Belvidere's housing stock is dominated by its 19th-century fabric. The downtown and surrounding streets hold well-preserved Victorian-era homes—Italianate, Second Empire, and vernacular frame houses—many within walking distance of the Town Square. Historic properties, including converted buildings like the Hotel Belvidere, coexist with a modest supply of mid-20th-century homes on the town's edges and riverfront parcels along the Delaware. The town is small, roughly one square mile, so inventory is naturally limited and historic character is the defining feature rather than newer subdivisions. Buyers drawn to Belvidere typically prioritize walkability, period architecture, and proximity to the river over large-lot development.

Belvidere's compact footprint centers on its downtown grid, where the Town Square and Garret D. Wall Park form the civic heart. The streets radiating from the square hold the town's densest concentration of Victorian homes and storefronts, and the riverfront along the Delaware offers views and access to the Riverton–Belvidere Bridge crossing into Pennsylvania. The Pequest River marks the town's other edge, and the surrounding Warren County countryside—farmland, forest, and the ridges of the Skylands—begins almost immediately beyond the borough's borders. There are no sprawling subdivisions; instead, Belvidere reads as a single historic neighborhood wrapped around its square.

Belvidere's calendar is anchored by Victorian Days, a September festival celebrating the town's 19th-century architecture with tours, costumed events, and local food. The downtown supports a handful of independent restaurants, pizzerias, and boutiques, and the Warren County War Memorial stands as a point of civic pride. Day-to-day life is unhurried: residents walk to the Town Square, meet at local diners and pizzerias, and take the bridge stroll to watch the sun set over the Delaware. The town's position in the Skylands puts fall foliage, farm stands, and the river at the center of weekend life, while the county courthouse and government offices keep the weekdays quietly busy.

Belvidere is served by the Belvidere School District, a small community district that educates students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Because the town is a single square-mile municipality, the district operates a small number of schools serving the full K–12 span, giving students a neighborhood-school experience with short travel distances. The district's modest size means class communities tend to be tight-knit. Families seeking private or specialized options look to the broader Warren County area, but the town's own district remains the default for most Belvidere households, and the county-seat setting places the school system close to the town's civic life.

Belvidere sits at the junction of New Jersey Routes 46 and 519, which link the town to the wider Warren County road network and, via Route 46, toward the Interstate 80 corridor and the Delaware Water Gap region. The Riverton–Belvidere Bridge carries traffic across the Delaware into Pennsylvania, making the town a local crossing point between the two states. Public transit is limited—regional bus service exists, but most errands and commutes are car-dependent—and many local drives fall under 30 minutes. For longer trips, the town's residents rely on the Route 46/Interstate 80 corridor rather than rail, since no passenger train serves Belvidere.

The Delaware and Pequest rivers define recreation in Belvidere. The Pequest, a renowned trout stream, ends its run in the town, and anglers fish its waters through the season; the Pequest Wildlife Management Area and its trout hatchery sit just upstream. The Delaware offers boating and riverside walks, and the historic bridge makes for a scenic stroll into Pennsylvania. Nearby, Jenny Jump State Forest and Allamuchy State Park provide hiking, camping, and ridge views, while the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area lies a short drive north with miles of trail and river access. The town's own Garret D. Wall Park offers shaded green space at the center of daily life.