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Please consider Cranford. The town is very family friendly. The kids still play like kids here, and there is no "rat race" mentality here. Schools are absolutely top notch, parents are involved, and the town has a town center so there is an overall community feel here.
I'm a little late to the original posting, but since it's open again, I wanted I say my thoughts on going to a school in the rat race.
I grew up in Elizabeth. From 2nd to 6th grade, I attended blue ribbon schools (the "gifted&talented" program). I never really felt a rat race here with the vast majority of kids, but it was Elizabeth and it was elementary school (not like that makes a difference too much in some towns).
For 7th and 8th grade, through the choice program, I went to Kenilworth. Small, easygoing school. Good teachers made it good, but overall, it wasn't as challenging. I was easily at the top of my class.
For high school, we moved and I went to Millburn HS. GOSH, the change! But I also had a stigma about it. I resented a lot of it and, in turn, slacked off and didn't do so great. But I was also in honors classes and those were too challenging for me at the time. Long story short, I learned to appreciate the challenge, and by senior year, I had made great friends who were NOT all about getting into Ivy League schools and I had straight A's that year. Meanwhile I had gotten a scholarship to Kean and I was BORED in my classes! I didn't have the same challenges and I felt I had less freedoms sometimes. I hated it the 3 1/2 years I went.
My point is, it's ok to go to a rat race school and expose your kids to healthy challenges. YOU don't have to give in to the rat race and neither do they. I used to work at a math center tutoring kids, and when parents would come in frantic about their 4th grader's C on a test, it would be our stance to remind them that that C isn't going to affect their college application. So, yes, I do know that the rat race exists early on, but it does not mean you have to succumb to it. (When I say you, it's a general "you," not necessarily you, OP.)
Not that $650k could be almost any home, much less a 3000 sq ft one. But it could get some pretty good homes in Bridgewater or Branchburg, as well as Randolph or Mendham. Good schools, but I'm not sure about the "rat race" aspect.
What about Glen Ridge? I'm looking at houses in that town. I saw that the schools have good rating on Greatschoo.org, ranked high by NJMonthly.
Is it a very comeptitive place like Millburn?
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