Tell me why we SHOULDN'T move to GLEN RIDGE (Montclair: real estate, to rent)

[bluetobe]

Glen Ridge is currently at the top of our list for a town that is safe, somewhat affordable housing, great schools and not more than an hours commute to LES. We plan to rent for the first year (if we can find a place to rent that will take our dog) and then buy a 4 bedroom house.

Please share your experiences, opinions, feedback on Glen Ridge. Anything we should know that we might not? The good, the bad, the ugly.....all information will help us come in with realistic expectations and prepare appropriately. The government, the town, the weather, the schools, the culture, you name it - specifics or examples would be helpful too. Our number two choice is Maplewood, but the borders of this town seem to be a bit "rougher" than Glen Ridge, and the excellent reputation of the schools in Glen Ridge has made this our final choice.....we think.

Please chime in if you'd like. Thanks!!

[tahiti]

Glen Ridge is one of my fav towns in NJ. The ONLY reason you shouldn't move there is real estate taxes. Holy COW - almost makes every other NJ town's taxes look like a bargain. But I'm sure you know this already.

Otherwise, I'd move there in a heartbeat.

[EB2]

Very cute town, but agreed - got the Essex County taxes

good luck!

[Ciao9999]

Originally Posted by bluetobe

Glen Ridge is currently at the top of our list for a town that is safe, somewhat affordable housing, great schools and not more than an hours commute to LES. We plan to rent for the first year (if we can find a place to rent that will take our dog) and then buy a 4 bedroom house.

Please share your experiences, opinions, feedback on Glen Ridge. Anything we should know that we might not? The good, the bad, the ugly.....all information will help us come in with realistic expectations and prepare appropriately. The government, the town, the weather, the schools, the culture, you name it - specifics or examples would be helpful too. Our number two choice is Maplewood, but the borders of this town seem to be a bit "rougher" than Glen Ridge, and the excellent reputation of the schools in Glen Ridge has made this our final choice.....we think.

Please chime in if you'd like. Thanks!!

Glen Ridge is nice, close to the Parkway, the train, and Montclair.
If you can afford Glen Ridge, go for it. I think the taxes are high, and they need not be.

Towns in NJ need to start sharing services, to build economies of scale and lower costs. But no one wants to give up their identity, and the public employees will fight to the death to keep up the duplication of services.

[Calico696]

Glen Ridge is very nice, if you can afford it, go for it!

[johnfrisco]

We all agree move to Glen Ridge. I love the old fashioned street lights.

[EB2]

Originally Posted by johnfrisco

We all agree move to Glen Ridge. I love the old fashioned street lights.

Definitely agreed. Adds to the charm, imo.

[pbergen]

glen ridge is a very nice town. only drawbacks are the taxes, as mentioned, and the elitist attitude that some people would say exists. i went to private high school with a bunch of kids from glen ridge and they all complained about this. what they told me is that there is a core group of people in town who are extremely wealthy (just check out some of the beautiful homes on ridgewood ave) and then there are others who are solidly middle class or better, but by comparison are not as wealthy as some of their neighbors, so they apparently feel that they're looked down upon.

i want to stress that i've only heard this secondhand. still, the people who mentioned this to me talked as if this social stratification is a given. i should also mention that, overall, they liked their town - they just didn't like the snobbishness.

also, the town is far less diverse than montclair, maplewood, or south orange - close to 90% white, 5% african-american, 5% other. dunno if that's a positive, negative, or non-factor for you, but it's something to keep in mind.

[bluetobe]

Yes, the taxes are high. But based on my research, if we want an easy, less than an hour commute into the LES, with great schools, we're going to pay for it either in home prices or taxes.

So, I don't think there is a way around the higher COL whether it's in price or taxes. But based on your feedback I'm going to double check Westfield and see if that might be an option.

The comment about the "haves and have nots" does concern me a bit....under that scenario, we would be "have nots." We can afford to live there, in a good neighborhood, but no multi million dollar home for sure, more like a fixer upper.

I plan to visit the school and meet with the PTA - so we'll see what kind of reception I get. I am a full-time Mom, so other Mom's that I can relate to will be important.

Thanks everyone! I welcome additional comments anytime.

[AJGIANTS]

Because every time you pay your property taxes you are enabling the welfare grabbers in the slummy parts of the county. HMMM sounds like the National system as well.
Oh well- we are all screwed!