Been living in Maplewood for 6 years and I love everything about it. There are many cafes, True Salvage being our favorite. South Orange is also wonderful. Jackie & Co. and The Order are great cafes there. The train stations are one stop from each other and there is a Jitney service. The towns share a school system and depending on where you live, both downtown areas are very close to each other so you could enjoy both. The South Mountain Reservation is spectacular and is a short drive from either Mapso town. You can’t go wrong with either. I went to college in Montclair and enjoy going there but mostly for dinner at one of their restaurants. It’s crazy busy there on the weekends and parking is a nightmare.