Maplewood: how close is "too close"

[G1..]

I would take the time and look into New Providence .

[qrysdonnell]

Originally Posted by van_esp

we are in a similar situation with NYClibrarian. We have been looking for a house under 350k and found one we like but needs some cosmetic work. we dont want to put our savings into something we will regret later on because it's in a bad location. The house is actually west of Boyden and just a block up springfield ave which seems like a safe part of town..it's on indiana st. to be more specific.We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to be able to feel safe walking down the streets with him. Just wondering if anyone can confirm if that's a safe area. Would it be too much to walk to the train from this part if town? Thank you!

Your biggest risk at that location is going to the Park Wood Diner too much or getting some cupcakes. You have nothing to worry about. People here can tend to be overly paranoid, if you look on forums there are people living in the Hilton (South of Springfield) and Maplewood Corners neighborhoods and they don't report any more crime than anyone else. The neighborhoods are just a little less quaint. Regardless, you're not even in one of those areas.

As far as getting to the train, you'd likely want to take the Jitney, as you're over a mile. I wouldn't think there are any traffic concerns.

You may also want to look in the Seton Village area of South Orange (which I live near) and the portion of Maplewood that's near Clinton Elementary and the high school's sports field. I've seen a lot of cheaper houses in that area. From talking to the realtor that sold us our house, things have been really heating up, so all signs point to it being a good long term investment.

[van_esp]

biggest concern is the school. We love how diverse the town is and how it doesnt feel stuffy how is. How is tuscan and columbia hs as far getting a well-rounded education? We drove around and saw some really run down houses around the area that fidnt make us feel very comfortable

Or maybe we just made a wrong turn
It feels thougj that you cross one street over and ypu are in the bad part of town.

[qrysdonnell]

Tuscan Elementary is rated at 9 out of 10 by GreatSchools.com. It's the highest rated school in the system there. This isn't to say that I put a lot of credence into their rating system, but it's generally researching the lower numbers that you have to worry about.

The high school is not as well rated, at 6 of 10. But I suspect some of that is due to an old principal that was recently replaced. I've not spoken to any neighbors (or friends that have lived here for a while) that expressed any real concerns. Also, the Seth Boyden school doesn't get very good ratings, but we have several neighbors that send their kids there (we're zoned for South Mountain) and they love it.

This may be one area where the 'diversity' of the towns works against the rating system. Generally the racial makeup of the schools correlates pretty closely with the ratings.

As far as 'bad part of town' - Unless you've crossed over into Irvington I don't think there's any significant crime issues. The houses there aren't quite as well kept and the lots and houses are a little smaller. Those are the affordable houses for getting in on the community though, so I expect they'll attract the city expats that are driving up property values in those two towns.

[nyclibrarian]

Originally Posted by van_esp

we are in a similar situation with NYClibrarian. We have been looking for a house under 350k and found one we like but needs some cosmetic work. we dont want to put our savings into something we will regret later on because it's in a bad location. The house is actually west of Boyden and just a block up springfield ave which seems like a safe part of town..it's on indiana st. to be more specific.We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to be able to feel safe walking down the streets with him. Just wondering if anyone can confirm if that's a safe area. Would it be too much to walk to the train from this part if town? Thank you!

I know the block in question very well, and yes - it's a safe, well-regarded part of town. I've lived in the area for 3 years, and I'm not aware of a single incident. I've 2 children, and I walk with them through the neighborhood quite regularly.

My husband walks to the train every day, after a side trip to Tuscan to drop off one of our kids at school. It's very walkable, especially on the way to the train - it's a shade over a mile, and pretty much all downhill. The jitney stop is about 2 blocks away. Very easy.

Good luck!

[rycor]

What do people think about the area around Concord Ave? Is that area relatively safe? We are contemplating a purchase and also have a 1 year old and will be commuting into NYC. Just want to feel safe. We are always driving the area during the day (while house hunting) and it seems quite nice. Just wanted some input (sorry if this is redundant).

Thanks!