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I am new to this site but after combing through various "moving to" posts, I thought I would add my own for some more advice.
Where are you coming from? NYC
Why are you moving? Covid made us realize quarantine would have sucked less with a yard. We would like more space for our growing family.
Where will you be working? Husband will be near the NJ/NY border. I will be commuting in to Midtown East 2/3 times a week. However, I am also considering finding employment in NJ, in which case commute in to NYC not as critical, but still appreciated in order to have family who do not drive, visit.
Will you buy or rent? Buy
What is your budget? 4-500k | preferably <12k taxes
What kind of place are you looking for? Single family home 3/4bd 16-1800 sq ft
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? spouse and our 18m old daughter
Do you need/want good public schools? yes. also nursery/preschools
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: We are an Afro-Latino family /, having some diversity is important to us. Close-knit, family friendly community. Some what walk-able and a nice downtown area are a plus.
So far we are considering
in Bergen County : Fair Lawn, Midland Park, Waldwick,
in Essex - Bloomfield, Nutley
You have some good choices of towns. Bloomfield is probably the most diverse, but the schools aren’t as good as the other towns. Nutley’s a nice town, but not too diverse. Midland Park and Waldwick will likely push the 500K budget to its limits. Both are nice towns, but not super diverse, although Waldwick does have a small Latinx population, many of whom live in a small section of town by the railroad tracks.
Fair Lawn is a solid choice. Very good schools, and the town has growing Latinx and African-American populations (although the African-American population is still quite small). You won’t get a mansion for 500K, but the money will go a bit further than in Midland Park or Waldwick.
None of the towns except Bloomfield has a full downtown area, but Ridgewood is a zip from Fair Lawn, Midland Park, and Waldwick, and their downtown is great. Crazy busy and parking is a nightmare, but really nice. Glen Rock also has a nice, but much smaller, downtown area.
You may want to add Rutherford to your list as well. The schools are good, prices are mostly within your budget, and they have a decent (but dry) downtown area.
Sounds like the OP is looking for a leafy green suburban town. While Hudson County offers great urban options for those who seek that, it doesn’t have great suburban options. The only ones are Secaucus, Kearny and MAYBE North Bergen. The suburban towns in the surrounding counties blow those out of the water.
As for the OP, those are great towns. I would also add Bergenfield, Rutherford and HasbrouckHeights to the list. Good luck!
You have some good choices of towns. Bloomfield is probably the most diverse, but the schools aren’t as good as the other towns. Nutley’s a nice town, but not too diverse. Midland Park and Waldwick will likely push the 500K budget to its limits. Both are nice towns, but not super diverse, although Waldwick does have a small Latinx population, many of whom live in a small section of town by the railroad tracks.
Fair Lawn is a solid choice. Very good schools, and the town has growing Latinx and African-American populations (although the African-American population is still quite small). You won’t get a mansion for 500K, but the money will go a bit further than in Midland Park or Waldwick.
None of the towns except Bloomfield has a full downtown area, but Ridgewood is a zip from Fair Lawn, Midland Park, and Waldwick, and their downtown is great. Crazy busy and parking is a nightmare, but really nice. Glen Rock also has a nice, but much smaller, downtown area.
You may want to add Rutherford to your list as well. The schools are good, prices are mostly within your budget, and they have a decent (but dry) downtown area.
Good luck!
thanks! any particular neighborhood in Fair Lawn? based on what I've read online the more desirable areas seem to be Radburn and Milnes, wondering if there are any others.
thanks! any particular neighborhood in Fair Lawn? based on what I've read online the more desirable areas seem to be Radburn and Milnes, wondering if there are any others.
The Radburn and Milnes sections are the nicest, but also the most expensive. It might be a challenge to find something decent for $500,000 in those sections.
The Forrest and Lyncrest sections are somewhere in the middle. Lyncrest Elementary is excellent, however. Forrest school is good, but not quite as good as Lyncrest. Some houses in the Lyncrest section border the Passaic River and are prone to flooding, so keep that in mind.
The Warren Point and Westmoreland sections tend to have more modest homes and are more affordable. The schools are still good, but don’t quite have the prestige of the Milnes or Radburn schools.
The town has two middle schools: Thomas Jefferson and Memorial. Thomas Jefferson, serving an overall more affluent section of the town, has the better reputation, but Memorial is still fine.
Finally, the high school is very good to excellent, depending on the year.
Take Nutley off your list. Bloomfield is fine depending on where you are. Near brookdale is ideal. West Orange is doable but the price range you would be targeting is ~350k as taxes are higher there. But you can find what you are looking for in that range. Verona may work as well but there is less diversity. But certainly more than many other towns.
Ultimately, you are going to find that nice towns that are diverse and have an easier commute will be more expensive.
I am new to this site but after combing through various "moving to" posts, I thought I would add my own for some more advice.
Where are you coming from? NYC
Why are you moving? Covid made us realize quarantine would have sucked less with a yard. We would like more space for our growing family.
Where will you be working? Husband will be near the NJ/NY border. I will be commuting in to Midtown East 2/3 times a week. However, I am also considering finding employment in NJ, in which case commute in to NYC not as critical, but still appreciated in order to have family who do not drive, visit.
Will you buy or rent? Buy
What is your budget? 4-500k | preferably <12k taxes
What kind of place are you looking for? Single family home 3/4bd 16-1800 sq ft
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? spouse and our 18m old daughter
Do you need/want good public schools? yes. also nursery/preschools
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: We are an Afro-Latino family /, having some diversity is important to us. Close-knit, family friendly community. Some what walk-able and a nice downtown area are a plus.
So far we are considering
in Bergen County : Fair Lawn, Midland Park, Waldwick,
in Essex - Bloomfield, Nutley
thanks!
If I could add, Westfield and Montclair ,they might all so fit your needs
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