Westwood,NJ for Young Families (Ridgewood, Hillsdale: new home, neighborhood, movies)
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Hi , We are looking for homes in train towns of New Jersey with good school district and hour or less commute to midtown. We came across nice new homes in Westwood but are not very familiar with the neighborhood. We have a 2.5 year old and currently live in downtown. I am not sure
- how is the town for young families and if there are any activities and nice parks for kids in walking distance.
- how easy or time taking is the commute to the city as both me and my husband travel to midtown for work and hope to commute in hour's time if not less.
- how are the pre schools and elementary schools in the neighborhood.
So far i have read reviews online but I would like to know more from people who live there.
My brother lives there and has a young family. See, they bought in Westwood in the late 1990's before this school obsession kicked into high gear. I recall his wife was upset when the kids were approaching school age because she heard that there were "gangs" in the high school. Since they couldn't afford to move they sent their kids there anyway and they are doing just fine. So, not sure if that little story helped, but I think it is a decent town and the schools seem okay because my nieces and nephews go to Westwood public schools and seem on par with other kids their age in terms of education and grades. Hope that helps.
Thanks , this is helpful. I guess at this point we are more concerned about the town's culture for younger kids in terms of how the pre-schools are and recreational activities like parks etc. Also, do you happen to know anything about the commute to midtown .
Westwood is a perfect town for young families. The schools are great at all levels and the high school has flown up the ranking list lately. It is not at Ridgewood's level (ranked 28), but being ranked at 58 is not far off.
As for the "gang" idea, that is funny. Not a concern for Westwood. I actually went to Ridgewood High School back in the late 90s and I remember supposedly there were "gangs" at Ridgewood High too. Really just nonsense and these schools are safe and wonderful.
Westwood's downtown has a lot going on and is very usable. As for playgrounds and parks, there are several in the area that are really nice.
Not sure about the commute, but I would think it would be comparable to other towns in the area.
Thanks a lot for details. I was worried because I always take him to tot park in evenings & was not sure whether I will be able to take him anywhere in neighborhood as he loves to be around other kids.About schools , the ratings are nice so hopefully it will workout .
Still wondering if a bus commute is better to midtown or train and approximately how long it takes ?
Thanks a lot for details. I was worried because I always take him to tot park in evenings & was not sure whether I will be able to take him anywhere in neighborhood as he loves to be around other kids.About schools , the ratings are nice so hopefully it will workout .
Still wondering if a bus commute is better to midtown or train and approximately how long it takes ?
Look at the njtransit website...add 5-7 minutes to the posted transit time for train and 7-10 minutes to the posted transit time for the bus. Not an exact science but should give you a good idea. Personally I like the train commute much better. I HATE the chaos that is Port Authority and you are not subject to traffic(granted the train has problems too, signal problems, "equipment problems",trains stalled in tunnel,idiots getting hit by trains ,but on the whole a better experience IMO).
Westwood is great for young families. I have an 8 year old and a 6 year old. They have summer day camps which are fun and affordable.
There are many parks, they just renovated Westvale & Pascack Brook Parks, which now connect and are great for bike rides. They also recently renovated the Little League Field. There are various youth sports available, recreation programs, etc. There is also Pascack Swim Club, which our kids love.
They have a yearly carnival in town. They have an annual Easter Egg Hunt, Ragamuffin Parade for Halloween, The Home for the Holidays parade is excellent where they have a tree lighting, parade, train rides, and a visit from Santa. They also have Movies in the Park during the summer.
Good experiences with the school system so far.
Commute to midtown by train, it will vary by the time of day. I would say 55 to 70 minutes.
Westwood is a phenomenal town for families. The schools are excellent-I don't care what people from other towns say, they are great. As a product of the schools (WWHS 2004) who has also taught in them I can honestly say they are awesome. There are tons of parks and a great downtown area where you can walk to from almost any street in WW. You can walk on any street at any time of the day or night and you will never feel unsafe. I've never had to commute but I've used the train to get to the city on weekends and it's about an hour.
As for gangs-there actually is a minimal gang presence in most towns around here, but unfortunately it's the same in most of the whole NYC metro area. More of a concern would be the growing drug problems in the suburbs. Again, it's all of them, not just the immediate Westwood area.
I went through the Westwood school system! Now I am going to Columbia University. I can't imagine being raised up in any other town other than Westwood! I live near a park, played recreation sports since I was a child, and made a lot of friends within the community. The people of Westwood have been friendly. Even my neighbors on my street have become like family. We've lived here for about 19 years now.
Westwood is a wonderful town with a great school system. Lots of white collar families with children. Families who take an active role in bringing their children up with strong values and morals lead to safe schools and parks filled with kids playing vs kids at home playing video games. There are plenty of churches, parks, and activities for kids year round. i.e. summer day camps in parks, organized sports.
Local gang activity is almost always identified by the "tagging" or graffiti that mark their occupancy in the area. Westwood, Washington Twp. and Hillsdale thankfully lack this "tagging". Again, probably because most of the residents are middle to upper class White collar folks who don't spawn gang members.
The downtown areas are picture perfect christmas time where families still walk together and window shop together. As far as gangs in the schools? I have a hard time believing this.
Traveling to NYC by train or bus is simple and still relatively inexpensive.
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