409 South 2nd Avenue

Beautifully maintained and tastefully updated, this 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath colonial sits on a quiet, tree-lined street in the heart of Highland Park. Warm wood floors run through the main level, from a sunlit living room to a separate dining room and a spacious family room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling brick wood-burning fireplace, all flowing together for easy everyday living and entertaining.

The updated eat-in kitchen is the showpiece: rich cherry cabinetry with storage to spare, granite counters, a tile backsplash, double wall ovens, and full stainless steel appliances, with room for a table under a pendant light.

Upstairs, four freshly painted bedrooms are carpeted for comfort, including a primary suite with its own full bath and multiple closets. The finished basement adds real living space with a large recreation room, a separate office or bonus room, plus laundry and generous storage.

Out back, a composite deck overlooks a fully fenced yard with a mature shade tree. Major systems are updated, with 2-zone central air, gas forced-air heat, and a gas water heater, and Sunrun solar panels (assumable, about $166 per month) help keep energy costs down.

Best of all is the address. Stroll to downtown Highland Park shops and restaurants and to Donaldson Park along the Raritan, with Rutgers University and downtown New Brunswick about a mile away and the New Brunswick train station to NYC about 1.5 miles. The hugely popular H Mart and 99 Ranch Asian shopping plaza is about 2 miles away. A rare walk-everywhere location in a town that holds its value.