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We have been in North Jersey for a little over a year. We moved from South Jersey b/c of husbands job. We started by renting in Closter which was a big mistake. Great elementary school but thats about it. We wanted out once the lease was up. They found early renters and instead of scrambling to find a house we are with my mom for now and we need to get out!! lol
Anyway relying heavily on online info so far and a little talk with people and some visiting we have come up with a few towns in different areas. We are trying to stay within 30 minutes of my husbands job which is based in paterson.
Montville and Madison. Also considering the Caldwells.
In bergen county- Allendale, Wyckoff, Hillsdale and possibly Waldwick and Oakland.
Schools are a huge factor as is price. We are looking to rent as we still own our home in Cherry Hill and are trying to get it sold. We are in contract but stand to loose a good sum of money.
We would like to keep rent as low as possible but know we are to spend around 3000/m. Once we buy we are looking around 500-600,000
Any thoughts on these towns? Pros and Cons? I am looking for a family friendly town with a good school but not a ton of mcmansions. Dont want to feel like the poorest in town! Being able to have some land would be great. I hate towns where tiny house are on top of eachother.
I saw Montville and Madison were listed in one of the top places to live articles! But really didn't get out they came to these conclusions.
-Waldwick is probably bottom of the affluence barrel( keep in mind you have a very good barrell). If you are considering Waldwick I personally think Hawthorne is a better option(probably because I live there).
-Oakland is a great value. Good Schools, great community, but there is no real downtown and not much to do. You'll get more house for your money here than the others on your list.
-Allendale, Wyckoff and Hillsdale are all very similar. Affluent(more so than Oakland or Waldwick), Good Schools, etc. Since it doesn't sound like you need a train station. I'd probably recommend Wyckoff.
-Madison seems like a waste since you are paying a huge premium for being on a midtown direct line and you are not commuting into Manhattan.
-Montville is nice but if you are looking at that I think Wayne is a better value.
-Caldwells. I went to a party at one of the McMansions in North Caldwell, it was nice. Met a girls from North Caldwell, she was not so nice. That's about all I know.
My 2 cents.
Last edited by Goldendoodle1969; 03-01-2012 at 11:22 AM..
And you are right we do not need a train. Never thought about paying so much for having I guess easy access to transportation. Just heard good things about Madison but it seems expensive.
I do love Wyckoff! It is just a pretty town. It seems like it has a very large area where houses are huge etc! We have not driven around Allendale so I am not sure what to think. But Hillsdale seemed to have least McMansions!
tdstyles offers good advice. However, while YOU don't need a train line, keep in mind that it does make resale down the line a bit more attractive to some family who does.
I live in Midland Park, a small and nice quiet little town. The school district isn't too bad. I'd stay out of Wyckoff, Oakland, and Waldwick though. I attend school in Midland Park, and I know that those three towns are big, big drug areas. Midland Park seems to the the only relatively untouched town I know in Bergen County.
I agree with the above comment about Midland Park. It's got a nice small town feel, safe, cute downtown, good schools, short commute to Paterson without the trappings of the more materialistic towns surrounding it. The bus to NYC is right there, too. Ridgewood is just down the hill. Keep it on your list, as well as maybe Glen Rock.
^^^ Grew up in Midland Park--fifth generation in town as a matter of fact (I'm still related to a lot of people there and have lots of DNA in that old cemetery behind the Methodist church) and returned to raise my daughter there. Had to bolt once she graduated because I was a single mom and it's unaffordable for me, but I'd recommend it if it's affordable for you.
Small town, close-knit feel, VERY safe (not on any major highway so getaways are not easy--if you have any break-ins, it's usually a stringy-haired neighbor kid who took up a drug habit.) Drugs are there--they are everywhere--but it's not an enormous issue as it is in some other towns. Drinking's more of a problem--when we were kids, we drank in the woods. Now that they've hacked down most of the woods in town, kids drink in their parents' basements.
Re schools--my daughter was not the valedictorian or anything, but she was in the top 15% at graduation, and she has done very well in college. If you are into music for your children, the high school has two great instructors for chorus and band.
If you have dreams of football greatness for your son, Midland Park is not the town for you, lol.
We had looked into Ridgewood and Glenrock. I love Ridgewood but heard some conflicting things about it. Glenrock would be a great commute for my husband but everything we looked out we could get a little more for our money somewhere else.
We are going to take a ride to Allendale to drive around. I don't know much about it but it has great schools. I remember Hillsdale being nice too. A little further off the beaten path but no where as bad as Closter!
Good tip about being where there is good transportation for resale!! Thx! And yes my husband has dreams of football stardom for my son! Ha!
We had looked into Ridgewood and Glenrock. I love Ridgewood but heard some conflicting things about it. Glenrock would be a great commute for my husband but everything we looked out we could get a little more for our money somewhere else.
We are going to take a ride to Allendale to drive around. I don't know much about it but it has great schools. I remember Hillsdale being nice too. A little further off the beaten path but no where as bad as Closter!
Good tip about being where there is good transportation for resale!! Thx! And yes my husband has dreams of football stardom for my son! Ha!
I live in Glen Rock Bri (moved in last summer). Just curious, what is it about Closter that you so dislike? I've never been but I thought it was a good town?
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