Exclusive Interview with Mayor Bob Conley

Why should people consider moving to Madison?

BC: Anywhere in Madison you can walk downtown and have a great meal, have a cupcake and some ice cream, do some shopping for gifts.  It’s all right there.

The local schools are some of the best in the state and New Jersey schools are among the best in the country so you know you’re going to get a quality education.

Whether you work in NYC or want to take in what the city offers culturally it’s right there.

And talk about community spirit.  May Day is one of the traditions in Madison where we have over 1000 volunteers out getting their hands dirty as they beautify Madison.   That doesn’t happen everywhere, because you don’t have that sense of community.

In Madison you’re buying into the neighborhood, you’re buying into the community and you’re buying into a great town.

Why is Madison called the “Rose City”?

BC: Madison, at one point, was the number one producer of roses in the world.  With the railroad right here we were supplying roses to the rest of the country.  Eventually the rose industry moved off to California and South America, but it’s so much of Madison’s heritage.

Madison at one point was a part of Chatham Township and was called Bottle Hill, named after a tavern.  So quite a few years ago, shortly after James Madison was president, the town fathers at the time decided to honor our fourth president by changing the name to Madison.

Who was Geraldine Dodge?

BC: Talk about a benefactor that has made a difference for this town was Geraldine Dodge.  She and her husband were at one point the richest couple in the world.  She was a true benefactor and a big part of what makes Madison what it is today.

For more on living in Madison, NJ check out our community feature here: http://blog.oldendorpgroup.com/living-in-madison-nj/