Any nice areas in Essex County? (Newark, East Orange: how much, houses, neighborhood)

[JerseyGirl?]

My husband and I are in the process of relocating to New Jersey. I've seen some nice houses in Kearny, Nutley, Belleville, Bloomfield and Montclair. Are these nice areas? I don't care if they're working class, I just don't want to be stabbed on my way to and from NYC.

[EB2]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirl?

My husband and I are in the process of relocating to New Jersey. I've seen some nice houses in Kearny, Nutley, Belleville, Bloomfield and Montclair. Are these nice areas? I don't care if they're working class, I just don't want to be stabbed on my way to and from NYC.

Kearny is in Hudson.

Pretty much all of western Essex is nice. You're going to find higher taxes in that county, though.

I'd avoid living in Newark, Orange, East Orange, Irvington, if you can help it.

[brookdaleresident]

If schools are an issue, stay out of Belleville.

[ndecost]

In my opinion, Nutley, Belleville, Bloomfield and Kearny are all working class - blue collar towns. They do have very high taxes though and not great school systems. Nutley and Belleville are still very old school Italian too. Montclair can be very nice and it can be pretty shady. Try to stay in upper montclair area. Its a beautiful area and a great place to live/shop/dine. The lower you are, the worse. Glen Ridge is a beautiful town, but its very expensive, but it has one of the best school districts in the state.

You should also look at Caldwell, West Caldwell, Verona, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Roseland... all very nice towns and none have shady areas.

[Gravy Boat]

I'm new here but so far I like West Orange a lot. And the commute to NYC is not bad. But I had could have spent 600k on a house, I would have chosen Upper Montclair. We looked at houses in Nutley and Bloomfield, too. Nice towns but we liked the house in West Orange better.

[ndecost]

West Orange can be nice but it can also be just okay. I personally wouldn't send my kids to school there either. It all depends on how much you can afford and what you are looking for in a home. Good luck

[hrjersey]

I agree with ndecost. West Orange, South Orange and Maplewood are all nice towns but I wouldn't send my kids to school there and the taxes...but that goes without saying. South Orange and Maplewood share a school district so that's one and the same.

I really like Livingston. Good schools, buses to NYC worth a look I think.

[Jerseyt719]

Don't forget that a lot of those places border, sometimes closely, bad areas. I worked in Essex County for years. I wouldn't live there. Simply because you have to go through some pretty seedy places for goods and services.
Go a little farther away. I commuted 40 minutes and was perfectly pleased with my home, schools, safety, etc.
After all, if you don't feel safe, it's not worth it.
Good luck.

[ff18wife]

I grew up in Belleville and I'm sorry to say it's gone downhill. I hear that now they call it "Little Newark". My parents neighborhood which used to be primarily Italian is now dotted with various nationalities. They seem to be the last of the originals on their block. As a teen, I used to walk anywhere in town alone even at night (like walking home from work). Now I wouldn't walk around the block alone at night. Hope you can "understand" what I'm saying.

So, in saying that, I honestly don't know if I'd recommend Belleville. Nutley maybe.....

[middle-aged mom]

I have relocated in and out of NJ twice. I spent about 4 years in Montclair. For such a small town, it is urban-suburban. There is extreme wealth and poverty and it all comes together in the schools, not necessarily a bad thing because it resembles real life.

Upper Montcalir and Montclair are the same village with different zip codes. The estate area of Montclair is incredible. The schools are magnet and most children are bused, even if there is a school down the block.

I never afraid anywhere, in Montclair.

It seemed to me that a majority of homeowners came from the city- NYC and so there is a tolerence for and appreciation of differences that may not exist in a lot of communities.