Help! Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, or Wyckoff rentals? (Fair Lawn, Englewood: real estate, apartment complex, townhouses)

[nutsfornutella]

I have spent hours on the internet trying to find rentals in Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, or Wyckoff to no avail. Is there a better place than Craigslist to find private rentals in these areas? Do rentals in these areas even exist? Does anyone have any helpful pointers? I'm looking for at least a 2 bedroom place that will allow a small Boston Terrier. Budget around $2000.

Thank you in advance!
nuts

[midagegirl]

i would try a real estate office. good luck

[zhelder]

Ridgewood would be your best bet for rentals, but none of the towns you mentioned has a great deal of them. The towns you mentioned are all super fancy, and don't cater too well to renters. Check the papers for houses for rent or apartments in two family homes. Ridgewood does have a few apartment complexes. Be prepared to pay for the "privilege" of living in any of these towns.

If you're willing to consider other towns, Fair Lawn has a lot of apartment complexes and is more reasonably priced. Fair Lawn Commons is a beautiful complex and they allow pets. A 2BR might be $1700 or $1800. Fair Lawn is not as fancy as Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus or Wyckoff, but it's a decent town with (relatively) reasonable housing prices. The same management company has a very similar (but smaller) apartment complex in Upper Saddle River, but the apartments (which are virtually identical to the ones in FL) probably cost $300-$400 more per month. If you're interested in house rentals or apartments in two family houses, Waldwick and Midland Park might have some places at a more reasonable cost than the towns you mentioned.

Good luck. If you have to stay in one of the three towns you mentioned, you're going to have a challenge ahead of you.

[ira]

Originally Posted by nutsfornutella

I have spent hours on the internet trying to find rentals in Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, or Wyckoff to no avail. Is there a better place than Craigslist to find private rentals in these areas? Do rentals in these areas even exist? Does anyone have any helpful pointers? I'm looking for at least a 2 bedroom place that will allow a small Boston Terrier. Budget around $2000.

Thank you in advance!
nuts

There is a whole bunch of rentals along Ridgewood Ave in Ridgewood. They all have signs saying "apartments available". Your best bet would be to just come here and check them out. Most of them are east of Maple Ave on Ridgewood Ave.

[nutsfornutella]

Thanks for the responses so far!

We have a daughter, so we are particularly concerned with great public schools. The towns I mentioned were the ones we love the feel of, they happen to have fantastic schools and an easy-ish commute to Englewood Cliffs. Does anyone have other suggestions? Are there other towns similar, great schools with more rentals?

We actually looked at the apartments in Upper Saddle River, but were bummed they don't take pets! How are the schools in Fair Lawn?

[zhelder]

Originally Posted by nutsfornutella

Thanks for the responses so far!

We have a daughter, so we are particularly concerned with great public schools. The towns I mentioned were the ones we love the feel of, they happen to have fantastic schools and an easy-ish commute to Englewood Cliffs. Does anyone have other suggestions? Are there other towns similar, great schools with more rentals?

We actually looked at the apartments in Upper Saddle River, but were bummed they don't take pets! How are the schools in Fair Lawn?

The schools in Fair Lawn are good (they served me well), but I'll be the first to tell you they're not quite in the same league as in Wyckoff, Ho-Ho-Kus, or Ridgewood. But Fair Lawn is significantly cheaper than those towns, and it's easier to find apartments there. The disparity is probably a little more noticeable at the high school and mddle school levels than at the elementary school levels. But the schools are still decent, and would be more than satisfactory for most people.

I'll put it this way: can you deal with an approximately 85% passing rate on standardized tests as opposed to a 95% passing rate? If so, Fair Lawn, will be fine for you. If that difference is important to you, however, you'll have to stick to your guns (and pay more for them).

Some other towns that may have some apartments (but again, not many): Mahwah and Ramsey. Mahwah particularly has a lot of townhouses, and I would think quite a few might be available for rent. Both of these towns have some apartment complexes as well. Ramsey's schools are probably a little better than Mahwah's, but it might be harder (and more expensive) to find a place there. I would say Mahwah's schools would be around the midpoint between Fair Lawn's and Ridgewood's. Figure on a 30-35 minute commute to Englewood Cliffs from these towns.