This freshly painted side hall colonial is conveniently located less than a mile from the shops of downtown Maplewood and train to NYC! Once, inside, you’ll be delighted by the beautiful light that floods this south facing home. From the newer hardwood floors to the original built-ins, the first floor feels updated and charming! The spacious living room with wood burning fireplace is a great space for conversation and is adjacent to a cozy den/Maplewood room – perfect as a tv room or light-filled office.

The kitchen, redone in 2014, checks a lot of boxes with ample storage and a window overlooking the expansive, flat backyard. The adjoining dining room can easily accommodate family and friends for holidays and features additional built-ins and access via French doors to the lovely screened porch and deck (with gas hookup for grilling). Not to be overlooked is the newly rebuilt and electrified 2-car garage.

The second floor boasts recently refinished hardwood floors and more beautiful light! The large hall bath features original tile and offers so much space for your morning routine. You’ll find three bedrooms plus a bonus room with triple exposure and potential as a home office, workout space or more! A full, walk-up attic with plenty of head height offers the option for additional usable space.The finished (and waterproofed!) basement and powder room provides the perfect amount of additional space for recreation and relaxation.

452 Elmwood Improvements

2006

• Renovated Basement, including new half bath and new boiler

2010

• Renovated kitchen, installed new hardwood floors on first floor

2014

• French drain

2015

• Replaced chimney liner, flue, cap

2016

• Rebuilt from steps and replaced handrails

2017

• Partial upgrade of full bath

2018

• Rebuilt and expanded garage, added deck and screen porch

2019

• Upgraded landscaping

2020

• Installed gas grill

2021

• Second floor painted

2023

• New windows in parts of the house with lifetime warranty

2024

• Removed oil tank
• First floor painted
• Floors redone second floor
• Exterior painting
• New carpet in den and stairs

Dear future homeowner,

Welcome to 452 Elmwood Avenue- a wonderful family home! We moved here in 1995 with our two school aged children and have loved every aspect of our lives here. What drew us here was the diversity of people with varying opinions and talents. The vibe felt urban and we could have all it offered without the stress of living in the city.

Steven began his city commute right on our corner where he hung out with our amazing neighbors while waiting for the jitney. He made lifelong friends both on the jitney and NJ Transit during his 20+ year commute.

Our sons got a stellar education in the South Orange-Maplewood school district, starting at Clinton Elementary, where they too, made lifelong friends. We loved walking to and from school through the beautiful Midland Park neighborhood. When we first moved in, my mother in law walked the boys to school and commented that she loved the beautiful old houses and expected June Cleaver to pop out and say hello!

Our children thrived throughout their school careers, both being involved in the Columbia High School Music Program- a place where we found our place with the parents of other music students. I found my life long friends there!

Speaking of Midland Park, the surrounding neighborhood is amazing; the block parties each year are legendary and if you like Halloween- just wait! Our neighbors look out for one another in all the ways that matter.

We made so many family memories in this home as our children grew: Winter nights in front of the fireplace playing games and telling stories; movie night in our cozy Maplewood room and sleepovers in the basement with lots of local friends were always a hit of the neighborhood.

We have lovingly cared for our home and have enjoyed making it our own over the years, and we hope you will find ways to put your personal touches to make it yours. We enjoyed all the renovations we made to continually make the home even more special.

We love nothing more than having a meal on our screen porch, often enjoying BBQ food that we cooked just steps away. Our little deck was used often for stargazing on cool summer nights. With the porch doors open to the dining room, the breeze is amazing and the house is even more spacious.

We cherish the memories of many parties,especially in our beautiful yard. We have hosted Thanksgiving every year since we moved in, often with crowds of twenty five or more- the dining room can hold several tables if configured right!

We have loved taking advantage of being close to town- our boys walked in to meet friends when they were teens, while we met after work to grab a meal-there are so many awesome options!

We hope you will find 452 to be a home where you can make your own memories to cherish as we cherish the ones we made over the past 29 years!

The Current Homeowner