Welcome to Livingston
In the short time that I lived in Livingston, I met a great circle of friends that I will treasure forever. This town screams community plain and simple. The city is more widespread geographically, which is what many residents love, but everyone comes together for so many town events that you feel like you live in a little "Cheers like town" where everyone knows your name. The local shops are excellent and on-trend in every way. The longtime deli's such as Eppes Essen, Nanna's, and Seymore's are local staples that are real treasures. This town is a true gem.
- Kimberly Casciaro, Realtor®-Salesperson & former Livingston, NJ resident
Livingston covers an area of 14 square miles and is home to approximately 30,000 residents. Livingston offers an excellent combination of leafy, tree-lined streets along with outstanding shopping and recreational facilities spread throughout the town. In addition to enjoying its outstanding school system, residents are drawn to Livingston for its central location offering a variety of options for commuting to NYC.
Schools
Livingston has a very highly rated school system comprised of 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and a high school.
Elementary Schools (K-5)
- Burnet Hill Elementary (also offers Pre-K)
- Collins Elementary
- Harrison Elementary
- Hillside Elementary
- Mt. Pleasant Elementary
- Riker Hill Elementary
Middle Schools
- Mt. Pleasant Middle School (Grade 6)
- Heritage Middle School (Grades 7 & 8)
High School
- Livingston High School (Grades 9-12)
Recreation
The Senior, Youth and Leisure Services Department oversees 2 community pools, tennis courts, basketball courts and playgrounds as well as a variety of youth and adult athletics programs. In addition, they offer a broad selection of programs for seniors. Residents can also participate in over 40 Volunteer Boards and Committees covering a broad array of interests.
Livingston has a number of well established shopping districts including the Livingston Mall as well as a wide variety of restaurants and personal service businesses. There are many parks and outdoor recreational facilities throughout the town. One of the largest recreational areas is the nearby 2,000+ acre South Mountain Reservation Complex which offers hiking trails, a dog park, the Turtleback Zoo, the Codey Arena for ice skating, a miniature golf course, and a high ropes challenge/zipline adventure course.
Commuting to NYC
While Livingston does not have a train line. There are multiple options for commuting to NYC.
Residents can take a jitney from the Livingston Mall to the South Orange Train Station and take express service to NYC on the Morris-Essex train line (30-40 minutes to Penn Station). Residents can also drive to the Harrison Path Station or the Jersey City Journal Square Path Station for Path service into NY. Frequent bus service on the Community Coach USA Route 77 Bus from Livingston Town Center to the Port Authority Bus Terminal is also available.
Town History
The first settlers arrived from Newark in 1702 when they purchased a tract of land which later became Livingston. The first one-room schoolhouse opened in 1783. Livingston Township was incorporated in 1813 and was named in honor of William Livingston, first governor of NJ and a framer of the US Constitution.
In the early years, the main sources of income for the township were farming and lumber. Given that there was no rail service in Livingston, the township grew very slowly until the advent of the automobile when commuting via car enabled the township to grow significantly. The township had its largest growth spurt in the 1950s when it grew from 10,000 to 24,000 residents by 1960. By 1970, the population grew to over 31,000 close to its current population.
