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We're moving to NJ with our two kids (4yrs & 2yrs) from the U.K. I'm not familiar with the area so could really do with some advice. Our main requirements are:
1) A neighbourhood within 1hr hour drive of Newark airport
2) $3000 a month rent for 3 bedroom apartment or house if possible.
3) Safe, walkable neighbourhood with lots to do.
4) Montessori nursery
We're in our early thirties from London/Edinburgh so we'd like to find somewhere thats fairly cosmopolitan with good shops/restaurants.
Would Montclair/Weehawken/Chatham suit our needs?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks.
Last edited by british Mum; 06-02-2010 at 04:45 AM..
A 1 hour radius from Newark airport covers a fair amount of ground. You could look across Route 78 at places like Millburn, Chatham, etc. Or, you could look down the Parkway at places like Cranford, Clark, Metuchen, etc. Along Route 280 you could look at West Orange, Roseland, etc.
The closest you're going to find that kind of area near Newark is West Orange or Nutley. Just whatever you do avoid Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Elizabeth at all costs.
The closest you're going to find that kind of area near Newark is West Orange or Nutley. Just whatever you do avoid Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Elizabeth at all costs.
Why avoid Newark & Elizabeth at all costs your painting both cities as entirely bad, dumps , and thats simply not true. Now East Orange , Irvington , Orange , are dumps , and bad. But Newark and Elizabeth these days aren't as bad as they used to be , i know alot of family's who live in the East wards. Schools are decent in that ward. Its near the airport aswell. Elizabeth doesn't even have a bad reputation , its know as the "safest" largest City in NJ.
Whoever came up with Elizabeth as the safest large city in Jersey doesn't know what they're talking about. Compare its crime stats to Paterson and Jersey City. It's moved down. Street gangs that have been flushed out of Newark are relocating in Elizabeth. The schools there are among the worst and it still has some of the worst quality air in the nation. Newark is a similar story: poor schools, drugs, gangs, etc. It'd be okay if you're single, living there temporarily, and know how to manage your enviornment, but Newark (much like Elizabeth and the other towns I mentioned) I would avoid having to raise a family in at all costs.
Whoever came up with Elizabeth as the safest large city in Jersey doesn't know what they're talking about. Compare its crime stats to Paterson and Jersey City. It's moved down. Street gangs that have been flushed out of Newark are relocating in Elizabeth. The schools there are among the worst and it still has some of the worst quality air in the nation. Newark is a similar story: poor schools, drugs, gangs, etc. It'd be okay if you're single, living there temporarily, and know how to manage your enviornment, but Newark (much like Elizabeth and the other towns I mentioned) I would avoid having to raise a family in at all costs.
But drugs and gangs can be found anywhere in the state and are not in just our Urban areas these days? Both Newark & Elizabeth are improving nicely. Elizabeth more so then Newark. Schools vary , there are some better then others. The Whole Northeast fails on Air Quality. LOL......depends on what ward or neighborhood you move to , because not all of them are terrible. The East ward has alot of families living there and Schools are decent same in some parts of Elizabeth.
There's not much to do in Weehawken and no Montessori nursery but it meets your other criteria and it's a 15 min. bus ride to Manhattan when traffic is reasonable.
BUT Hoboken has the short commute to Manhattan plus it meets all your other criteria -- and you can afford it! (Many can't.) I think it would be a much better intro to the USA for you than Weehawken. Strongly suggest you check it out.
There's still a massive gang and drug influence on schools in Newark and Elizabeth on a scale not even comparable to small towns around the Newark metro area. There's absolutely no point in living there if you can afford a place like West Orange (west of Main St), Livingston, etc.
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