To get to 19 Highland Ave in Montclair, New Jersey, follow the directions of its famous owner, Yogi Berra: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Like the baseball legend, the 1902 home is full of surprises. To start with, there's the listing price: The family chose a tribute to their dad’s jersey number, No. 8, and listed the 6-bedroom, 3.25-bath residence at $888,000. (Click here or on a photo to see a slideshow.) Berra himself is now 88, turning 89 on May 12.
The famous Yankees catcher and manager and his wife, Carmen, bought the New Jersey colonial in 1974, after she fell in love with the three-story spiral staircase.
The home also has a tiny closet-sized darkroom on the third floor, an artist’s studio, views of New York City and a little covered "lemonade porch" off to the side.
As the Berras raised their three sons, and then later welcomed almost a dozen grandchildren, the home was the center of family life — the site of Easters, graduation celebrations and family birthday parties.
“It was a very celebratory home, very loving. And it’s gorgeous,” said Julie Kemps-Rowley of Keller-Williams-NJ Metro Group, who has the listing. “I hope someone who purchases it will have the same type of memories. … It has a really nice feeling to it. It’s a feeling of how happy it was there.”
Carmen Berra died March 7, which is why the family decided to sell the home. She and Yogi Berra had celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in January.
