Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello,
I know there have been a few threads of similar subject on this forum but none have been very recent so I started a new one in my own research in looking for our new abode. Any recent information would be most helpful to us in our decision making.
We are a young Asian Indian family of 4 (two kids aged 6 and 2) currently living in Jersey City. We plan to move to the suburbs for a better school system. That being our top priority we have researched and visited Westfield, New Providence, Berkeley Hts and Livingston. Westfield appealed the most to us. My husband will be commuting to midtown NYC and a train station in town is a big plus. We know it is an affluent town. Given the pros, we have extended our budget to 700K-750K for a 4 bed, 2.5 bath home.
We have been to a few open houses and also have been working with some realtors and they all said the population in Westfield is diverse. Coming from Jersey City we and the kids are used to a very diverse population. That does not mean just Asian Indian population, although, it will be really nice to know that there are Asian Indians living in the area and Asian Indian kids in schools too. While we understand that we can't expect a melting pot like Jersey City in Westfield, but can we expect diversity to a good extent, specially in schools? Are there other young families in Westfield and do they like to make new acquaintances? We would like to have a moderately social life where we can make new friends and kids can have play dates.
Looking forward to some positive responses. We really loved the town!
The racial makeup of the town was 88.17% (26,729) White, 3.25% (984) Black or African American, 0.12% (36) Native American, 5.67% (1,718) Asian, 0.03% (10) Pacific Islander, 0.79% (241) from other races, and 1.97% (598) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.92% (1,492) of the population.
Hello,
I know there have been a few threads of similar subject on this forum but none have been very recent so I started a new one in my own research in looking for our new abode. Any recent information would be most helpful to us in our decision making.
We are a young Asian Indian family of 4 (two kids aged 6 and 2) currently living in Jersey City. We plan to move to the suburbs for a better school system. That being our top priority we have researched and visited Westfield, New Providence, Berkeley Hts and Livingston. Westfield appealed the most to us. My husband will be commuting to midtown NYC and a train station in town is a big plus. We know it is an affluent town. Given the pros, we have extended our budget to 700K-750K for a 4 bed, 2.5 bath home.
We have been to a few open houses and also have been working with some realtors and they all said the population in Westfield is diverse. Coming from Jersey City we and the kids are used to a very diverse population. That does not mean just Asian Indian population, although, it will be really nice to know that there are Asian Indians living in the area and Asian Indian kids in schools too. While we understand that we can't expect a melting pot like Jersey City in Westfield, but can we expect diversity to a good extent, specially in schools? Are there other young families in Westfield and do they like to make new acquaintances? We would like to have a moderately social life where we can make new friends and kids can have play dates.
Looking forward to some positive responses. We really loved the town!
Thanks!
Westfield is not diverse, not even close. I think your best bet is Livingston, Edison and Parsippany.
Look at Cranford. There are a number of Pakistani American doctors who are based there, a good Jewish community as well, and a good Muslim community that live side by side. Also a lot closer to NYC and urban areas. Westfield, while beautiful is WAY out there. Also a lot of the strip mall feeling, no real defined downtown
Look at Cranford. There are a number of Pakistani American doctors who are based there, a good Jewish community as well, and a good Muslim community that live side by side. Also a lot closer to NYC and urban areas. Westfield, while beautiful is WAY out there. Also a lot of the strip mall feeling, no real defined downtown
Westfield is right next to Cranford. I assume you meant Cranford has no real downtown, as Westfield has one of the beautiful downtowns in the state if not the country. Cranford isn't bad, and it is definitely more diverse than Westfield no doubt about that. But it is nowhere near as nice, it just isn't, you get what you pay for.
Westfield is right next to Cranford. I assume you meant Cranford has no real downtown, as Westfield has one of the beautiful downtowns in the state if not the country. Cranford isn't bad, and it is definitely more diverse than Westfield no doubt about that. But it is nowhere near as nice, it just isn't, you get what you pay for.
Cranford DOES have a real downtown, and a thriving one at that since new buildings were put in within the last decade or so, and isn't Westfield nice as a whole but it's not "nowhere near as nice" as Westfield. It's pretty close...
It's also not more diverse, though oddly another poster earlier made it seem that way, and you just claimed so too. Not sure what Muslim community in Cranford the other poster was talking about, but I've yet to see it...
As another poster shared demographics from Wiki for the 2010 Census for Westfield, here it is for Cranford: The racial makeup of the township was 91.85% (20,781) White, 2.62% (592) Black or African American, 0.08% (18) Native American, 2.84% (643) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.03% (234) from other races, and 1.56% (353) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.51% (1,474) of the population.
Less diverse than Westfield, but not by much.
Additional source: I've lived in Cranford my whole life, over 20 years.
Have you ever even been to Cranford? Are you thinking of a different town? To say Cranford doesn't have a real downtown when its downtown is 100 years old is just... bizarre. Do you have some weird beef with Cranford? Everything you said is totally inaccurate.
Both Berkeley Heights and New Providence have a much higher Asian population--both East Asian and South Asian--than these other towns because Bell Labs has been drawing them there for decades. In addition, the train line from these towns is much more convenient and frequent than the Raritan Valley towns mentioned.
Additionally, both these towns have excellent school systems.
Westfield is not as diverse as your realtor is telling you, but it is a very welcoming town. If you buy in a homogeneous neighborhood, once school starts you will discover other families. There are six elementary schools so fully expect to be in the minority. You can check current school population statistics online. Schools are great, as are other resources in town for kids. I only know of Livingston having a sizeable Asian Indian population in your list of towns, but then again with multiple schools it is all scattered.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not sure what Muslim community in Cranford the other poster was talking about, but I've yet to see it... 
