Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, we are considering buying a nice property in hohokus, anyone know if they have a summer camp program in this town and what are the differences between the west and east side of route 17? The house we like is close to the school and I like that fact a lot, but we find the whole area very congested, specially Hollywood ave, there are trucks crossing all the time and, the house is not on that street but about 5 houses away, and I'm wondering if the fact of all those busy streets around route 17 would make the area less desirable, I'm hoping we'll find kids playing and riding bikes around... Any comments about it?
My daughter used to go to the Ridgewood Y summer camp....wow, it's something pretty special for a day camp. The counselors were extra-special and the activities were wonderful, too...plus it was fairly priced. Ho-ho-kus is a beautiful town...just ask NJ Monthly which rates it #1 in the state for the place to live in NJ.
Hello, we are considering buying a nice property in hohokus, anyone know if they have a summer camp program in this town and what are the differences between the west and east side of route 17? The house we like is close to the school and I like that fact a lot, but we find the whole area very congested, specially Hollywood ave, there are trucks crossing all the time and, the house is not on that street but about 5 houses away, and I'm wondering if the fact of all those busy streets around route 17 would make the area less desirable, I'm hoping we'll find kids playing and riding bikes around... Any comments about it?
One thing HHK, while small and quaint it does very well to take advantage of nearby resources and so many moms use the camps in Allendale or Ridgewood.
Regarding your home, one of my friends who lives in HHK mentioned to me to make sure you listen for congestion/noise. Some homes are very close to rt 17 and the noise can be quite loud/annoying. So make sure you check out the backyard and listen carefully.
Thank you for your posts! The house is 3 blocks away from route 17 and you cannot hear the noise, but I'm definitely concerned about the many cars going fast in front of the house... Definitely something to consider; but the house for the price, is way better to the ones we've seen in Ridgewood. I Have two kids, 6 and 7, and I was expecting enrolling them in the town's sommer camp so, they could make some friends before starting school. I'm wondering now about the amenities of the town itself and the sense of community. Will we find in Ho-ho-kus block parties, and some other community/kids related programs and activities like the ones you find in Ridgewood? I also feel Ridgewood will be more diverse, but also more competitive, is that the case?
Thank you for your posts! The house is 3 blocks away from route 17 and you cannot hear the noise, but I'm definitely concerned about the many cars going fast in front of the house... Definitely something to consider; but the house for the price, is way better to the ones we've seen in Ridgewood. I Have two kids, 6 and 7, and I was expecting enrolling them in the town's sommer camp so, they could make some friends before starting school. I'm wondering now about the amenities of the town itself and the sense of community. Will we find in Ho-ho-kus block parties, and some other community/kids related programs and activities like the ones you find in Ridgewood? I also feel Ridgewood will be more diverse, but also more competitive, is that the case?
Well, Ho-Ho-Kus is a lot smaller than Ridgewood, so obviously there will be some differences there.
I think as far as very local stuff like block parties, you would have to speak with people who actually live in Ho-Ho-Kus, and I don't think any of the regulars here do.
Here's the town website, if you haven't checked it out already:
Thank you for your posts! The house is 3 blocks away from route 17 and you cannot hear the noise, but I'm definitely concerned about the many cars going fast in front of the house... Definitely something to consider; but the house for the price, is way better to the ones we've seen in Ridgewood. I Have two kids, 6 and 7, and I was expecting enrolling them in the town's sommer camp so, they could make some friends before starting school. I'm wondering now about the amenities of the town itself and the sense of community. Will we find in Ho-ho-kus block parties, and some other community/kids related programs and activities like the ones you find in Ridgewood? I also feel Ridgewood will be more diverse, but also more competitive, is that the case?
well if you're on a busy thru street I can tell you that a block party is highly unlikely However, some towns usually make up for block parties in other ways. I'm sure HHK has something similar. Two things I would consider. I live on a thru street, but not really busy. It's a 2 way street but not double yellow -- but at times during the day you will have the one-two cars going above the post 25mph. We have three young kids. Anyway, what I was getting at is, if as adult you notice the intense traffic now, then you'll be paranoid every time you can't find your kid or if your kid is playing outside you'll have a sense of high worry. For me it's just not with any price if I lived in front of what you say the 'many cars' that pass by/busy road.
Secondly, we joined a newcomers group where we lived and it's been really great. I Believe HHK also has one. Most of those parents are usually 1-3 year old residents and will likely have a ton of 'insider' information that I think you should tap.
We moved to HHK back in 2010, so maybe I can help.
East vs. West: Really there are good points to both sides of 17, so no real "bad side of town". The East side of town is not really walking distance to much, but has a more secluded feeling in general. There are some very large houses on larger lot sizes on the East, but there are just as many smaller homes on that size as well. The West side is considered more walkable, in general, to places like the small downtown, the train station and the school. While individuals may have a preference as to which side they like, there is no town consensus on what area is the best.
Summer: There is volunteer organization called the YAC (Youth Activities Council). They hold a summer camp that is in it's second year. HHK kids also go to Y camps, both in Wyckoff and Ridgewood. If your kids like sports, the Superdome in Waldwick is a great place to check out of sports camps as well. The Waldwick/HHK Community Church holds a one-week camp (it is bible based, but nothing shoved down the kids throats and as a disclaimer this is not my church) but a lot of HHK attends that.
Another possible way to meet people is to join a pool or local. HHK does not have it's own, and there is no one swimming option that everyone goes to, but there are a few that have a decent amount of HHK residents go to: Crestwood Lake in Allendale, Hillsdale Pool, Graydon Pond in Ridgewood and the Saddle River Swim Club.
I will be honest though, summers in HHK are pretty quiet.
Congestion: I'd say the busiest streets are Hollywood, Franklin and Sheridan on the west side, and maybe East Saddle River and Powderhorn on the east side. That said, they are still not too bad in terms of traffic, but do have a consistent buzz of cars, if that makes sense. On the west side, any street that i would consider a cut through or a busy street has a sidewalk. Whereas, less busy streets do not, so there is a trade off.
I would spend some time parked on the street of where you live, especially around rush hour, or school pick up and drop off which is around 8:15 - 8:45am and 2:40 - 3:20 to see if what you think. I kind of like having people pass by and wave and gave me more of an opportunity to meet peple when we were first here. At some point, I would also sit in your car with the windows rolled down so you can hear the noise level that others have mentioned. We live about 4 streets from 17 and can't hear it at all. There are parts that are really well buffered, and others not so much.
Kids outdoors: We live on a street near the school, as well. It has moderate traffic, especially during school pick up and drop off. It has a sidewalk. That said, I cannot think of a single day that we have not seen some people, be it kids, parents pushing strollers, skateboarders, dog walkers, joggers, bikers.
Block Parties: We have not attended a block party per se, but there have been events held in the downtown streets where they close them off. Also there is a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the firehouse, a community 5K run followed by a brief after party, and Halloween has a square block of houses where some streets are basically closed down and practically the whole town comes out to the same area, so that is kind of a block party.
Newcomer's club: There is a club called the Contemporary Club that you can check out. While there are members with school age kids, I'd say the majority have kids in preschool or younger. Hopefully you can meet other parents through your kids activities and volunteering for the school.
We moved to HHK back in 2010, so maybe I can help.
East vs. West: Really there are good points to both sides of 17, so no real "bad side of town". The East side of town is not really walking distance to much, but has a more secluded feeling in general. There are some very large houses on larger lot sizes on the East, but there are just as many smaller homes on that size as well. The West side is considered more walkable, in general, to places like the small downtown, the train station and the school. While individuals may have a preference as to which side they like, there is no town consensus on what area is the best.
Summer: There is volunteer organization called the YAC (Youth Activities Council). They hold a summer camp that is in it's second year. HHK kids also go to Y camps, both in Wyckoff and Ridgewood. If your kids like sports, the Superdome in Waldwick is a great place to check out of sports camps as well. The Waldwick/HHK Community Church holds a one-week camp (it is bible based, but nothing shoved down the kids throats and as a disclaimer this is not my church) but a lot of HHK attends that.
Another possible way to meet people is to join a pool or local. HHK does not have it's own, and there is no one swimming option that everyone goes to, but there are a few that have a decent amount of HHK residents go to: Crestwood Lake in Allendale, Hillsdale Pool, Graydon Pond in Ridgewood and the Saddle River Swim Club.
I will be honest though, summers in HHK are pretty quiet.
Congestion: I'd say the busiest streets are Hollywood, Franklin and Sheridan on the west side, and maybe East Saddle River and Powderhorn on the east side. That said, they are still not too bad in terms of traffic, but do have a consistent buzz of cars, if that makes sense. On the west side, any street that i would consider a cut through or a busy street has a sidewalk. Whereas, less busy streets do not, so there is a trade off.
I would spend some time parked on the street of where you live, especially around rush hour, or school pick up and drop off which is around 8:15 - 8:45am and 2:40 - 3:20 to see if what you think. I kind of like having people pass by and wave and gave me more of an opportunity to meet peple when we were first here. At some point, I would also sit in your car with the windows rolled down so you can hear the noise level that others have mentioned. We live about 4 streets from 17 and can't hear it at all. There are parts that are really well buffered, and others not so much.
Kids outdoors: We live on a street near the school, as well. It has moderate traffic, especially during school pick up and drop off. It has a sidewalk. That said, I cannot think of a single day that we have not seen some people, be it kids, parents pushing strollers, skateboarders, dog walkers, joggers, bikers.
Block Parties: We have not attended a block party per se, but there have been events held in the downtown streets where they close them off. Also there is a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the firehouse, a community 5K run followed by a brief after party, and Halloween has a square block of houses where some streets are basically closed down and practically the whole town comes out to the same area, so that is kind of a block party.
Newcomer's club: There is a club called the Contemporary Club that you can check out. While there are members with school age kids, I'd say the majority have kids in preschool or younger. Hopefully you can meet other parents through your kids activities and volunteering for the school.
Good luck with wherever you decide to move.
good to know about that 5K and the "after party"... gotta check it out. Nothing like a cold beer after a sweaty run.
Lilycharm, thank you so much for taking the time to write and share your ho ho kus experience with us, and thank you all for your comments, they have helped us a lot!! We've decided to go for that house.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
However, some towns usually make up for block parties in other ways. I'm sure HHK has something similar. Two things I would consider. I live on a thru street, but not really busy. It's a 2 way street but not double yellow -- but at times during the day you will have the one-two cars going above the post 25mph. We have three young kids. Anyway, what I was getting at is, if as adult you notice the intense traffic now, then you'll be paranoid every time you can't find your kid or if your kid is playing outside you'll have a sense of high worry. For me it's just not with any price if I lived in front of what you say the 'many cars' that pass by/busy road. 
and the "after party"... gotta check it out. Nothing like a cold beer after a sweaty run.
