261 21st St

Irvington earned its name in 1850 when residents, eager to distance their town from the song "Camptown Races," renamed it in honor of author Washington Irving. That sense of civic pride still runs through this compact Essex County township, which packs a dense, active atmosphere into just three square miles. Sitting directly west of Newark and about 15 miles from New York City, Irvington draws people who want access to a major metro area without paying big-city prices. Springfield Avenue and Clinton Avenue serve as the town's commercial backbones, lined with specialty shops and neighborhood eateries reflecting the community's broad cultural influences.

The housing stock here skews toward no-frills apartments, multi-family buildings, and modest townhomes, with established apartment communities spread across tree-lined residential blocks. Renters appreciate the relative affordability compared to neighboring communities like Maplewood or South Orange.