Belleville is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, situated along the Passaic River in the state's northeastern Gateway Region. Its name derives from the French for 'beautiful town,' reflecting its nineteenth-century industrial and residential growth along the river. With a population of roughly 38,000 across about 3.3 square miles, it shares borders with Newark to the south and Nutley and Bloomfield to the north and west, placing it squarely within the dense suburban ring of the New York metropolitan area. The township's location about 13 miles from Manhattan makes it a practical commuter base. While Belleville itself has no train station, the Newark Light Rail's Branch Brook Park station sits just south of the township, connecting riders to Newark Penn Station and, from there, to Manhattan via PATH or NJ Transit. This transit access, combined with its affordability relative to nearby towns, has long drawn New York commuters seeking more space. Belleville's housing stock reflects its age and density: most of the market consists of single-family Colonials, many from the early twentieth century, alongside semi-attached duplexes, townhouses, and rowhouses on smaller lots. The Washington Avenue corridor provides the township's commercial spine, known for its diverse eateries, while Branch Brook Park—renowned for its cherry blossoms—runs along the township's edge. For residents, Belleville offers an urban-leaning, diverse community with close access to Newark's employment, education, and cultural resources, plus a manageable commute into New York City. Its schools, dense walkable blocks, and Passaic River setting define a working-class and family-oriented township in Essex County.