Where to go if we don't like Ridgewood?

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by magggmom

We moved from MA last year to Ridgewood- we were told it was the best- schools, houses, downtown, etc. After a year, we're not really happy with the intensity of the parents, and pressure in the schools- lots of pressure to perform. We're considering leaving town and looking at Ramsey, Allendale and Oradell. Any thoughts on these towns compared to Ridgewood - specifically the overall "mood" of the town-are the schools high pressure? Sports the same? Are people welcoming to new families? Or is all of Bergen pretty much the same?

You're looking to move into some pretty nice areas where the pressure will be the same. If you want less of a competitive or a less "pressured" lifestyle, as you put it, try heading further South. Maybe even consider leaving Bergen county. I have family in Bergen, but I've never actually lived there, so my experience is minimal. And of course I wouldn't know about the "moods" of the towns, since the only people I know from there are my own relatives.

But I do know this:

People who were born and raised in bergen county love it. People who move into it tend to get dragged down by the fast-paced lifestyle that Bergen county provides. It's insane there. It's really almost impossible to find a down-to-earth community. Northen Bergen county is very wealthy, whereas the southern part of the county tends to be a little bit more middle/working class. Regardless of wealth, practically the whole county is sprawling with different state highways. In fact there was just another thread about two state highways (Route 4 and Route17) in Bergen County which are both pretty crazy to drive on, especially during rush hour. Route 4, Route 17, 46, I-80, and the turnpike are all insane. A lot of out-of-staters and non-north jerseyans can't handle it. I assume you drive a lot, so of course the roads are a part of your lifestyle. I'm sure the pressure of everything is overwhelming.

If you're really interested, I could probably list some towns a little bit further south that have a lot of the good stuff that Ridgewood has to offer. Just let me know.