22 / matters magazine / summer 2026 I’m from Maplewood, NJ Growing up in Maplewood was a gift that is very hard to quantify. While I loved sports and riding my bike around town, playing music was a life-changing experience. Inspired by my friends who were into music, I picked up the guitar and was soon writing original songs and playing in a band. By middle school, we were booking our own gigs and performing across New Jersey almost every weekend, eventually leading the band to be signed by Warner Brothers and tour around the world. The arts here made my dreams seem like a tangible path, which ultimately launched my professional music career. PETER “PJ” DECICCO Compass, The DeCicco Group Millburn | 973-420-4401 peter@thedeciccogroup.com | thedeciccogroup.com I’m from Home, Penn. Home, Pennsylvania, where I grew up, is a tiny village with fewer than 2,000 people. My parents still live there on four acres surrounded by woods and Christmas tree fields. I was nurtured by large family gatherings, neighborhood friends and school activities such as cheerleading and track. During the summer, I’d head out on my bike and spend the day exploring creeks, building forts or creating adventures. It taught me independence, creativity and how to entertain myself. Still I thought city life was my destiny, so after college I moved to New York and later to Maplewood. I wanted my children to grow up with the same sense of connection I valued. JILL SOCKWELL Compass, Jill Sockwell Group Millburn | 917-657-8800 jillsockwell@gmail.com | jillsockwell.com I’m from Maplewood, NJ I have so many fond memories of growing up in Maplewood. I walked to Tuscan School and later Maplewood Middle School with friends, picking up more classmates along the way until we arrived as one big group. After school, we’d grab a bagel from Bagel Chateau, a slice from Arturo’s or a treat from Maplewood Stationers before heading home. It wasn’t until I went to boarding school in Massachusetts that I realized how rare Maplewood’s diversity is. The strong sense of community and feeling of belonging shaped who I am and ultimately drew me back to raise my own family here. CAMILLE ESTRELLA Keller Williams Village Square Realty, Estrella Consulting Group South Orange | 973-932-5637 @camilleestrellarealtor | contactcamille.com
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