Nutley is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, on the western bank of the Passaic River, roughly 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Originally part of Newark and later known as Franklin Township, the community was renamed Nutley in 1902, and its geography along the river has long defined its character. The township sits within the inner ring of New Jersey suburbs, close enough to New York City to function as a commuter town while retaining a distinct local identity of its own. The township's identity is shaped in part by its artistic heritage. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a section of Nutley known as the Enclosure became home to a small artists' colony, attracting painters and writers drawn to its pastoral setting. That legacy lingers in the town's civic culture and in its well-preserved older streetscapes, which still read as a small town set within a dense metropolitan region. Today Nutley is largely a residential community of roughly 30,000 people, with a population that skews toward families and long-tenured homeowners. Franklin Avenue, the main commercial corridor, runs through the center of town and is lined with restaurants, shops, and municipal buildings, giving the township a walkable downtown core. The housing stock is a mix of older single-family homes, many dating to the early twentieth century, alongside smaller apartment buildings and newer construction. Nutley's appeal rests on its balance: residents have access to the schools, parks, and neighborhood feel of a classic New Jersey town while remaining within an easy train or bus ride of the region's largest employment center. The township is well suited to households that value a close-knit community, established institutions, and a manageable commute to New York City and northern New Jersey's job markets.