170 Jacoby Street

Come home to this lovingly cared for Maplewood classic in one of the area's most vibrant and trendy locations! Charm and historic character meet modern updates in this lovely, spacious home. Enjoy beautiful original 1920's details like chestnut moldings, nicely maintained hardwood floors with ribbon inlay, art deco stained glass windows, and richly etched fireplace. Add to that the modern comforts of a renovated kitchen, newly finished basement, newer windows, and expansive vaulted ceilings in the primary bedroom. Enter through a cute enclosed porch to find a large living room, airy sunroom, formal dining room, and a spacious sun filled eat in kitchen with ample cabinets. The second floor includes three generous bedrooms and a full bathroom. The walk up attic could be finished as a possible fourth bedroom or office space. The finished basement includes another full bathroom. The outside is artfully landscaped with a backyard complete with black raspberry bushes, gardening space, perennial flowers, and two car garage. Get a tasty croissant at The Bread Stand down the street and have your coffee in this magical garden!

Dear Future Homeowners

When I accidentally stumbled on Maplewood, after researching what felt like every nearby town west of New York City, I knew it was the right place for me.  Every person I spoke to in Maplewood had an idea of what it meant to live in Maplewood.  It was a town (or towns) with a specific personality - a certain social contract you sign up for, by agreeing to become part of this community.  And coming from Brooklyn, where I lived in the same 3rd floor walkup for the final six years yet still couldn't tell you my neighbors' names if you paid me, the idea of being part of a tight-knit community appealed to me.  I met my first next door neighbor within a week of moving in, when I peeked out the kitchen windows to see a stranger using an old-fashioned push mower to mow my back lawn.  I had moved to the suburbs without gardening equipment, and he knew that lawn needed attention.  Mr. Bierns is in his mid 80s and has lived in his home since the 1970s.  He loves to chat over the fence while he trims the hedge of flowering rose of Sharon.  My neighbors to the other side are a family of three who welcomed me with such gusto, I feel like I'm a family member myself.  The Cripes are the kind of people who will bring you presents for your birthday when they know you're stuck alone in the middle of a pandemic, and invite you to sit in their pool in the summer, or throw some of your chicken or sausages on their grill "while it's hot."  In the winter of 2021 I underwent a surgery but didn't mention it to my neighbors. I awoke one very snowy morning while I was recovering, to find my entire driveway had been cleared of the heavy snowfall, because my neighbor across the street had seen me come home from the hospital and realized I wasn't well.  I often tell people I hit the neighbor lottery when I moved to this home.  It breaks my heart to leave them, and I'm determined to sell the home to someone who will treat this community with the same kindness and generosity I received while living here. 

The house itself has been a total labor of love for me.  It took me most of my life to save enough of a down payment to buy a home, on a teacher's salary.  And when I moved in, having only rented before, learning how to care for a home had a steep learning curve. But with the help of neighbors, family, friends made in the community, and more than a few internet searches and YouTube videos, I learned how to do so many things.  The kitchen is a prime example.  The woodwork, when I moved in, was a deep striped walnut color.  I bought a paint sprayer and removed every door and spent a month (a MONTH!) in the back yard spraying layers of primer and white paint over that dark color.  I logged untold hours on my hands and knees, prying carpet staples out of the hardwood floors.  My sister and I refinished the basement after the installation of the French drain. I used an artist's brush and a bottle of Citrusolve to lovingly restore the original wood trim in the dining room and living room.  I built the raised beds in the backyard and filled them with tomatoes, zucchini, kale, lettuce, beets, radishes, broccoli, peas, and cucumbers - everything I couldn't grow on my tiny Brooklyn fire escape. There have been countless other tasks, both small and large, that have made this house into a place I'm immensely proud of. And sitting in the backyard around a roaring fire pit, with the cafe lights casting a warm glow, with the company of good friends and a bag of marshmallows to roast, I have basked in every moment of effort.  It is no exaggeration to say I love this home like it was my child.  If the stronger love of a long-distance partner and the arrival of our actual human child (this May!) weren't pulling me to relocate, this would be my forever home.  I hope it can be yours.  Because this community and this house deserve a family to love it for decades.

From the Current Homeowner of 170 Jacoby Street

Virtual Tour

Floor Plan

Property Overview

Outdoor Space/ Exterior

The cafe lights around the garden are absolutely magical, especially when combined with a roaring fire in the fire pit.

Maps

Contact Information