$1,000,000? Bergen County - Page 5 - City-Data Forum

labcjo · 11-22-2011, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZM91

West side borders Paterson, south side borders Elmwood Park(East Paterson).

This is ridiculous. Whoever wrote this has obviously never lived in Fair Lawn. ALL of Fair Lawn is incredibly safe - crime is virtually non existent in the town. There are no areas to avoid. (City Data gives Fair Lawn a crime rating of 81.3, and 311.4 is the national average).

The west part of town bordering Paterson is separated from the city by the Passaic River, a huge natural buffer, and there are few ways to cross it from Paterson into Fair Lawn - none by foot if I'm not mistaken. The only concern living here is the flooding, which can happen being close to the river. And the side of Paterson closest to Fair Lawn is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Paterson - lots of big homes. There's nothing to worry about here.

And since when did Elmwood Park become a high crime area? It's also Bergen County, its crime rate is almost as low as Fair Lawn's (134.6), and it's another incredibly safe town of working class families. I was born and raised in Elmwood Park, and we never had so much as a bike stolen from us. My parents still live there and often leave their doors unlocked! If you want to live in Bergen County, it can actually be a great place to find a nice, move in ready home near the $300,000 price range (Fair Lawn's schools are considered better).

Forgive me if I seem rude, but the above poster gave bad advice, and I would encourage you to ignore it. All of Fair Lawn is nice, and the one section that is different from the others is Radburn, which is almost it's own community. The homes are smaller and older, and share a common space (park, pool, playground, etc). It was developed to be its own inclusive community where neighbors interact much more. You'll need to make sure you're comfortable with that style of living, plus you have to pay yearly fees to the Radburn association.

I was born and raised in the area, and a lot of my family grew up in Fair Lawn, so please feel free to ask with any questions you might have.

zhelder · 11-22-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labcjo

This is ridiculous. Whoever wrote this has obviously never lived in Fair Lawn. ALL of Fair Lawn is incredibly safe - crime is virtually non existent in the town. There are no areas to avoid. (City Data gives Fair Lawn a crime rating of 81.3, and 311.4 is the national average).

The west part of town bordering Paterson is separated from the city by the Passaic River, a huge natural buffer, and there are few ways to cross it from Paterson into Fair Lawn - none by foot if I'm not mistaken. The only concern living here is the flooding, which can happen being close to the river. And the side of Paterson closest to Fair Lawn is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Paterson - lots of big homes. There's nothing to worry about here.

And since when did Elmwood Park become a high crime area? It's also Bergen County, its crime rate is almost as low as Fair Lawn's (134.6), and it's another incredibly safe town of working class families. I was born and raised in Elmwood Park, and we never had so much as a bike stolen from us. My parents still live there and often leave their doors unlocked! If you want to live in Bergen County, it can actually be a great place to find a nice, move in ready home near the $300,000 price range (Fair Lawn's schools are considered better).

Forgive me if I seem rude, but the above poster gave bad advice, and I would encourage you to ignore it. All of Fair Lawn is nice, and the one section that is different from the others is Radburn, which is almost it's own community. The homes are smaller and older, and share a common space (park, pool, playground, etc). It was developed to be its own inclusive community where neighbors interact much more. You'll need to make sure you're comfortable with that style of living, plus you have to pay yearly fees to the Radburn association.

I was born and raised in the area, and a lot of my family grew up in Fair Lawn, so please feel free to ask with any questions you might have.

Guess what... I live in Fair Lawn. And I've lived in the town for a total of about 28 years. I grew up in the town, attended schools in the town, and currently live in Fair Lawn.

It is a good town, in all areas. But let's get real: the sections bordering Glen Rock and Paramus are quite a bit nicer and have less crime than the areas bordering Saddle Brook, Elmwood Park, and Paterson.

I wasn't trying to make the OP think that the less affluent sections of the town are plagued by crime: they certainly are not, and the area is still nice overall (although they really have to give Broadway a facelift). But most of the (limited) crime in the town tends to occur in those sections. I mentioned this so that the OP could make an informed decision.

OP, don't let what I said in my post scare you. The crime in Fair Lawn is very low in all sections, and people don't go around town shouting, "I'm from Southside/Westside! We're gangstsa!" But there are some differences between different sections of the town. Fair Lawn is kind of a bridge between more working-class towns (Saddle Brook, Elmwood Park, and Paterson) and more affluent towns (Glen Rock and Paramus).

For 300K, you're likely going to be looking at houses in the less affluent areas of the town. But I wouldn't worry about it. Those areas are still very safe. Just understand that your house is going to be modest, and it may take you a while to find one that suits your needs. But if you can find one, you'll get a lot of bang for the buck, and your kids will get a good education.

labcjo · 11-22-2011, 07:28 PM

Well one thing we know for sure: there is a whole lot more snobbery near the Glen Rock/Paramus border than the other side of town

I say this all in good fun of course; my assessment is the same as yours: Fair Lawn is a great town (I also agree about Broadway). We're actually considering buying a house in Radburn- though we haven't made a final decision yet. Thanks for helping to clarify your remarks!

dreamspace01 · 11-22-2011, 07:52 PM

I drove by Fair Lawn today and I loved the area. What area in Fair Lawn would be good to look at that does not have busy streets? My kids love to be outside and I am concerned about the traffic. Hopefully I can find a decent home(3 bed & 1 or 2 baths) for under $300K...Send me some links if you guys & gals come across some. Not really into Radburn(extra $ a every year for me)....

labcjo · 11-22-2011, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamspace01

I drove by Fair Lawn today and I loved the area. What area in Fair Lawn would be good to look at that does not have busy streets? My kids love to be outside and I am concerned about the traffic. Hopefully I can find a decent home(3 bed & 1 or 2 baths) for under $300K...Send me some links if you guys & gals come across some. Not really into Radburn(extra $ a every year for me)....

Well the benefit of Radburn is just that: every house has a walkway that goes to a commonly shared park, where the playgrounds, pool, and school is located. The whole idea is that you're kids can go outside and play without every having to cross a street or see a car. There are some homes available for under $300k.

But, yes, there are fees. If you want to avoid that, look for a house near one of Fair Lawn's many parks.

Go to http://www.trulia.com/for_sale/07410...63977_xy/14_zm , and do a map search for the 07410 zip code. Enter in your price range and look around. A saw a lot of houses in your range, many of them close to parks. Good luck!

nj21 · 11-27-2011, 05:03 PM

Maybe Hackensack? I currently live in Hackensack and there are a plethora of different areas and different sized houses. Its too expensive for my wage..I only make $9 an hour in retail, so I live at home with my WHOLE family.

zpatz · 01-05-2012, 10:50 PM

This is the job of a realtor.

Find a realtor in Bergen Country and let them know what you're
looking for.

Simple....easy solution. What you describe is what a realtor
does for a living. Won't cost you a dime.

t07072 · 07-24-2012, 12:35 PM

Some older homeowners of the the Carlstadt / Woodridge area who have not put a lot of money into their homes over the last 40-60years (yes, some have been in their homes this long and even longer) might offer you a good deal as they finally reach that point in life that says time for the "Home". That said, the cost to repair, replace and modernize which depending on ones appetite and budget can cost another 25K-150K or more. That in of itself will raise your property taxes to ridiculous levels even with small lot sizes. LBC (Lower Bergen County) as some call it is made up of old towns founded and build by the early immigrants who migrated from NYC and other areas in the 1920's through 1950's so most have very small lots, many are multi dwelling and many of the houses are 75 years or older. Keep this in mind from someone who was born and raised in Carlstadt and has family there today.

zhelder · 07-24-2012, 12:53 PM

Well, since this thread has been revived...

OP, if you're still here, did you ever make a decision on a town? If so, where, and how's it working out?

PeterPickle · 07-25-2012, 10:38 AM

Dreamspace dont let that negative nabboobs here get you down its a dirty little seceret but there are definately fixer uppers all over NJ inc. Bergen the main thing you got to consider is capital. Since your in sub $300K range u can go FHA route and get a fixer upper but you'll need to provide some capital. Even in the best hoods their are fixer uppers people would be surprise. But the investores taken them rehab like lipstick on a pig them and sell them. Best way to do this is get in touch with some agents in the area. Agents can get you into the deal before the public. Go to zillow or something and do a search on the cheape's houses sort by price descending and call those agents not the guys who deal in multi-million propertys.