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Ive seen this post in different variations. But my questions still havnt been answered. This is my situation Im moving from northern VA, just me and my 10 yr old boy. I love the north NJ/nyc area. Would love to move to NYC, but dont see it possible with my 10 yr. old. Coming from a very suburby area, i think the culture shock of a big city would traumtize him. So ive decided on NOrth jersey. But what part of north jersey is doable? rent wise, and most importantly school wise. my income im calculating would be between $45k - $55k. Are there any public schools you would recommend..or specifically any areas i should stay away from? thanks
We don't think NJ is better than NYC but for you and your son it probably is due to cost of living and extremely urban environment alone.
This is hard since there are so many towns in NJ. You might do better on the NJ forum if you haven't already posted there. It's tough to raise a child on $45-55K anywhere in this area. Obviously 55K is much better than 45K. If you think NJ is better, you can get cheaper rents and lower taxes. If you work in NYC you'd pay NY state income tax but not city tax if you live outside the city. If you live and work in NJ, you pay NJ tax, which is lower. Of course, in much of NJ you'd need a car to get around.
I am not expert on NJ school systems other than knowing some towns that are quite expensive and probably not a good fit. NJ, closer to NYC, also has a lot of more urban places that are either expensive or have not so great schools or both. This is unfortunately shorthand but you might want to just avoid Hudson County altogether as too urban. One town that's nice and not too far where you might find an affordable rental is Rutherford. A friend of mine grew up there and did great in the schools. There are a lot of possibilities if you're willing to go farther from NY in northern or central NJ, and still have the city within an hour or so for occasional trips in on the weekend. The northern side of Edison, Piscataway, Green Brook, parts of Woodbridge, and Clark are pretty nice and may be more affordable for rentals.
Well, it is hard to compare NJ to NYC (since NJ is a state), but let me first tell you that living up here is expensive as hell. I'm not trying to scare you, but that is the fact. If you don't want to live in an urban enviroment like NYC, than NJ could be the place for you. Some parts of Jersey is urban (like Newark, Paterson, Jersey City, Elizabeth, etc). Though, these cities have a high crime rate. I wouldn't recommend that for you. Hit the Jersey forum for more help. NJ has some really good schools in some areas. Just remember that you get what you pay for. If you're moving to Bergen County (where the bulk of North Jersey suburbia is located) you will shell out some money.
definitely move to northern nj. there are a lot of similarities between northern nj and northern virginia - lots of nice surburban towns with good school districts and highway/mass transit access to the city (nyc or dc).
since this is the nyc forum, i won't post much about jersey, but keep this in mind: the overwhelming majority of the state is suburban. don't listen to the pretentious types who assume that all of jersey is a cruddy wasteland. those people obviously haven't spent much time, if any, in the state. the reality is that many of its towns are very nice and have good-to-very good school districts. you need a car to get around, but overall if you can find a place within your budget, i think you'll like it a lot. i grew up in both northern nj and nyc proper, and i honestly have to say that growing up in the burbs was a lot better for me (in part b/c nyc was ROUGH when i was growing up in the '80s, and still is in many areas outside of midtown/downtown manhattan).
of all the suburban areas within a 15-20 mile distance from nyc, the nicest (but most expensive) in my opinion are in bergen county (directly across the hudson river from upper manhattan and the bronx) and essex county (excluding the rough urban areas such as newark, irvington, orange, and east orange). even in wealthier/more expensive towns, you can probably find rentals within your price range (buying a house is a totally different story - it's cost prohibitive for many people). some of the best public high school systems in northern nj are millburn, livingston, glen ridge, ridgewood, tenafly, northern valley old tappan and northern valley demarest, northern highlands, glen rock...i could go on and on. tons of towns to choose from. just post the question on the nj board and you'll get plenty of answers.
where will you be working? let me just say that NJ has the best school system. unless you are planning to livein very poor cities like paterson, passaic, newark elizabeth etc. i would not worry about the schools
good schools/towns:
wayne, totowa, west paterson, cedar grove, verona, livingston, montclair, etc, etc, etc
i think the culture shock of a big city would traumtize him.
Way too hyperbolic. He'd probably love it. A tougher problem would be affording it.
By the way, make sure you do not forget to factor in other expenses, such as your commuting fares, parking, etc. Some of those you might not have depending on where you decide to live and work.
The schools there are very good compared to neighboring towns East Rutherford and Lyndhurst. There are a lot of middle class folks there and quite a few NY transplants. It is safe, has history, decent zoning laws, and has a quiet residential feeling. I had a two bedroom apartment there for reasonable rent. There is a direct train to NY and reliable busses. It is only 7 miles away from Manhattan.
If you want to pay a ton of taxes, live in a closet and have no money, then NYC is for you. (We lived there for three years and a year after my daughter was born I knew I had to get out.) If you want fresh air, lots of nice people, excellent schools (some nationally rated as best), then move to NJ - it's the best kept secret! I am a mother of two girls, age 6 and 3, and we live in Central NJ. The schools are fantastic, the community is friendly and the towns are great. The commute to NYC isn't great, but on the train it's a 50-minute express train to Midtown Manhattan.
If you want to know more, e-mail me at [email]areluctantmom@yahoo.com[/email]
Coming from a very suburby area, i think the culture shock of a big city would traumtize him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DessertRat
Way too hyperbolic. He'd probably love it. A tougher problem would be affording it..
Fresh air and lawns are way overrated, and there's more to education than you'll find within the walls of a schoolhouse. I grew up in Monmouth Co., NJ (not a close-in suburb but even then home to many who commuted to the city) in a stifling, conformative social environment. Because of divorce, my younger sister attended grades 7-12 in NYC. She was not dependent on a car to get everywhere and had more recreational options than just sports (no appeal to me) and shopping. I envied her adolescence.
Whenever people ask where I'm from originally, I reply that I'm a cultural refugee from New Jersey.
We don't think NJ is better than NYC but for you and your son it probably is due to cost of living and extremely urban environment alone.
This is hard since there are so many towns in NJ. You might do better on the NJ forum if you haven't already posted there. It's tough to raise a child on $45-55K anywhere in this area. Obviously 55K is much better than 45K. If you think NJ is better, you can get cheaper rents and lower taxes. If you work in NYC you'd pay NY state income tax but not city tax if you live outside the city. If you live and work in NJ, you pay NJ tax, which is lower. Of course, in much of NJ you'd need a car to get around.
I am not expert on NJ school systems other than knowing some towns that are quite expensive and probably not a good fit. NJ, closer to NYC, also has a lot of more urban places that are either expensive or have not so great schools or both. This is unfortunately shorthand but you might want to just avoid Hudson County altogether as too urban. One town that's nice and not too far where you might find an affordable rental is Rutherford. A friend of mine grew up there and did great in the schools. There are a lot of possibilities if you're willing to go farther from NY in northern or central NJ, and still have the city within an hour or so for occasional trips in on the weekend. The northern side of Edison, Piscataway, Green Brook, parts of Woodbridge, and Clark are pretty nice and may be more affordable for rentals.
Good luck!
I agree maybe your could be 1,200 for a two bed in the these areas schools here in woodbridge are good i moved back here just for the schools for my kids.
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NJ or NY
