Whippany NJ County Is a Great Place to Live

As the most populous of New Jersey’s municipalities, whippany nj county is an urban and suburban oasis that’s still a good place to raise a family. There are excellent schools, great shopping and convenient access to public transportation. There are also a number of parks, lakes and other recreational opportunities. But the biggest draw of all is the easy commute to Manhattan.

While much of the township’s history was tied to coal mining and the iron works, its post-World War II suburbanization transformed it into a highly desirable residential area. The township has two distinct neighborhoods – Whippany and Cedar Knolls – that have their own ZIP Codes, fire departments and post offices, even though they are incorporated within Hanover Township. Many residents have come to regard their homes as belonging to either Whippany or Cedar Knolls rather than the broader municipality.

The Whippany River teems with wildlife, from wood ducks to bog turtles, which thrive in the swampy areas along its banks. It also carries trout, which the Department of Environmental Protection stocks at several locations in its upper reaches. The river’s pollution comes largely from runoff, exacerbated by a heavy influx of sewage and other pollutants. To combat the problem, the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee constructs vegetated buffers around a series of streams in the region, including the East Lake at Burnham Park in Morristown.

Its swollen banks are home to the Whippany Railway Museum, a collection of railroading artifacts. The museum has a few vintage pieces of rolling stock, as well as exhibits on the town’s industrial history and its role in moving anthracite coal and iron.

In addition to a good selection of stores and restaurants, Whippany is served by four public high schools with top marks on the state’s school rating system. One of these, the highly ranked Morris Knolls High School, won a College Success Award from GreatSchools for its impressive record of getting students to enroll in and complete college.

One of the most popular attractions in the township is the Gillespie Hill Tributary, which sends water down to the river from the Gillespie Hill Reservoir, a state “Category One” trout production stream. The water flows through a small lake on private property, a quarter mile south of Route 24 and west of Corey Lane in Mendham Township. The lake is labeled simply Lake on the Hagstrom map of Morris County, and while it’s not a large lake, it is quite picturesque.

The Gillespie Hill area is a good place to hike and explore the wilds of New Jersey, or just enjoy the peace and quiet. It’s also a short drive to some of the best-rated schools in the state, and less than 30 miles to downtown Manhattan.