Looking for a small town that's still close to NYC? Little Falls might be the place for you

So, you're considering making the move to Little Falls?

Despite its location in North Jersey, some may view Little Falls as the younger sister of neighboring areas like Montclair and Clifton. It's small, quiet and often underrated by its larger neighbors. But, with more than 14,500 residents, Little Falls might be a more of a sought-out destination than what was once thought.

Is the perception of Little Falls — a sleepy suburb with classical homes and a quiet social scene — the reality? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's our guide to deciding whether Little Falls is right for you.

The draw of Little Falls

Perception: Little Falls is a quiet small town that is often overlooked for bigger nearby suburban communities like Montclair.

Reality: Little Falls has grown into a popular alternative for those who like the vibe of nearby areas like Montclair, but don't want to pay such a high price point for a close-knit, small town feel.

Located less than 20 miles from Manhattan, Little Falls is a low-key Passaic County suburb on the western-most border of Bergen County. Despite its centralized location in the tri-state area, Little Falls has managed to maintain its feel of a small town with a close-knit local community.

The township, which is just 2.8 square miles, is broken up into three sections: Great Notch, the easternmost portion with larger homes sitting on higher ground; the center of town, with older residential streets branching off from the vibrant downtown area; and Singac, the westernmost potion with more modest homes and bungalows situated along the Passaic River.

"One of the most remarkable aspects of our town is its ability to maintain a small-town feel despite experiencing significant progress and expansion," said Little Falls Mayor James Damiano. "Our downtown area is a testament to our commitment to both preserving out history while embracing innovation. While many small towns struggle to revitalize their downtowns, Little Falls has managed to strike a balance between preserving its historic charm and fostering economic growth."

Little Falls may come off as one of those sleepy small towns that you pass through to get to your destination, but it is actually a thriving community where residents are proud to spend the entirety of their lives.

"A lot of people stay in Little Falls. There are multi-generations of families here, and not just two generations, but three or four generations of people that have stayed in the township," said John J. Veteri, Jr., a long-time resident of Little Falls and managing partner of Veteri Law Firm in Hackensack, which specializes in real estate transactions, leasing, redevelopment and more.

"Or folks are moving back to town. Like, my husband had moved out of town. We were in Montclair for a while and then we saw a house here that we couldn't resist so we moved here. But he grew up right here in town," added Mike Schiff, a Little Falls resident and realtor with Keller Williams NJ Metro Group in Montclair.

Several scenes from the beloved HBO series "The Sopranos" were shot in Little Falls, including in a former deli and on High Point Drive as Ralph Cifaretto's apartment. Little Falls was also home to the Jonas Brothers during their teenage years, when they wrote some of their early hits while living in a three-bedroom house in the Great Notch section.

Little Falls is also home to several local businesses, especially in the center of town. This includes Ethan & The Bean, a non-profit coffee shop that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The shop will soon be expanding to occupy half of the old Little Falls Town Hall, alongside the Little Falls Historical Society.

There is also The Falls Kitchen, The Fine Grind coffee shop, Mo & Jay Pastry and Jackie's Grillette Little Falls. The township is also home to Montclair State University, the second-largest university in New Jersey.

Little Falls real estate

Perception: Because Little Falls is located just west of Bergen County, the homes there must be newly built and pricey.

Reality: Homes in Little falls are comparatively cheaper to nearby hubs like Montclair, so it has become a more affordable alternative for those looking to live in a small town with homes full of character.

While homes for sale in Little Falls are still fairly pricey, they are often more affordable than what can be found in bigger, more expensive nearby towns.

"We've seen a lot of buyers that either can't afford to get into the Montclair market or choose not to, so they come to Little Falls, Bloomfield and Cedar Grove," Veteri said. "They're choosing to come to the neighboring towns."

The relatively affordable price of homes in Little Falls is credited to the fact that it is not common for homes in the area to be torn down and rebuilt. Instead, properties are often left as is — besides some renovations by homeowners — which has helped maintain home prices here.

"One thing I don't recall seeing before is people buying homes and tearing them down to build a new home," Veteri said. "We don't see a lot of that because it's so very expensive to do."

As of mid-May, you can look to pay anywhere from $475,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Zeliff Avenue in the Signac section, to as much as $849,900 for a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Grove Street in the Singac section.

There are also many rentals in Little Falls, with a number of condominium and apartment complexes near the center of town. This includes The Mill at Little Falls, a 323-unit condominium development in a converted carpet mill along the Passaic River; The Parke at Little Falls, a community of 102 townhomes; The Abbe at Little Falls, a development with 50 Georgetown-style townhouses; and Autumn Pointe, a community of 24 townhouses.

There are also several other complexes in Little Falls, like Citizen Little Falls, Park Lane and Hilltop Manor Apartments, as well as rentals through independent homeowners.

Altogether, as of mid-May, two-bedroom units are available for anywhere from $2,100 to $3,400 per month. There are also occasionally full home rentals available, such as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family home for $2,600 per month.

Damiano said they have also worked to keep residential taxes low, ensuring that the cost of living in Little Falls remains lower than that of neighboring areas. As of 2023, property taxes in Little Falls were 3.282% of the property's assessed value.

Activities in Little Falls

Perception: Little Falls is a small town, so there's no way there can be that many attractions and activities in the area.

Reality: Little Falls may be small, but the amount of attractions, activities and events that are available throughout the year make it mighty.

If you're looking for some fun in Little Falls, you can take a trip to Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, which is on the campus of Montclair State University. With such a close proximity to the university, you can also use this as an opportunity to take in some college sports games here and there.

There is also the Little Falls Public Library, which first opened in 1912. Today, the library offers a vast selection of books, audiobooks, movies, CDs, magazines and more. Throughout the year, the library also holds special programs, like Rhyme Time for children 24 months and under, Strength and Balance workshops, a book club, a garden club, trivia and more.

The Little Falls Farmers Market is held every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Municipal Building on Main Street. Guest vendors will attend throughout the season, and lists of participating vendors are updated on the Little Falls Farmers Market Facebook page.

There are also several opportunities to get outdoors in Little Falls, like at the Peckman Preserve, which is a 12-acre site made up of open spaces, meadows, wetlands and wildlife with walking paths for guests. Wilmore Park — also known as Memorial Park — has a gazebo, a playground, picnic areas and walking paths. During the summer months, a free summer concert series is held on Thursdays in the park, along with a marketplace featuring several businesses and vendors.

Commute from Little Falls

Perception: With a centralized location in North Jersey, Little Falls still offers an easy commute for those looking to travel to New York city or surrounding areas in North Jersey.

Reality: Little Falls is located less than 20 miles from New York City, and the town has several options for traveling that provide fairly good commuting times.

Located in Passaic County, but bordering Bergen County, Little Falls offers a fairly easy commuting experience with access to several different methods of transportation, whether you prefer taking the train, bus or driving yourself.

For train service, there is Little Falls Station, which is located on Union Avenue just off Montclair Avenue. Here, you can access the Montclair-Boonton NJ Transit line, which runs directly to New York Penn Station and Hoboken during the week. The trip takes a little over an hour, and a month worth of rides will ring up to $296 if you have to make this trip regularly.

On weekends and holidays, the Montclair-Boonton line only offers service from the Bay Street train station in Montclair to the Broad Street train station in Newark. On these days, you must transfer trains in Newark for access to Hoboken and New York Penn Station.

If you'd prefer to take the bus, NJ Transit bus routes 105, 191 and 195 run through Little Falls and travel to Port Authority in Manhattan. This ride can take anywhere from half an hour to over an hour, depending on the time of day. But, the monthly commuting cost will ring in less than the train, at $224.

And, for those who'd rather just drive — whether its locally or to New York City — Little Falls is in close proximity to several major highways such as Route 46, Route 3, Route 80 and Route 23, all of which are located anywhere from five to 10 minutes away.

Little Falls schools

Perception: Because Little Falls is a small town with smaller schools, their school system must rank highly compared to towns with larger school systems.

Reality: The Little Falls Township Public School District is a highly rated school system, having been named a Lighthouse School District and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence recipient.

In the Little Falls Township Public School District, there are three schools that serve children in Pre-K through eighth grade. This includes School No. 1 for grades 5 through 8, School No. 2 for pre-K through second grade and School No. 3 for grades 3 and 4. Altogether, these schools serve more than 900 students.

For high school, there is Passaic Valley Regional High School, which serves about 1,000 students from Little Falls, Totowa and Woodland Park.

In 2019, the Little Falls school district was named one of 11 winners of New Jersey's Lighthouse Award, which is given to districts that show significant academic improvement by the New Jersey Department of Education. At the time, Little Falls was granted the award for "placing an emphasis on both self-care and academic improvement."

Also in 2019, Little Falls Township School No. 3 was named a National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School by the U.S. Department of Education. This designation is awarded based on the school's overall academic excellence, or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The district has also consistently ranked among the top schools in U.S. News and World Report.

"The Little Falls School District is thriving because the entire community, internal and external stakeholders, make sure our schools are places where excellence is not just a goal but a reality," said Tracey Marinelli, superintendent of the Little Falls School District.

The Little Falls Public School District is also enhanced with help from the Little Falls Education Foundation. First established in 2014, the organization aims to support educational excellence in the town's schools through community involvement. Schiff, who is also the president of the Little Falls Education Foundation, said they've been able to fund more than $40,000 to the Little Falls school district to date.

"We help to fund programs and projects that wouldn't otherwise be funded by the budget," Schiff said, who is also the president of the Little Falls Education Foundation. "It's really quite amazing because they've been able to divert funds and work funds through the process to enhance physical attributes of bathrooms and flooring and landscaping."

The Little Falls social scene

Perception: Little Falls is a quiet town without a lot of options for social outings and ways to become part of the community.

Reality: New residents will have no problem finding ways to be social, whether its hanging out at notable nightlife spots or joining a community organization.

For a night out in Little Falls, there are several casual options to choose from. The Ties at Woodford Hall — a 1930's-inspired bar and grill located on the site of the former Russian Hall, which dated back to 1916 — as well as Maggie's Town Tavern and Chela's Restaurant and Bar, all offer a relaxed environment for you to enjoy a drink.

And, while technically located in Woodland Park but sitting on the Little Falls border, the Great Notch Inn is another beloved nightlife spot in the area. The building has more than a two-century-long history, and today is a beloved destination for beer and live music featuring local acts.

You can also opt to join one of Little Falls' community organization. This could include the Little Falls Historical Society, which aims to collect, preserve, promote and interpret all forms of history of Little Falls. For a $25 membership, residents get a one year subscription to the Little Falls Historical Society newsletter and invitations to all of the organizations events and programs.

"The Historic Society came up with a plan to renovate (the old town hall), and I'm very happy about that because it's a very important structure. So, the Historical Society will move upstairs and we'll have a little museum there and a visitor center for the Morris Canal," said Veteri, who is also the president of the Little Falls Historic Society.

There is also the Little Falls Alliance for a Better Community, a non-profit volunteer organization that works to enhance and preserve the township's business districts, parks, and recreational and cultural areas.

"They do a lot of good things for the town, and they would be the ones that I think would be more apt to send out the welcome wagon for new residents," Veteri said. "They're also responsible for the town concerts. So, without any cost to the town, they pay for these great bands and musical acts to come to the park every Thursday during the summer. It really is a very nice thing."

Other community organizations include the Woman's Club of Little Falls, the Little Falls Art Council, the Little Falls Business Organization and the Little Falls Athletic Club. There are also two senior groups: the Little Falls Golden Agers and the Little Falls Jolly Seniors.

There are also eight different places of worship in Little Falls, including the United Methodist Church of Little Falls, Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church, St. Agnes Episcopal Church, and more.

"Little Falls is not just a town; it's a vibrant community where traditions meet modernization, and the feeling of community exists in everything we do," Damiano said. "I am immensely proud of what has been accomplished in Little Falls, and I am honored to call this town home."

So, move right in to Little Falls: A low-key Passaic County suburb with a more affordable lifestyle that doesn't sacrifice easy access to the city.

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Little Falls NJ real estate: Guide to this North Jersey town