Fair Haven, NJ Neighborhoods: Parks, Streets and What's Nearby

Fair Haven is a small borough on the south bank of the Navesink River in Monmouth County, covering about 2.11 square miles, of which roughly half a square mile is water. It sits between Red Bank and Rumson and borders Little Silver, Middletown Township, Red Bank and Rumson. This guide covers the streets, homes, parks and practical checks buyers ask about most.

A short history that still shapes the streets

Fair Haven grew from the riverbank inland. According to the borough's own history, Jeremiah Chandler built the first permanent dwelling in 1816 near the foot of today's Fair Haven Road. By 1850 Chandler's Dock stood next to the site of the present town dock, and steamboats running between New York and Red Bank stopped there to carry oysters and other river harvest. Fair Haven was part of Shrewsbury Township until it incorporated as a borough on March 28, 1912.

Notable Neighborhoods

Fair Haven is compact, and most people describe it street by street rather than by neighborhood name. Three names come up consistently, one from the borough's history and two from the subdivision names used in real estate listings.

The Old Village (the historic district)

The borough's history describes the Old Village as Fair Haven's 19th-century core: Fair Haven Road, which once led to Chandler's Dock and was the heart of town, plus the adjoining Clay, DeNormandie and Gillespie streets and nearby parts of River Road. Fair Haven Road has also gone by the names Clam Shell Road, VanTine Street and Pearl Street. The borough notes that building here was largely finished by the late 1800s and that the area has kept much of its 19th-century appearance. It now sits within a historic district.

Homes here are 19th-century houses and cottages, and Fair Haven Road runs down to the town dock. The exact historic district boundary is set by the borough, so ask the borough whether a specific address falls inside it before planning exterior changes.

River Oaks

River Oaks is a subdivision name used in local listings for a group of streets off River Road east of the center of town, toward Rumson, including Oak Place and Laurel. Listing records for River Oaks show single-family homes built across more than a century, from the early 1900s to recent custom construction, in roughly the 2,000 to 4,900 square foot range. A 2018 custom colonial on Oak Place, for example, sits on a lot of about 10,000 square feet according to its listing. Expect a mix of older homes, renovations and newer builds on the same street.

Gentry

Gentry is the MLS subdivision name for the homes on Gentry Drive, reached from Third Street or from Ridge Road by way of Dartmouth. Listings describe the houses as center hall and shore colonials. One on Gentry Drive lists a 1991 build year on about 0.23 acres, and another lists an 80 by 125 foot lot. Many have been updated since, so kitchens, basements and systems vary from house to house.

Housing stock at a glance

• 19th-century homes and cottages in the Old Village along Fair Haven Road and its side streets, some subject to historic district review.
• Early and mid-20th-century homes mixed with newer custom construction, as in River Oaks.
• Late-1980s and early-1990s colonials on lots of about a quarter acre in Gentry.

Parks, trails and the river

Fair Haven has more open space than its size suggests. One point worth clearing up: Fair Haven Fields Natural Area is a park, not a neighborhood.

• Fair Haven Fields on Ridge Road is a 37-acre recreation area with fields for lacrosse, soccer, baseball and football, plus tennis courts and a playground.
• Fair Haven Fields Natural Area, next to it, covers 40 acres with 1.65 miles of woodland trails around a 2-acre pond.
• Harding Bird Sanctuary at Ridge and Harding Roads is a bird and wildlife preserve.
• McCarter Pond on Fair Haven Road hosts the borough's annual fishing contest, and McCarter Park has a playground.
• Fair Haven Dock, at the foot of Fair Haven Road, was renovated and is used for crabbing, fishing, birding and the Summer Concert Series.
• Grange Avenue Pocket Park overlooks the Navesink, and Williams, Albert and Robards Park sits on the riverbank at the end of DeNormandie Avenue.
• A municipal boat ramp is at the north end of Battin Road. Trailer launches for motorized boats require a permit.

Fair Haven has no ocean beach of its own. The Sea Bright beaches are about 3 miles east in a straight line.

River Road: shops, dining and town events

River Road is Fair Haven's main street. Cafes, restaurants and local shops line the stretch through the center of town, and the Fair Haven Public Library is inside Borough Hall at 748 River Road. A walk along River Road on a weekday morning and again on a weekend evening shows how the corridor feels at different times.

Town events listed in a 2026 local guide include Fair Haven Day with its parade, the Fair Haven Firemen's Fair in the last week of August, a late-August sidewalk sale, the Holiday Stroll in Memorial Park and the Summer Concert Series at the dock. Check the borough's calendar for current dates.

Getting around

• Roads: River Road (County Route 10) is the main road through town. No interstate or state highway passes through the borough.
• Garden State Parkway: the closest interchange is Exit 109 (Red Bank / Lincroft), about 4 miles away in a straight line. Driving distance is longer.
• Train: the nearest station is Red Bank on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
• Bus: NJ Transit's 838 bus (Freehold, Red Bank and Sea Bright) stops on River Road at Fair Haven Road. It replaced the older 835 route in 2016. Check njtransit.com for current schedules.

Schools

Fair Haven Public Schools runs two schools: Viola L. Sickles School (pre-K to grade 3) and Knollwood School (grades 4 to 8). Students in grades 9 to 12 attend Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in Rumson. Because there is one school per grade span, every Fair Haven address is assigned to the same schools.

Practical notes for buyers

• Flood zones: much of Fair Haven sits on or near the Navesink. Look up any specific address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov, and ask for an elevation certificate if the home is in a mapped flood zone, since flood insurance can change your monthly cost.
• Property taxes: the Monmouth County Board of Taxation lists Fair Haven's 2025 general tax rate as 1.427 per $100 of assessed value. To estimate a bill, multiply the home's assessed value by 0.01427, then confirm the current assessment and rate with the borough tax office, since rates change every year.
• Historic district review: Fair Haven has a Historic Preservation Commission that advises the Planning Board and Zoning Board on applications in historic districts and on historic sites. If you plan an addition or exterior changes to an older home, ask the borough what review applies before you buy.
• Homeowners associations: none of the sources we reviewed mention an association for the Old Village, River Oaks or Gentry. Confirm on the seller's disclosure for any specific home.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Old Village in Fair Haven?

It is the borough's 19th-century core along Fair Haven Road and the side streets Clay, DeNormandie and Gillespie, running down to the river. The borough's history says it has kept much of its 19th-century appearance and is now inside a historic district.

Is Fair Haven Fields a neighborhood?

No. Fair Haven Fields is a borough park on Ridge Road: a 37-acre recreation area with fields, tennis courts and a playground, next to the 40-acre Fair Haven Fields Natural Area with 1.65 miles of trails.

What was Fair Haven's 2025 property tax rate?

The Monmouth County Board of Taxation lists Fair Haven's 2025 general tax rate as 1.427 per $100 of assessed value.

Talk to Dennis Mark about Fair Haven

Every street in Fair Haven has its own mix of home ages, lot sizes and river proximity, and the details that matter most (flood zone, historic review, recent sales on the same block) are specific to each address. Dennis Mark Interdonato of Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living can pull recent sales for the streets you are considering and walk through what to check before you make an offer. Get in touch or call (732) 598-2672.