Westwood ? & other suggestions (Fair Lawn, Englewood: apartment complex, leasing, crime)

[nutsfornutella]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with the Westwood school district. Our daughter will be entering Kindergarten. The ratings on greatschools.net are not as high as others in the surrounding area, but the other areas just do not seem to have as many rentals. We will be moving into the area and have found some apartments in Westwood that seem promising. That said, I'd also love any opinions on the apartment complex, The Highlands at Westwood.

I would also welcome any other suggestions for similar towns. I've looked into Ridgewood, but finding a pet-friendly rental seems to be tricky! The commute will be to Englewood Cliffs and we are hoping to keep our rental budget around 2500.

Thanks in advance!
nuts

[zhelder]

Two other suggestions: Fair Lawn Commons in Fair Lawn is pet friendly, and will be quite a bit cheaper than the Highlands. The same company also has an apartment complex in Upper Saddle River, which is a very prestigious town in this area. The schools will be top-notch, but I'm not sure how pet friendly that complex is, and the apartments will be $300-$400 more per month than the apartments in Fair Lawn, which are nearly identical. (The apartments in Upper Saddle River will probably run around the same price per month as the apartments at the Highlands.)

Fair Lawn and Westwood are pretty close on the "nice" scale. Fair Lawn is the bigger town. Westwood is perceived to be a little bit nicer overall (maybe because they have a nice downtown, which Fair Lawn doesn't really have), and Fair Lawn is also most likely a little more blue-collar than Westwood. Median income in Fair Lawn is higher than in Westwood though, and the schools are probably a hair better as well (test scores are a hair higher overall in Fair Lawn, and because it's a larger district, more programs are available for students), but rentals/housing are definitely more expensive in Westwood.

I checked out the Highlands a few years ago, and while the apartments were nice, the place seemed too much like a hotel to me. Also I have read/heard complaints that people have about noise from the bus station nearby.

I have lived in Fair Lawn Commons for a few years now and I'm very happy. Nice apartments, quiet and safe, with a good super.

Good luck in your search.

[stevemorse]

cresskill, park ridge, dumont all nice towns

[NJ Chutzpah]

westwood is fine honestly

as long as it is not overrun by gangs and pedophile teachers, it will not make a difference

all you parents obsessed with top ten rankings or what not are ridiculous

those rankings only tell you what towns have moneyed parents

It is more important you find a town that within your budget as long as it is not a crime ridden

all the schools will offer the same curriculum, and sports

Dont say it has to do with the quality of teaching either, because there is no such thing as a school where every teacher is great, it will not happen, you are dreaming

[nutsfornutella]

Whoa, easy there. I'm simply looking for others with experience in these school systems/towns. I would consider myself irresponsible if I did NOT do my research on schools. Oh, and greatschools.net isn't about rankings, its about ratings by both the website and by parents. Chill out!

[nutsfornutella]

zhelder: Thanks for the Fair Lawn suggestion. I'll check it out. We did look at those apartments in Upper Saddle River. The commute seemed a bit far and the deal breaker was that they do not take dogs. Thanks again!

[zhelder]

Originally Posted by nutsfornutella

zhelder: Thanks for the Fair Lawn suggestion. I'll check it out. We did look at those apartments in Upper Saddle River. The commute seemed a bit far and the deal breaker was that they do not take dogs. Thanks again!

I had a feeling they wouldn't take dogs at the complex in USR. I don't know why, the apartments are almost identical to the ones at Fair Lawn Commons. I guess the Wall Street crowd there frowns upon animals.

You should see the HUGE dogs people walk all over the place here at FLC. And I don't think anyone has ever been given a problem. The pet owners are responsible and respectful of the needs of others.

And the commute from Fair Lawn to Englewood Cliffs will definitely be shorter than from Upper Saddle River!

[njgal66]

The Highlands at Westwood is a great place to live! I currently live here now at the highlands for the past 5 years with children and a golden retriever. As for pets, they have a great dog run that is fenced in. Cats are also welcomed as well. The maintenance manager lives on site, so if you ever have a problem, he is around 24/7. If your budget is $2500, you should not have a problem getting a great deal here. My one girlfriend is looking into the highlands as well and they are offering a 2bdrm/2bath deal for $2,100/mo + 1 month free. They do offer 2bdrm/2baths with a den as well. I would stop by the leasing office or call...201-594-9191. Just ask to speak with Lauren, she is the leasing specialist.

As for Westwood itself, its a great downtown area. The train station is a 2 miles down the road and the bus stop is a 5 min walk. Both are less than an hr ride into the city. Shopping is great! The Garden State Plaza and the Paramus mall are right off the parkway...

If you have other questions about the highlands, let me know! Living here for 5 years has made me a pro about the property!

[Collegeguy12]

Definitley Westwood over Fair Lawn...yes it's more expensive, and yes the schools are ranked higher. It's a MUCH nicer town in my opinion and has that small town feel to it. The only reason why median income is a tad lower is because there are so many apartment complexes that are not upscale (which the Highlands is). I went to the schools from K-12 and now am doing my student teaching in the district and can honestly say the district is great, even if it is not as "great" as those in the immediate surrounding towns (though it is just as highly ranked as Emerson). The other towns in the area do not have as many apartments, though Park Ridge might be a possible alternative.