Ramsey (Hoboken, Harrison, Allendale: salons, real estate, crime)

[pmd1117]

Anyone live in ramsey? We have 2 small kids and are considering this area or West Harrison (in Westchester) but since my husband works on Wall St the commute via train then ferry from Hoboken is better then train/subway from Grand Central. How do you like Ramsey? Any info would be greatly appreciated as we're about to bid on a home and it's surprising how much more you can get for your money in NJ then Westchester with taxes being about equal.

[missxkay092]

Hi, I happen to live in Ramsey and just thought I'd let you know what it's about. It's a friendly neighborhood with lots of things to do...great retaurants, a movie theatre, many salons, and many interesting/helpful stores located mostly on Main Street. The public school system is noted for excellence and great preparation for college. There is also a nationally ranked dance studio called the Look Sharp Performing Arts Company, if you would like to enroll your children for classes. If you are interested in a Catholic school, Saint Paul's is just further down Main Street along with the famous all boys school Don Bosco Prep, on Franklin Turnpike; they also have a wonderful reputation and amazing teachers. There is virtually no crime in Ramsey, and the people here are quite nice. The only downfall of this town is housing is a bit expensive, and people are always looking to upgrade their houses to the next extreme...for instance, one neighbor just put a $200,000 edition onto their home! And a few weeks later, another neighbor did the same. If there's anything else I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask!

[Raven and Bear]

OMG, reading your post made me so nostalgic. It sounds like Ramsey hasn't changed one iota from the Ramsey I grew up in during the 60's and 70's. I used to catch poliwogs in a pond off of Shuart Lane (or maybe it was Stuart Lane), which was a dirt road then. We had a movie theater on Main Street, a fancy women's clothing store, Rita's Sweet Shop, a candy store, the hardware store...I used to ride my bike to Interstate Plaza and get goldfish from the Woolworth's there. There were old trolley tracks in the woods that led to Allendale. Us kids were allowed to ride our bikes all over the neighborhood and town, and no one worried. We caught fireflies on summer nights and Darlington Avenue had a huge forested area across the street from us AND behind our house, too, with a snake-cave in it. There were Jack in the Pulpit and skunk cabbage growing wild in the woods. We knew all of our neighbors, and one made candied apples every Halloween. There was an old brick four-story school on School Street Avenue, probably gone now. My Dad bartended at Kinchley's (is that place still there?) as a second job. I remember bats coming out at dusk and flying around the evening sky, and we could see the Empire State Building from Route 17. Oh, and there was a drive-in on Route 17 that we used to go to all the time, in our pajamas! It was a fabulous place to grow up and I have nothing but fond memories of that town. If I could name a perfect place to raise kids, Ramsey would be it. Alas, after finding out what the property taxes are on my childhood home, I'm sad to see it has become an enclave for what appears to be one demographic. Where do blue-collar workers such as police and fire-fighters live when they hold jobs in that area?

[eb23air]

I grew up in nearby Saddle River, and since when I was 14 and we didn't have a public high school, I went to Ramsey. I enjoyed going to the school, academically I thought it was good and I had a lot of good teachers, and they were all down to earth. That is what I loved about the school, at that time at least (1996-2000). I'm not sure about what the situation is now, but I liked the school and really enjoyed walking down the hill to Main St. during lunch and walking around town.
I think Ramsey has become more middle-upper class than when I was there with bigger homes and rising real estate prices. There are some great restaurants, parks and athetic fields, and the people are generally nice. I actually took the train to college for a year in New York and the commute while long, is tolerable. Also, Ramsey is well-located since it's close to Rt.17 and thus will get you to all the malls, etc. There is also a NY sports club nearby, shopping center, and lots of fast food places.

Hope that helps!

[usmarinesgt2171]

Originally Posted by Raven and Bear

OMG, reading your post made me so nostalgic. It sounds like Ramsey hasn't changed one iota from the Ramsey I grew up in during the 60's and 70's. I used to catch poliwogs in a pond off of Shuart Lane (or maybe it was Stuart Lane), which was a dirt road then. We had a movie theater on Main Street, a fancy women's clothing store, Rita's Sweet Shop, a candy store, the hardware store...I used to ride my bike to Interstate Plaza and get goldfish from the Woolworth's there. There were old trolley tracks in the woods that led to Allendale. Us kids were allowed to ride our bikes all over the neighborhood and town, and no one worried. We caught fireflies on summer nights and Darlington Avenue had a huge forested area across the street from us AND behind our house, too, with a snake-cave in it. There were Jack in the Pulpit and skunk cabbage growing wild in the woods. We knew all of our neighbors, and one made candied apples every Halloween. There was an old brick four-story school on School Street Avenue, probably gone now. My Dad bartended at Kinchley's (is that place still there?) as a second job. I remember bats coming out at dusk and flying around the evening sky, and we could see the Empire State Building from Route 17. Oh, and there was a drive-in on Route 17 that we used to go to all the time, in our pajamas! It was a fabulous place to grow up and I have nothing but fond memories of that town. If I could name a perfect place to raise kids, Ramsey would be it. Alas, after finding out what the property taxes are on my childhood home, I'm sad to see it has become an enclave for what appears to be one demographic. Where do blue-collar workers such as police and fire-fighters live when they hold jobs in that area?

Looks like it HAS been a long time since you were in Ramsey. Police officers are hardly blue collar workers anymore. It is the norm, not the exception, that patrolmen make $100,000 a year or more. So, they can usually afford to live in Ramsey.

[EEEPNJ]

Originally Posted by Raven and Bear

OMG, reading your post made me so nostalgic. It sounds like Ramsey hasn't changed one iota from the Ramsey I grew up in during the 60's and 70's. I used to catch poliwogs in a pond off of Shuart Lane (or maybe it was Stuart Lane), which was a dirt road then. We had a movie theater on Main Street, a fancy women's clothing store, Rita's Sweet Shop, a candy store, the hardware store...I used to ride my bike to Interstate Plaza and get goldfish from the Woolworth's there. There were old trolley tracks in the woods that led to Allendale. Us kids were allowed to ride our bikes all over the neighborhood and town, and no one worried. We caught fireflies on summer nights and Darlington Avenue had a huge forested area across the street from us AND behind our house, too, with a snake-cave in it. There were Jack in the Pulpit and skunk cabbage growing wild in the woods. We knew all of our neighbors, and one made candied apples every Halloween. There was an old brick four-story school on School Street Avenue, probably gone now. My Dad bartended at Kinchley's (is that place still there?) as a second job. I remember bats coming out at dusk and flying around the evening sky, and we could see the Empire State Building from Route 17. Oh, and there was a drive-in on Route 17 that we used to go to all the time, in our pajamas! It was a fabulous place to grow up and I have nothing but fond memories of that town. If I could name a perfect place to raise kids, Ramsey would be it. Alas, after finding out what the property taxes are on my childhood home, I'm sad to see it has become an enclave for what appears to be one demographic. Where do blue-collar workers such as police and fire-fighters live when they hold jobs in that area?

Don't worry about the police, they make more than you and me. LOL Yeah, the only thing that has changed since then is the house prices... steep. But Ramsey is a lovely town.

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by pmd1117

Anyone live in ramsey? We have 2 small kids and are considering this area or West Harrison (in Westchester) but since my husband works on Wall St the commute via train then ferry from Hoboken is better then train/subway from Grand Central. How do you like Ramsey? Any info would be greatly appreciated as we're about to bid on a home and it's surprising how much more you can get for your money in NJ then Westchester with taxes being about equal.

I believe the quality of life (QOL) and "community" in Westchester County, NY far surpasses that of Bergen County on many fronts. Yes Ramsey is ok but you should do your reserach carefully IMO.

Originally Posted by usmarinesgt2171

It is the norm, not the exception, that patrolmen make $100,000 a year or more. So, they can usually afford to live in Ramsey.

Toss in their FAT pensions and thus why TAXES are outrageously high too. (But nobody seems to do anything or care).

[EEEPNJ]

You know the police/teacher thing REALLY ticks me off. Don't get me wrong, I know they are very valued professions. But the ARROGANCE that goes with the huge amounts they are paid! The great benefits are from a day when the salaries were paltry, those days are LONG gone. It's beyond irritating and eventually SOMEONE is going to have to fix it. Wonder if it will happen in my lifetime?

[johnfrisco]

Wait a minute.

1) There is virtually no crime in Ramsey

2) The police in Ramsey are paid 100K.

Something doesn't make sense here. Oh wait this is NJ--sorry never mind.

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

You know the police/teacher thing REALLY ticks me off. It's beyond irritating and eventually SOMEONE is going to have to fix it.

We need to elect in officials [R] to go after these entitlements that are robbing the taxpayers and crippling hard working NJ families.