It has been a big week for Montclair, from a jazz festival with the Smithsonian’s stamp of approval to a housing market ranking that surprised even the economists tracking it. Here is what you need to know.
Montclair Jazz Festival Closes Out 17th Year With Star-Studded Downtown Jamboree
The 17th annual Montclair Jazz Festival culminated August 15 with its Downtown Jamboree at the historic, eight-acre Lackawanna Plaza, headlined by Dianne Reeves, the Christian McBride Big Band featuring Bilal, and Patrice Rushen. The day also featured Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Joel Ross’ Good Vibes and Take Me to the River New Orleans All Stars featuring Cyril Neville.
This year’s festival, presented by nonprofit JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, marked centennial celebrations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane through a second-stage JAZZ HOUSE Collective performance, and the Smithsonian Institution selected Montclair Jazz Festival as a collaborating festival for “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” part of the commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The Downtown Jamboree opened with The Gotham Kings, led by trumpeter Alphonso Horne, marching a New Orleans-style second line down Bloomfield Avenue to Lackawanna Plaza.
Proposed Swim School in Upper Montclair Delayed Again
The Montclair Planning Board made no decision on the SwimQuest swim school proposed for 580 Valley Road, the former Chase Bank site, at its August 3 meeting, and will next hear the application September 14, marking the sixth hearing on the application. Parking has been the central sticking point, with the Upper Montclair Business Association organizing opposition over a variance that would allow just 11 spaces where local law requires 39.
Montclair High Moves Up in Annual National Ranking
Montclair High School climbed to #1,667 nationally and #90 in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best High Schools list, released August 18, up from #1,887 nationally and #95 in New Jersey a year ago. The jump follows a sharp drop the year before, when the school fell from #55 to #95 in New Jersey, a slide the Pod covered as feeding into broader community concerns about budget shortfalls and board turnover. This year’s rankings weigh six factors, including college readiness, state assessment performance and graduation rates, evaluating roughly 27,000 public high schools nationwide.
Beloved Tex-Mex Restaurant Mexicali Rose Plans a Montclair Comeback
Mexicali Rose, the Tex-Mex restaurant that closed its Park Street location in 2011, is returning to Montclair under the Restaino family, who also own Cuban Pete’s, according to Montclair Girl. No opening date has been announced, though the restaurant’s website teases that “the ultimate Mexican dining experience is almost here.” The original Mexicali Rose was founded by Rosemary Leone, who went on to open Leone’s restaurant; her stepson, Dominic Restaino, later took over the business before it closed.
Montclair’s 07042 Ranks Second-Hottest ZIP Code in the U.S.
Montclair’s 07042 ZIP code ranked No. 2 nationally in Realtor.com’s 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes report, behind only Peabody, Massachusetts. Homes in 07042 spent a median of just 18 days on the market in the first half of 2026 and drew 3.3 times the national average in listing views, the highest average home value of any ZIP code on Realtor.com’s full 50-market list.
The median listing price in 07042 hit $1.05 million in the first half of the year, and homes sold for 16.7% above asking price on average, the highest premium among the report’s top 10 ZIP codes. Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones told Travel + Leisure she found the ranking surprising given the price point: “In a housing market where affordability has been front and center, it’s notable to see a ZIP that pricey rise all the way to the top.” The average home for sale in 07042 ran 2,625 square feet, about 86% larger than the typical home in the broader New York metro area.
Image credit: Montclair Jazz Fest IG
