West Orange, NJ (Newark, Irvington, Bloomfield: middle-class, real estate, cliquey)

[ValerieBrooklyn]

Thanks everyone. With regards to taxes, the entire midtown direct area is high taxes...west orange is a bit better than, say, a summit or montclair. Not looking to debate, just telling what I've seen with houses lately. Thanks!

[mcjap]

That area is nice. Just avoid the Main Street area (and your not even going to get mugged even there - it's just old) and the rest of the town is beautiful. Stop worrying about it.

[JamesBoyer]

I just sold a house on Mt Pleasant for $345,000, nice area but busy street and steep hill. Remember you are looking at Essex County so taxes can be a bit high.

You should also consider Springfield, and Summit to some extent, depending on your budget and housing needs.

[E-TOWN-R.I.P.]

If we’re being honest, the town has been in a bit of a decline. Insane taxes, bad schools and an influx of illegals has dropped it a peg in the last few years. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still mostly a nice place, but it’s not at the level it was in the 80’s and 90’s.

[mguill2308]

I live in the Mount Pleasant Section near Livingston border line. It's very nice & quiet, I have a huge yard, nice property, nice neighborhood. My husband commute to the city, my kids are in daycare there & I work in Hoboken. Wouldn't change it for anything.

[westorange]

Hello - just wondering if someone could comment on the pros and cons of west orange vs livingston? i've seen on the web advertisements for the belair at west orange (by matzel and mumford/khovnanian) and The Residence at Livingston Town Center - just trying to get a sense if one town is safer vs. another, etc? any help would be greatly appreciated!

[vince730]

Both West Orange and Livingston are good towns to consider.

I live "Up the hill" and basically on the edge of town (The bottom half of my street is Roseland) and you'd think its Roseland if you didn't know the area.

[vince730]

Originally Posted by westorange

Hello - just wondering if someone could comment on the pros and cons of west orange vs livingston? i've seen on the web advertisements for the belair at west orange (by matzel and mumford/khovnanian) and The Residence at Livingston Town Center - just trying to get a sense if one town is safer vs. another, etc? any help would be greatly appreciated!

I suppose that Livingston would be Safer, but I have never had any safety problems near me.

Any bad things that happen in West Orange are usually more near the east orange side and below main street ... so I wouldn't worry if you get a house "up the hill" around pleasantdale or 2nd mountain

[mauras23]

Hello - just wondering if someone could comment on the pros and cons of west orange vs livingston? i've seen on the web advertisements for the belair at west orange (by matzel and mumford/khovnanian) and The Residence at Livingston Town Center - just trying to get a sense if one town is safer vs. another, etc? any help would be greatly appreciated!

The Belair development is about three blocks from the Livingston border, so I don't think there's a big difference in safety between that and the Livingston Town Center condos. I live right near the Belair, and it's a very nice place to live--convenient to everything, quiet, and pleasant.

[pasirpanjang]

I have friends in Boonton Township - it's a lovely area but I do agree the commute to NYC would be a pain.

Another town to consider is Springfield; there are some very nice properties just off Short Hills Avenue on the Millburn/Short Hills borderand you can easily take the MidTown Direct and trains to Hoboken from the Short Hills station.

You can walk to Short Hills train station from the homes in the pretty streets off Short Hills Avenue (just after the Chanticler/Sunoco gas station.....there is a tiny little river which is the border of Essex/Union county and Millburn-SH and Springfield here), otherwise Springfield has a M-F jitney service to Short Hills train station and you can park for free at the jitney pick up behind the Hunan Spring Chinese on Morris Ave. (Actually there are places on the street where one can park all day in SH near the station, but I'd better not let on where they are on this board!).

Springfield is a very safe, quiet suburban town with good shopping nearby at Rt 22, Millburn, Short Hills Mall and Summit. Some children do go to the parochial RC school of St. Rose of Lima on Short Hills Ave/Millburn Ave.

Also there is a bus service from the shops at Springfield to NYC (where the NY Sports Club and Super Foodtown supermarket plaza) which is very inexpensive. In addition you could also take the Lakeland bus direct to the Port Authority from the Park & Ride stop just where the Rt24 and Rt 78 intersection is at the Short Hills/Springfield/Summit border. You can see the Lakeland schedule for the times.