Seeking advice on best/reasonable public PreK in Weehawken/Hoboken/JC area (Jersey City: rent)

[chasingdaylight]

Looking to move to Weehawken area this summer. Wife is commuting to NYC.

We are a family of 5 (4yo, 2yo, 1 mo old), 2 yo has some learning disabilities

Budget is around 3500/month.

Found some places in Weehawken that were really nice, but wondering what to do about PreK programs? I believe they only have 1 in the area, Daniel Webster, it seems nice and diverse, but it appears not ranked?

I have heard that Hoboken has a great special needs PreK program? and that despite their low great schools ranking, the public preK programs are quite good. Is this true? Which ones would you recommend?

Or should we just get a cheaper place in Union city and spend the saved rent on private PreK programs?


Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!!!!

[Annikan]

I can't tell you anything about Weehawken or Union City pre-k, but I can vouch that the public pre-k in Hoboken is fantastic. However, it's not *guaranteed* and registration was last week for kids that will be 3 or 4 next school year. When will your 4 year old turn 5? It's easier to get a spot in pre-k4 than it is pre-k3, and because you missed registration, you'd be the bottom of the list. You have to have proof of address when you apply.

For you 2 year old, there is no public pre-k, but Mile Square has a "pre- preschool" program that is a full day and has meals included and is much, much cheaper than all the regular daycares in town. It's kind of like a head start program, and I know they work with kiddos with learning disabilities. So you may want to go to their website and give them a call.

[jessemh431]

If your wife is commuting to NYC, Hoboken and Jersey City have better public transit access into Manhattan via PATH which runs 24/7 and during rush hour, trains come like every 4 minutes. Union City and Weehawken require buses and going through the Lincoln Tunnel. Therefore, I'd vote JC or Hoboken for the commuting aspect.

Hoboken is very expensive, though. It's great for young families with young children, but very expensive. JC isn't much cheaper, but I feel like you do get more for your money. Just be careful because away from Downtown, things can get sketchy. Journal Square neighborhood is picking up a lot. The Heights is very nice, but doesn't have the ease of Journal Square, Grove St, Exchange Pl, or Newport PATH (subway) stations.

If your wife is cool commuting via bus into NYC, I'd say check out Jersey City Heights. More bang for your buck than Hoboken and Downtown JC. Safer than Union City, though Union City isn't bad.

I have no idea about public schools, but I know JC is putting lots of money into the public schools so as to retain the young families moving out of NYC, and keeping them moving further into the burbs. If you can't find a good public school in JC or Union City, you'll at least be saving money on housing to put into private programs. Also, Hoboken seems a bit maxed out to me. I think you'd be making a better investment buying in The Heights or Union City or Weehawken.

Here are some great articles on The Heights. It's a really hot market right now for housing, and lots of new restaurants are opening there. Browse through this site and check out the other articles on Union City and Weehawken as well.
https://jerseydigs.com/tag/the-heights/