You may have heard of Doris Duke, once considered the richest girl in the world. She may have left her well known farm, Duke Farms in Hillsborough, but she left an even bigger legacy. Visiting Duke Farms is only one of the many things to do in the area though. So is there more to do than visit Duke Farms? Absolutely. Don't visit without also taking a hike on the Sourland Mountain Preserve or getting some fresh goods at the Norz Hill Farm and Market. Hillsborough also happens to be in a great location. Want to go to a big city? New York and Philadelphia are only an hour away! Want to go to the beach? A number of Jersey Shore towns are only an hour away! Are you more of a lakes and mountains kind of person? Jersey has lakes all over the state, with its largest lake, Lake Hopatcong, that includes a nearby state park and its own boating community, being only an hour away.

Besides Hillsborough being in a great location, Time's Money Magazine has consistently named my hometown one of the best towns in the nation to live in. In 2007, Hillsborough was ranked 23rd in the nation. Hillsborough then made headlines again in 2011 by ranking 53rd in the nation, only to then rank 16th in the nation in 2013 and 30th in the nation in 2015. It's known as a community minded town with strong school systems, low crime, and preserved areas while still managing to find that balance in catering to both businesses and residents. When my former Elementary School Principal got promoted to Superintendent, I felt as if his three year run in the position certainly contributed to Hillsborough's thriving schools in a state that's already known as one of the most educated states in the country. There's no question that Hillsborough's school will produce students capable of getting into Jersey's beloved Princeton University, a commute that's only less than half an hour away. There will also surely be students aiming to get into New Jersey's flagship public university as well, Rutgers University, with its New Brunswick campus also being less than half an hour away.

Hillsborough's population consists of almost 40,000 people, a medium income of around $110,000, and has been experiencing around 8% job growth with plenty of opportunities in surrounding areas around New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York City. That doesn't include the fact that like the people in Hillsborough, anyone who visits a gas station in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the United States, knows that they have the luxury of not having to pump their own gas, as gas station attendants are required to pump your gas for you.

So want a town with easy accessibility to New York and Philadelphia? Want a town with a nice mix of farms, trails, parks, schools, and business? Want a town with close proximity with the beaches that consists of the nation's greatest boardwalks? Want a town that provides the ideal environment for raising a family? Or simply a town that you can take pride in? Then Hillsborough is worth taking a good look at. You surely won't be disappointed!