The Oranges

The Oranges are a group of 4 communities in Essex County, New Jersey.

Get in

By car

• Garden State Parkway North to exit 145 to Route 280 West. Exit at Exit 11. Follow signs to Center Street, Proceed to South Orange Avenue. Turn right for town center.
• Garden State Parkway to exit 144 to South Orange Avenue. Proceed West on South Orange Avenue to the town center.
• New Jersey Turnpike to exit 15W (Route 280). Exit at Exit 11. Follow signs to Center Street, Proceed to South Orange Avenue. Turn right for town center.
• I-78 East to Exit 49B. Take 1st jughandle to Valley Street. Proceed about 4 miles to town center.
• I-78 West to Exit 50B. Follow ramp to Vauxhall Road. Turn right on Valley Street. Proceed about 3.5 miles to town center.

By train

• New Jersey Transit, 17 Sloane Street. Midtown Direct offers service directly into Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
• New Jersey PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson), Offers service between New York and New Jersey. From World Trade Center (Downtown Manhattan) or Penn Station(Uptown Manhattan) proceed to Subway station below. Follow sings for New Jersey PATH to Hoboken. Transfer from Hoboken by proceeding upstairs to the Gladstone line directly to South Orange. [ http://www.panynj.gov/path/ ]
• West Orange also has a commuter rail station on the line to Newark (New Jersey) and New York City.

By bus

• New Jersey Transit Bus #107 from Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York
• Coach USA Bus #31 from Newark Penn Station
• New Jersey Transit Bus #92 from Orange, Bloomfield

Get around

The old Morris and Essex Railroad is still operated today by NJ Transit.

See

Edison Laboratory

• 1 Thomas Edison National Historical Park, 211 Main St, West Orange, ☏ +1 973 736-0550 ext 11. Laboratory Complex: Wednesday through Sunday, 9AM - 5PM; Glenmont Estate: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11:30AM - 5PM. House Tours are offered between noon and 4PM and are the only way to enter the house.. In 1887 Edison moved his laboratory from Menlo Park to West Orange. He worked there until his death in 1931. In West Orange he improved his phonograph and storage battery and did all of his work on motion pictures. His lab and home are now preserved by the National Park Service as Thomas Edison National Historical Park, which is 7 miles from downtown Newark, and accessible by public transport. $7.00 (cash or check only) for access to Laboratory Complex and Glenmont; valid for seven days. Under 16 years old free.  
• South Mountain Reservation. entrance off of South Orange Ave. on the left, heading towards Livingston. Commonly referred to as “The Res” by the locals, this land-mark site spans across several towns in the Essex County region. Hiking and bike trails, playgrounds for children, and a dog park are just some of aspects that the reservation has to offer. The reservation is best known for the clear and up-close view of the New York Skyline at the top of the trails. 
• 2 Eagle Rock Reservation, Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange (Exit 8B on I-280). Historic 400+-acre park with trails, a 9/11 memorial, and NYC views. (updated Jul 2020)

Do

• 1 Branch Brook Park. Largest collection of cherry blossoms in the United States of America. (updated Jan 2021)
• 2 Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, ☏ +1 973-731-5800. (updated Jul 2020)
• The Baird Community Center, 5 Mead St, South Orange. A local community center that offers tennis, basketball, soccer and other various family activities. Includes instructors that give lessons for tennis, dance, and swimming during the summer months. The center is mainly geared towards families, but the basketball court is frequently occupied by teenagers. 
• Waterlands Park, 30 W. Third St, South Orange. A very secluded park. Includes several baseball/softball diamonds with lights for night games and a children’s playground set. During the day the majority of people who visit this park are local families and sports teams, but during the night hours this park is frequently populated with high school students. 
• South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, ☏ +1 973 275-1114. Set right in the middle of the town center, this establishment has a lot more to offer than an average movie theater. Three floors of movie theaters, with film selections ranging from family pictures and blockbusters to independent films. SOPAC also offers a wide range of live performances including plays, musicals, and orchestra concerts. Tickets for films and live performances are available at the door or by order through phone or the SOPAC website. 

Eat

• 1 La Dolce Vida, 364 Valley Rd, West Orange. (updated Jul 2020)
• Town Hall Deli, 60 Valley Street, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-762-4900. Top shelf deli food. Originator of the (New Jersey Style) Sloppy Joe. Inexpensive. 
• Bunny S Tavern, 12 W So Orange Ave, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-763-1377. Ste 14.This establishment offers two sections; a family oriented restaurant, and a bar complete with loud music, arcade games, a projection screen (primarily for sporting events), and sit-down areas both indoors an outside. Best known for the thin crust family pizza buffet. 
• Cryan's, 24 1st St, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-763-7114. Irish pub and restaurant. Offers a wide variety of brews, including a selection of traditional Irish ales. After 8PM only 21 years and older are permitted. The occasional live entertainment and Wi-Fi connection makes this pub a popular spot for the college students of Senton Hall University. 
• Gas Light Brewery & Restaurant, 15 S Orange Av, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-762-7077. 
• Neelam Exotic Indian Cuisine, 115 S Orange Av, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-762-1100. Indian-Pakistani restaurant. 
• Reservoir Restaurant, 106 S Orange Av, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-762-9795. Gourmet Pizza restaurants 
• Toro Loco, 23 Valley St, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-761-1515. Mexican restaurant. 
• Village Trattoria, 21 South Orange Ave, South Orange, ☏ +1 973 762-2015. Italian restaurant, and a well-known local favorite. Best known for the original selection of pizza slices. Open 7 days a week. Offers order for pick-up and indoor dining. 
• Chris's Texas Weiner Family Restaurant, 1 Sloan St, South Orange, ☏ +1 973 763-6300. Offers traditional diner breakfast, lunch, and dinner at all times of the day. Open 7 days a week. 
• Pirates Pizza, 135 South Orange Ave, South Orange, ☏ +1 973 762-6286. A common pizza parlor that offers order for pick-up. Limited menu and little in door seating. 
• Grid Iron Waffle Shop, 12 South Orange Ave, South Orange, ☏ +1 973-821-5264. 7AM to 5PM. Grid Iron Waffle Shop offers a variety of comfort and specialty food and beverages for those who enjoy a mix of European and American ideas. Serving breakfast, brunch and lunch with an assortment of Liege sugar waffles, Brussels waffles and many unique waffle creations as well as delicious panini, salads and artisan coffees. 

Sleep

• Residence Inn-Marriot At The Manor, 107 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, ☏ +1 973 669-4700. A 4-star hotel. 
• Courtyard West Orange, 8 Rooney Cirle West Orange, NJ, ☏ +1 973 669-4725. Approximately 3.5 mi. from Seton Hall University in South Orange. Located in West Orange, NJ. This hotel is primarily occupied by people on business trips and visitors exploring Seton Hall University. Rooms are equipped with two queen-sized beds, wireless internet, and movie selections. The Courtyard Lobby Lounge, a restaurant and pub, opens at dinner hours and only permits guests of 21 years and older. The Courtyard Café is open to all quests during breakfast hours and offers sit-down meals as well as a breakfast buffet. 

Go next

Routes through The Oranges

Parsippany ← East Hanover ←	W  E	→ Newark → Harrison
Spring Valley ← Clifton ←	N  S	→ Newark → Cape May
Dover ← Maplewood ←	W  E	→ Newark → New York City/Hoboken