The beautiful Bergen County town of Ho-Ho-Kus is approximately 22 miles from New York City making it another great place to call home with a convenient commute. This close knit charming community of about 4,100 residents is nestled between the village of Ridgewood to the south and the borough of Saddle River to the North. Ho-Ho-Kus is known for its charming downtown with great shops and Zagat rated restaurants. Ho-Ho-Kus is made up of charming neighborhoods and picturesque homes – some on large lots and some on standard sized lots on beautiful, sidewalk lined, pedestrian friendly streets – with no two houses alike.
What does the name Ho-Ho-Kus mean? One of the most accepted explanations of the origin of the name Ho-Ho-Kus is that it was a version of Mehohokus, which is a Delaware Native American term meaning “the Red Cedar”.
Many are drawn to Ho-Ho-Kus for its charming neighborhoods and picturesque homes. On the west side of Ho-Ho-Kus, the Cheelcroft neighborhoods were developed in the early 1900’s taking inspiration from the Cotswold region of England. On the east side of Ho-Ho-Kus, you’ll find larger property lots with the houses more spread out.
In the first quarter of 2020, the median sold home price in Ho-Ho-Kus was $725,000, and the average sold home price was calculated at $912,679 (according to the NJMLS).
Commuting from Ho-Ho-Kus to New York City
There are many options for commuting from Ho-Ho-Kus into New York City. The public transportation options include NJ Transit trains and buses. Also, the private Short Line bus service offers many commuters a very convenient and direct way to get into New York City. Taking advantage of the buses and trains are your best and most efficient options, but, I must admit, the drive to and from New York City over the George Washington Bridge is truly scenic. When there is very little traffic (in the morning on weekends especially), I’ve been able to get to New York City in 35 minutes!
Commuting from Ho-Ho-Kus to New York City by train is an easy option for all. Both the NJ Transit Main Line and the Bergen County Line stop at the conveniently located train station in downtown Ho-Ho-Kus. Both the Main Line and Bergen Line go to Hoboken, NJ, and they also stop at Secaucus Junction. New York City commuters can transfer at Secaucus and then hop on the frequent trains heading to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. There is some parking at the Ho-Ho-Kus train station.
Another favorite way to commute from Ho-Ho-Kus to New York City is the Short Line private bus service which offers convenient parking at the nearby Route 17 Park & Ride. This private bus service offers frequent direct bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC (in Midtown West) as well as service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and then down the East Side of Manhattan to 23rd Street.
Schools for Ho-Ho-Kus
The close-knit Ho-Ho-Kus residents are proud of their Ho-Ho-Kus Public School which was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education. The Ho-Ho-Kus Public School offers instruction to around 650 resident students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
For ninth through twelfth grades, the Ho-Ho-Kus students go to Northern Highlands Regional High School located in nearby Allendale along with students from Allendale, Saddle River and Upper Saddle River (approximately 1,350 students in total). Northern Highlands Regional High School is one of the top ranked public high schools in the state of New Jersey and has also been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. Northern Highlands has many top-ranked athletic programs, as well.
Also, students from Ho-Ho-Kus (and all of Bergen County) have the opportunity to attend the Bergen County Academies, a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack. Bergen Academies is one of the highest performing high schools in the US has also been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. Admission to the Bergen Academies is based on a competitive application process and is extremely selective.
