Is Teaneck for real? (living in, racism, areas)

[EANJ]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

Oh, I wasn't talking about Glenpointe, but the area around Glenpointe that you mentioned. GP wasn't even there until 20 years ago.

My point was that South Teaneck has certainly changed in terms of ethnicity, but I think it wasn't such a great place to live even when it was white, contrary to what a lot of white people like to believe about places they don't live anymore.

(P.S. I'm white and grew up there)

I got it. Thanks.

I think much of that are has changed in a very positive way. North of DeGraw/Fort Lee Road and west of Teaneck Road -- many of those homes have been sold, redone, remodeled, updated, etc. In the last 10-15 years, you had doctors taking offices there (more North, toward Cedar Lane). I think you also had the migration effect -- people who couldn't afford to live North of Rt. 4, east of River, and some of the other higher priced areas.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by EANJ

I got it. Thanks.

I think much of that are has changed in a very positive way. North of DeGraw/Fort Lee Road and west of Teaneck Road -- many of those homes have been sold, redone, remodeled, updated, etc. In the last 10-15 years, you had doctors taking offices there (more North, toward Cedar Lane). I think you also had the migration effect -- people who couldn't afford to live North of Rt. 4, east of River, and some of the other higher priced areas.

Really? Oh that's good to hear!

[EANJ]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

Really? Oh that's good to hear!

I am not an expert on the area, but I do think so. Much of that area has improved due to market forces as well. The prices of some of those homes in Teaneck are $500,000 and up. Sure, migration and the "nicer areas" spreading a bit. I think there has been a trend there of people who want to, but also those who can afford to live there -- perhaps like young, urban couples, maybe with young children, people who want to be close to NYC, major commerce and industry areas, the hospital(s), Paramus, major highways, etc.

As you get into Bogota, I don't think the houses are as nice. The same with Ridgefield Park. Both nice towns, I happen to like RP a great deal, but I think Teaneck is "more expensive" and to many has more to offer.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by EANJ

I am not an expert on the area, but I do think so. Much of that area has improved due to market forces as well. The prices of some of those homes in Teaneck are $500,000 and up. Sure, migration and the "nicer areas" spreading a bit. I think there has been a trend there of people who want to, but also those who can afford to live there -- perhaps like young, urban couples, maybe with young children, people who want to be close to NYC, major commerce and industry areas, the hospital(s), Paramus, major highways, etc.

As you get into Bogota, I don't think the houses are as nice. The same with Ridgefield Park. Both nice towns, I happen to like RP a great deal, but I think Teaneck is "more expensive" and to many has more to offer.

We lived south of Degraw, so the houses were a bit smaller there. Last time I drove through that part, I didn't see much renovation going on, but maybe it will spread. Bogota has some nice old houses scattered around and on the main avenues (Larch, Elm). Yeah, RP's housing stock is kind of meh, but I think out of the three towns that is the town I would pick right now, especially if schools were a factor.

[theoakman]

Originally Posted by EANJ

I am not an expert on the area, but I do think so. Much of that area has improved due to market forces as well. The prices of some of those homes in Teaneck are $500,000 and up. Sure, migration and the "nicer areas" spreading a bit. I think there has been a trend there of people who want to, but also those who can afford to live there -- perhaps like young, urban couples, maybe with young children, people who want to be close to NYC, major commerce and industry areas, the hospital(s), Paramus, major highways, etc.

As you get into Bogota, I don't think the houses are as nice. The same with Ridgefield Park. Both nice towns, I happen to like RP a great deal, but I think Teaneck is "more expensive" and to many has more to offer.

I'm weary of Ridgefield Park now. They are so broke that they canceled the 4th of July Fireworks this year. Are these guys nuts? Their property taxes are so damn high yet they are supposedly out of money. Instead of firing some dead weight that has been long overdue, they just threw out 200 years of tradition. They had the 2nd longest running 4th of July celebration in the entire country. Idiots.

[EANJ]

Originally Posted by theoakman

I'm weary of Ridgefield Park now. They are so broke that they canceled the 4th of July Fireworks this year. Are these guys nuts? Their property taxes are so damn high yet they are supposedly out of money. Instead of firing some dead weight that has been long overdue, they just threw out 200 years of tradition. They had the 2nd longest running 4th of July celebration in the entire country. Idiots.

Really? What about the parade? I had no idea they were in that kind of shape financially. The property taxes must have climbed because -- I think -- I remember them being reasonable. That's a real shame. It was a nice little town.

[izannimda]

Originally Posted by Newarkbomb

Teaneck is not as bad as people make it seem. I mean yes the schools aren't great but they're definately not the worse around.
I mean it had a couple crime incidents in the past few years but nothing to an extent that the whole city is crazy.
Depends on the part of Teaneck you go, and even if you were in the so called bad area it wouldnt be any where remote as bad as say Irvington.
Another thing, they say Teaneck has rising gangs, yes they do but you can say that about Dumont, Lodi, Garfield, and Bergenfield, but oooo its diffrent in those towns because there practcaly all white towns, but people make it out to act as if Teaneck is even worst because of it's near 30% black population.. Yet the black people in teaneck are nice and share some communities with other cultures and races.
Also people complain about its high Jewish population in Teaneck, most of them are nice people, im sick of people callin a whole race or ethnicity mean or trashy based on a steryotype... Let the Jews run the town, other towns are controlled by other ethnicities, why is it a big deal Teaneck is ran by Jewish people???
So all in all, Teaneck is an alright town.

Though the property taxes are extremely high in.

This just doesn't make any sense. The taxes are through the roof in Teaneck, and yet it's just "alright"? Sounds like you are alright with paying more for less. Oh well, to each is own.

[openheads]

Teaneck is a problem?
So I guess it's Alpine or bust, huh? Or at least an all white homogeneous town with none of those "bad neighbors".
How can NJ be so sheltered................ It is absolutely amazing to me.
If you move to Teaneck you will "have" to deal with "blacks & jews"!!!!!!!! Oh my god, what a nightmare!!!!!!!!
Teaneck is a slice of the NEW Americana in a safe environment. How can that be a bad thing?????
Some of you are the REAL problem, not Teaneck..............

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by openheads

Teaneck is a problem?
So I guess it's Alpine or bust, huh? Or at least an all white homogeneous town with none of those "bad neighbors".
How can NJ be so sheltered................ It is absolutely amazing to me.
If you move to Teaneck you will "have" to deal with "blacks & jews"!!!!!!!! Oh my god, what a nightmare!!!!!!!!
Teaneck is a slice of the NEW Americana in a safe environment. How can that be a bad thing?????
Some of you are the REAL problem, not Teaneck..............

You know, it's really more complicated than that. There is a desire for people to hang out with their own kind, and race may be one of those factors, but many factors play in like socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, etc. It's not necessarily racism always going on.

For example, I would never want to live in an uber-affluent town. I wouldn't want my kids to have to go to school and deal with that because we are not super rich. Another example, I'm Catholic, so a town that has a high percentage of Catholics is appealing to me so my kids see lots of kids from school at CCD. Does that make a racist? How about the Jewish family that wants to live in a town that has a thriving Jewish community rather than be the only Jewish family in town? Does that make them racists?

There are lots of people who would never want to live in my town. Maybe because of its racial makeup (not very diverse), for some it wouldn't be rich enough, on and on. But I'm not going to get offended by that.

[Eric S]

Originally Posted by openheads

Teaneck is a problem?
So I guess it's Alpine or bust, huh? Or at least an all white homogeneous town with none of those "bad neighbors".
How can NJ be so sheltered................ It is absolutely amazing to me.
If you move to Teaneck you will "have" to deal with "blacks & jews"!!!!!!!! Oh my god, what a nightmare!!!!!!!!
Teaneck is a slice of the NEW Americana in a safe environment. How can that be a bad thing?????
Some of you are the REAL problem, not Teaneck..............

This really began to sink in for me in the years before I left NJ (last fall). It's a shame, but live long enough in NJ and the real picture become clearer and clearer with time. Population patterns say it all. It's a shame, really, how the subtle racism of the NE paints a more lasting mental image than the "in your face" historical racism of the south.

I'm living in a "red state" now, but down here, rich, poor, black, white, hispanic, muslim, catholic, jewish and others all live in the same communities - for the most part, unlike in NJ.

What I'm saying is that it's more than an "economic filter" that prevents the same from happening in NJ.

Having lived in NJ has given me a greater lesson in human nature, population trending and demographics than a million text-books could have.

-Eric