Rutherford New Jersey- Good place to live? (Passaic, Hoboken: transplants, crime rates)

[nottingham]

Hi,
Trying to find out a bit about family life in Rutherford.
How are the schools, crime rates, home prices?
What are the best areas?
How is the commute to NYC?
Do you see Rutherford as an area on the rise or on the downslide?
Is there much of a reformed Jewish community?
Assuming it fits the biil. What would a 3 to 4 bed/ 2 bath in a nice area cost?

Any info is greatly appreciated.
Nottingham

[leelunie]

I've lived in East Rutherford my whole life and are very familar with Rutherford. It has changed a lot through the years. There is a train station in the downtown area, that will soon be going through a major rehaul, it will eventually allow you to take a train directly into the city. This is a plus and a negative, negative because it will bring a lot more crime to the area. Rutherford and the surounding areas have become the suburbs of NYC already, and this will make it even more so. This has also affected the prices of houses in the area, which has skyrocketed in the last few years, To find the kind of house you describe you would probably be looking in the 650,000 or more range. Taxes are also extremley high in Rutherford, I know people who pay between 12,000- 20,000 a year in taxes. There really doesn't seem to be a strong Jewish community there. There are alot of Asian influences in the area. Overall Rutherford is a small town with a nice downtown area, it has its share of crime, mostly burgularies and drugs, but nothing compares to the city, It is about a 15 minutes to the city, without traffic, and there is always traffic so it would take an hour easy to get there, unless you take the train. If you don't mind the prices and taxes then it is not that bad. Hope this helps

[nycgirl610]

Hi,

My husband and I are considering Rutherford for its proximity to NYC and decent schools.

From the bus schedule (190), it appears it is only ~25 mins to Port Authority. For those that live in Rutherford and take the bus to Manhattan, how is the traffic in the mornings usually? What are your thoughts about living in Rutherford?

Thanks!

[mike0421]

I think Rutherford is a wonderful choice, if you can afford it. The residential side streets off Ridge Road, before it crosses Erie Ave, that's the section you want to look at. The closer you get towards the Passaic River, IMO, the less desirable the neighborhood.

If you like older style architecture, then Rutherford is the place. There are very few homes that post-date 1950 in Rutherford. The typical home is going to be small in square footage, and around 400k.

[imoapie]

I've taken the bus from rutherford to the city as a daily commute a few years ago. I liked the bus because of its comfort. The ride took about 25 - 30 min most days. You don't really get into much traffic because the busses have their special bus routes in the morning so traffic does not affect you all that much.

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by nottingham

How are the schools, crime rates, home prices?

Homes & taxes are very high. I think schools are above average (or better) w.r.t. most of So.Bergen Co.

Originally Posted by nottingham

What are the best areas?

Probably off the Ridge Rd. corridor between Park Ave. and RT3 IMO.

Originally Posted by nottingham

How is the commute to NYC?

Piece of cake.

Originally Posted by nottingham

Do you see Rutherford as an area on the rise or on the downslide?

On the rise, drawing in more Oriental professionals and NYC transplants (i.e. yuppies).

Originally Posted by nottingham

Is there much of a reformed Jewish community?

3-4 stops up the train line in Fair Lawn, runs 7 days/week morning, noon, and night.

[js050308]

I read in another post that Rutherford is getting a direct train line into the city, allowing riders to forgo the transfer in Seacacus. Is this fact or speculation? I couldn't find anything offical online to confirm.

Thanks...

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by js050308

I read in another post that Rutherford is getting a direct train line into the city, allowing riders to forgo the transfer in Seacacus. Is this fact or speculation?

Thanks...

Its speculative bullsh*t. The desperate realtors are spreading rumors to lift sales, prices, woo more transplants into NJ.

Rutherford already has an excellent rail line with connections to Midtown at Secaucus and downtown at Hoboken. There's really no need for a direct service into the city IMO. It works quite fine the way it is now.

[itznin]

Originally Posted by js050308

I read in another post that Rutherford is getting a direct train line into the city, allowing riders to forgo the transfer in Seacacus. Is this fact or speculation? I couldn't find anything offical online to confirm.

Thanks...

I highly doubt this.... The reason Secaucus Junction was built was because NJ Transit didn't want to upgrade the Bergen/Main/Pascack lines to the newer electric trains. So why would they run an electric power trained JUST from Rutherford to NY Penn? Makes no sense.... Where is the cost benefit?

You would need a train that services JUST Rutherford, because if they were to build the electric lines above the train it wouldn't extend further than Rutherford meaning trains would have to go to Rutherford and no further....

[Spincycle]

Rutherford has excellent mass transit - bus and train. That new transfer depot at Secaucus (on stop down the line) has been a gift. No need for direct service to NYC. What they have now is class I service. Its so close to NYC, HOB, and sports complex/arena. Location rocks iMO.