Discovering Belleville’s Neighborhoods: Your 2026 Guide

Belleville is an Essex County township of about 3.36 square miles on the west bank of the Passaic River, bordered by Bloomfield, Newark and Nutley in Essex County, Lyndhurst and North Arlington in Bergen County, and Kearny in Hudson County. It had 38,222 residents at the 2020 Census. For buyers, Belleville offers something that is getting harder to find this close to New York: a large stock of older single-family and two-family homes, light rail and bus connections, and county parkland running through town.

Here is my 2026 guide to Belleville's sections, housing, parks, dining, commute options and the practical items to check before you buy.

A Little Belleville History

Before it was Belleville, the area was known as Second River. It was named Belleville on July 4, 1797, and incorporated as a township on April 8, 1839, from parts of Bloomfield. The name is French for "beautiful town." In 1753 Josiah Hornblower brought a steam engine to Belleville to pump water out of the Schuyler copper mines, which the township's history describes as the first steam engine in the United States. Washington's troops passed through on November 22, 1776, during the retreat across New Jersey.

Belleville's Notable Neighborhoods

Belleville does not publish official neighborhood boundaries, but a few named sections are well established.

Silver Lake

Silver Lake is a Census-defined area of about a third of a square mile, mostly in Belleville with a small part in Bloomfield. The lake it was named for, about 300 feet wide and half a mile long, was destroyed by flooding in 1889, but the name stuck. The township's zoning code has three Silver Lake districts, including a Silver Lake Residential district, and the Silver Lake light rail station at 208 Heckel Street is in Belleville. If you commute to Newark, this section puts you close to the train.

Soho

In 1869 Belleville absorbed the part of neighboring Woodside north of the canal. That area became the Soho section and set the township's present borders.

Around Belleville Park and Hendricks Field

Belleville Park runs along the Second River between Belleville Avenue, Parkside Avenue and Mill Street, with the county's Hendricks Field Golf Course next to it on the north. Homes on the surrounding streets sit next to one of the longest stretches of green space in the area, because Belleville Park connects to Branch Brook Park to form a continuous green strip more than two and a half miles long.

The Passaic River Side

The eastern edge of Belleville follows the Passaic River, with Route 21 and Main Street running along it and Route 7 crossing the river on the Belleville Turnpike Bridge. Streets on this side offer the fastest access to Route 21 toward Newark. They are also the areas where flood maps matter most (see below).

Belwood and Big Tree

Belleville also lists Belwood and Big Tree as named communities within the township. Ask me about current listings in either and we can look at the specific streets together.

Housing Stock at a Glance

Census estimates (ACS 2024 five-year) count about 15,104 housing units in Belleville with a median year built of 1951, so most homes are pre-war or post-war construction.

• Single-family: about 42% are detached single-family homes and about 6.5% are attached.
• Two-family: about 20% are in two-unit buildings, one of the defining features of the Belleville market for buyers who want rental income.
• Multifamily: the rest are in three- and four-unit buildings and apartment buildings of various sizes.
• Ownership: about 56% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Lots are compact. The zoning ordinance sets minimum lots of 5,000 square feet (50 by 100 feet) in the R-A1 single-family zone, 4,000 square feet in R-A2, and 3,500 square feet in the R-B two-family zone, and a new single-family home can be built on an existing isolated 25 by 100 foot lot. The code also allows a third unit in a two-family home in certain districts, including over a detached garage on lots larger than 7,500 square feet, which is worth knowing if you are planning for rental income.

Parks and Outdoor Spots

• Belleville Park (343 Belleville Avenue): 32.7 acres of Essex County parkland along the Second River with cherry trees, a playground, bocce courts, softball and soccer fields, and a quarter-mile jogging path.
• Hendricks Field Golf Course (220 Franklin Avenue): an 18-hole Essex County course opened in 1929 and designed by Charles Banks.
• Branch Brook Park (Newark, extending into Belleville): 360 acres, the nation's first county park, with more than 5,000 cherry trees and an annual cherry blossom festival each April.

Dining

Washington Avenue, Joralemon Street and the streets around them carry most of Belleville's restaurants. A few local spots:

• Me and Tommy's Restaurant and Catering, 4 Essex St, Italian.
• Topaz Thai, 137 Washington Ave.
• Montuno, 138 Washington Ave, Cuban.
• Warique, 165 Garden Ave, Peruvian and BYOB.
• Michael's Roscommon House, 531 Joralemon St, family-run since 1982.
• Alberto's Restaurant and Pizzeria, 482 Washington Ave, Argentine-Italian.

For more, see my Belleville restaurant guide.

Getting Around

• Light rail: Silver Lake station, in Belleville, is on the Newark Light Rail line to Newark Penn Station.
• Train: there is no NJ Transit passenger rail station in Belleville. The nearest is Bloomfield station on the Montclair-Boonton Line, with service to Hoboken and to New York Penn Station via Midtown Direct.
• Bus: NJ Transit routes 13, 27, 72, 74, 90, 92, 93 and 94 serve Belleville.
• Roads: Route 21 (McCarter Highway) has exits in Belleville, including Exit 6 for Route 7 and Exit 7 for Main Street, and Route 7 runs through town. The Garden State Parkway is reached in neighboring Bloomfield.

Practical Notes for Buyers

Flood Zones

Essex County's hazard mitigation plan says Belleville floods from the Passaic River, the Second River and the Third River, with frequent flooding along the Third River between Fairway Avenue and Joralemon Street. About 9% of the township's land is in FEMA's 1% annual-chance (high-risk) flood zone. Check any address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, ask about the home's flood history and get a flood insurance quote before you commit.

Property Taxes

For 2025 the New Jersey Division of Taxation lists Belleville's general tax rate at 4.157 and its effective tax rate at 2.710 per $100 of assessed value. The state's 2025 figures put the average residential tax bill at $11,635 on an average assessment of $279,899. Assessed values in Belleville are well below market value, so compare the actual tax bill, not the rate alone.

Two-Family and Multi-Unit Homes

If you are buying a two- or three-family, confirm the legal unit count with the township, review the leases and rent history, and check the certificate of occupancy requirements before closing.

School District

Belleville is served by the Belleville School District. You can review its schools and programs on the district's website.

Let's Talk About Belleville

Belleville gives you older homes with character, a real two-family market, county parkland and light rail to Newark, all within a few miles of the city. I am Dennis Mark Interdonato with Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living, and I would be glad to help you compare sections, run the numbers on a two-family, and check the flood and tax details on any home you like. Contact me here to get started, and read my guide to moving to Belleville for more.