Would you buy across from a high school? (Teaneck: sales, house) - New Jersey (NJ) - City-Data Forum

bbk21 · 03-31-2012, 12:32 PM

Hi All,

I'd love some opinions. We are considering purchasing a home that is across the street from a high school (Teaneck).

Would love some input and opinions on the noise/traffic impact of such a situation.

Thanks.

Gibbcutter · 03-31-2012, 04:31 PM

It depends. Some high schools have attractive buildings with well maintained grounds. That's good. I would be around the school during the beginning and the end of the day. What is the traffic like? Do the kids hang around after school? What is it like for Friday night football games and basketball/wrestling contests?

Overall, it is to stay away. However, there are exceptions. Remember this, maybe you won't have a problem with it but when you sell, the next buyer may.

jerseyj · 03-31-2012, 05:42 PM

Agree with Gibbcutter.
We live around the corner from a HS. Traffic is pretty heavy (buses and cars) from 7:15 AM to class start at 7:30. Then again from 3 PM to 3:15 PM. I am amazed that they move 1600 kids in under 15 minutes!

Then there are the late buses, not nearly as many.

Where are the athletic fields located? Are they lighted, does the school host night games? This will impact your traffic as well. Ours has a marching band, we hear them practicing some evenings in the fall but not past 8 PM.

Back to school night (1 night out of the year) our neighbourhood is jammed with parked cars. Does the Teaneck school have adequate campus parking? Ours does for day to day activitity but not for the few times per year there are special events.

Ask your realtor if the school hosts many special events through the year (flea markets, Christmas craft shows, book sales etc).

We've lived here for 20 years and never had a problem with the students.

The good thing is, when your kids are in HS you can walk to the special events

sonofagunk · 03-31-2012, 07:36 PM

Also check where the students park. Some high schools have limited parking and with the new laws preventing kids from driving too many friends around, the areas around some schools are parking lots all day/every day

bbk21 · 03-31-2012, 09:40 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. The house we are looking at is across from the very end of the school and the football field is at the opposite end. Kids can only drive there when they are seniors. I believe there is no onstreet parking aloud during the day so we should be okay. The house has a very long driveway. Seems like a nice school and not too huge. My brother in law lives a couple blocks away and his daughter went to school there. He doesn't seem concerned at all. I am a little, but I think my love for the house might outweigh those.

I know I should think about resale value but we don't foresee moving again, so it would be 30 years down the line. Who knows what would happen by then.

Gibbcutter · 04-01-2012, 04:58 AM

Teaneck is an excellent school and their students are great. Based upon what you said, I say, buy the house. Good luck.

jerseyjersey · 04-01-2012, 06:00 AM

For me it would depend greatly on the things everyone is describing. If possible, you may want to check out the house at school arrival/dismissal times, and during the school day, so see if the noise/traffic is at a level you can tolerate. I'd also double check with the town about the no street parking for students, as that would be a biggie for me.

Since you said the house has a long driveway, I'm thinking it's probably set back a fair amount from the road? That would definitely help me to be more comfortable with the house.

One more thought--I know you said that you don't really need to consider resale, but keep in mind that unexpected things can happen with jobs, kids, etc. That said, if you feel that the price you're paying reflects the house's proximity to the school, that would help me be more comfortable about the purchase, IIWY.

Good luck with your decision!

karen_in_nh_2012 · 04-01-2012, 06:13 AM

I live just down the street from my town's high school. A year or two before I bought my house, the town changed the parking rules so that no one can park on the street during the day. (Apparently before then lots of high school students were parking on my street every day. If they had still been able to when I was buying, I would NOT have bought my house as the street would have looked very congested.)

I see students walking to/from the high school every day, but if I weren't outside (or inside with all the windows open) I would never know it as I don't HEAR them at all. Maybe a dozen times a year, I hear rather distant sounds of football games or concerts from a field. Just before high school graduation (so usually in early June), the marching band marches down my street around noon -- I guess they are practicing for the graduation show. (It's kind of fun, like a parade on my street a couple of times a year.) In the summer our minor league baseball team plays on the high school's field so I can hear cheers from the crowd if I have my windows open. On July 4th the town has its fireworks show on that same field so I certainly hear that.

This might sound like a lot of noise from a high school, and I am sensitive to some noises, but NONE of these kinds of noises bother me at all (I think part of it is that I know they are finite -- i.e., no baseball game lasts longer than 3 hours, the band practices for an hour at the most a few times a year, etc.). What would be MUCH worse would be if I had a neighbor who opened their doors/windows and blasted their favorite music to the world -- that would have no clear "ending point" (i.e. it could go on all day every day!). That would drive me insane. Living near a high school doesn't.

Long-winded answer when all I wanted was to say living near a high school hasn't been a problem in the 9 years I've lived here! Good luck with your decision!