Glen Ridge v. Westchester

[MontclairNative]

I sent this to my wife, also an agent, who grew up in Larchmont. She should reply here before too long. Her Mom headed up a RE office there, so she's been living it here and in Westchester. She's biased toward our towns, but I will say this, she really misses Grand Central.

[JuneRMontclair]

I live in Montclair and have many friends in Glen Ridge. I grew up in Lower Westchester/Larchmont. I am a realtor, as was my Mom. I sell homes in both Montclair and Glen Ridge. The housing stock is similar as both areas were developed at about the same time. The houses in Lower Westchester generally are on slightly larger properties. Many towns in Lower Westchester are beachfront towns. The taxes in Westchester are similar and somewhat higher than the taxes in Montclair and Glen Ridge. The houses in Montclair/Glen Ridge are substantially less expensive. You get a lot more for your money out here.
Glen Ridge is not as diverse but is becoming more so. Montclair is quite well known for its diversity. Larchmont is not particularly diverse. I found the county club culture of conformity there when I was growing up to be quite constraining. However, there is a large international community of mostly wealthy diplomats and multinational corporation executives.
The schools in Westchester are very competitive and score well on standardized tests. Students living in Larchmont attend Mamaroneck High School. The schools in Glen Ridge do very well when comparing standardized tests. Montclair's schools do not test as well, but much of that can be attributed to the socio-economic diversity of the students. Montclair has a magnet school system for elementary and middle school. This past year, Montclair High School had a record number of Ivy League admissions. Montclair
Although my (4) children are yournger, I have been impressed with many of the students I have met from Montclair High. I am very involved in my children's public elementary and middle schools and community groups. Feel free to contact me privately if you have any more questions. JuneR@StantonRealtors.com