Hill. There are two middle schools- Mount Pleasant, and Heritage, and the children all come together in Livingston High School.