Glen Gardner's housing stock centers on its historic Main Street and the surrounding streets, where 18th- and 19th-century frame homes and vernacular farmhouses sit on compact village lots. Beyond the core, the borough holds a range of mid-20th-century houses and a limited amount of newer infill construction. Because Glen Gardner is small, inventory is constrained and older, well-kept homes define the character more than large new subdivisions. The borough's ridge setting gives some properties elevated views, and the proximity to Spruce Run and the surrounding Hunterdon countryside appeals to buyers seeking a small-town, semi-rural setting within commuting distance of the county's larger towns.

Glen Gardner is effectively a single small village rather than a collection of subdivisions. Main Street forms the spine, lined with historic homes, the general store, and a few local businesses. Residential streets branch off the ridge toward the borough's edges, where lots open toward the Spruce Run valley to the south and the wooded slopes of the Musconetcong Mountain to the north. The surrounding Lebanon and Bethlehem township countryside—farms, orchards, and preserved open space—begins almost immediately past the borough line. This tight-knit, walkable layout gives residents a defined town center without the spread of larger Hunterdon communities.

Glen Gardner offers the quiet rhythm of a small Hunterdon borough. Local life revolves around the general store, a few eateries, and the historic streetscape, while Clinton's restaurants, boutiques, and the Red Mill museum sit minutes away. The nearby Spruce Run Recreation Area brings swimming, boating, and fishing into the summer routine, and the Skylands' fall foliage and farm stands shape the seasons. Residents also benefit from Flemington's shopping and services a short drive east. It is a community where neighbors know one another and where the pace is set by the surrounding hills and farmland rather than a busy downtown.

Glen Gardner's public students attend the Clinton–Glen Gardner School District, a pre-K through eighth-grade district shared with the Town of Clinton. The district is small, operating a single school of roughly 460 students, which gives families a close-knit, neighborhood-oriented education. For high school, students move on to the North Hunterdon–Voorhees Regional High School District. Private and parochial options exist elsewhere in Hunterdon County. The shared-district arrangement means Glen Gardner households are tied into Clinton's well-established school community, a practical feature for families relocating to the borough.

Glen Gardner sits directly on New Jersey Route 31, the principal north–south road through this part of Hunterdon County. Route 31 connects the borough south to Clinton, Flemington, and Interstate 78, and north toward Washington and Interstate 80, making regional travel straightforward. Interstate 78, a few miles south via Route 31, is the main commuter artery toward Newark and the New York metro area. Public transit is limited—there is no passenger rail in the borough—so daily life is car-dependent, though the Route 31/I-78 corridor keeps most regional drives efficient. The borough's small footprint means most local errands take only minutes.

Spruce Run Recreation Area anchors outdoor life just south of Glen Gardner. The reservoir is the third largest in New Jersey, covering about 1,290 acres with 15 miles of shoreline, and supports swimming, boating, and fishing; the Spruce Run itself drains the surrounding hills and feeds the reservoir. The creek and its wooded banks offer quiet, natural spots for hiking and picnicking just off Route 31. Nearby, the South Branch of the Raritan River and the Columbia Trail rail-trail add walking and paddling options, while the Musconetcong Mountain and Schooley's Mountain ridge line the borough's northern edge. Hunterdon's network of preserved farms and open space rounds out the recreation picture.