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My husband just found a job in West Caldwell NJ and we have to move from upstate NY in a month or so. We have 3 kids ages : 8, 6, 5, and are looking for a family friendly neighborhood, so there is 3 important things to consider : schools, safety and cost of rent (we are planing to rent the first year). Please I realy need your help as soon as possible. Thanks !
My husband just found a job in West Caldwell NJ and we have to move from upstate NY in a month or so. We have 3 kids ages : 8, 6, 5, and are looking for a family friendly neighborhood, so there is 3 important things to consider : schools, safety and cost of rent (we are planing to rent the first year). Please I realy need your help as soon as possible. Thanks !
In order to give you truly useful suggestions we really need more information from you. Please see the sticky post at the top of this forum, //www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...residents.html and provide the answers to the questions. Once we have that info we will be happy to quickly share with you our knowledge of the NNJ area and provide you with suggestions.
West Caldwell is relatively safe and has some very nice locations, parks, schools.
Nicer (but more costly) is if you look to towns west of there in Morris County (W. Caldwell is in Essex County but a few miles to the west you are into Morris county which has much more upscale living, school, lower crime rates overall (& higher taxes, rents, housing prices, etc that go with it).
The further east you go from W Caldwell it gets more urban and city like living. Whatever you do, don't even think about renting/living anywhere near Newark, Irvington, E. Orange
Where are you coming from? Farmington NY (Upstate NY)
Why are you moving? New job
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? West Caldwell NJ
Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget ? around 1500 $
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? family of 5 (2 adults + 3 kids 8,6 and 5)
Do you need/want good public schools? Need and want (my 8 years old son is on special education programme)
Where are you coming from? Farmington NY (Upstate NY)
Why are you moving? New job
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? West Caldwell NJ
Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget ? around 1500 $
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? family of 5 (2 adults + 3 kids 8,6 and 5)
Do you need/want good public schools? Need and want (my 8 years old son is on special education programme)
Ok, time for a reality check here. I think you have a huge issue with that budget. Most places will not rent to a family with three kids unless there is at least three bedrooms in the apt. or home. It is hard to find a decent 2 bedroom for <$1500, let alone in a fairly safe community. Add to that the fact that housing costs in a town with good schools will be more costly, I think you need to re adjust your housing budget. A decent 3 bd place within a reasonable commute of W Caldwell will run you in the $2,250 to $2,500 a month range. (and the town will have "ok" schools, certainly not great ones, for that you are talking closer to $3,500 to 4k a month) Seriously the only places you'll find a 3bd place for <$1500 a month will be in Newark, Irvington, perhaps Orange or E Orange, and trust me, you REALLY do not want to live there. Schools stink, and you'll have to wear flak jackets 24/7.
Ok, time for a reality check here. I think you have a huge issue with that budget. Most places will not rent to a family with three kids unless there is at least three bedrooms in the apt. or home. It is hard to find a decent 2 bedroom for <$1500, let alone in a fairly safe community. Add to that the fact that housing costs in a town with good schools will be more costly, I think you need to re adjust your housing budget. A decent 3 bd place within a reasonable commute of W Caldwell will run you in the $2,250 to $2,500 a month range. (and the town will have "ok" schools, certainly not great ones, for that you are talking closer to $3,500 to 4k a month) Seriously the only places you'll find a 3bd place for <$1500 a month will be in Newark, Irvington, perhaps Orange or E Orange, and trust me, you REALLY do not want to live there. Schools stink, and you'll have to wear flak jackets 24/7.
KoalaNJ
Wow ! ok, could you please tell me in which area should I look for an "optimum" school/cost of living.
Thanks for your reply
Wow ! ok, could you please tell me in which area should I look for an "optimum" school/cost of living.
Thanks for your reply
To keep your commute reasonable, you'll want to be close to W Caldwell. For nicer areas and good schools, for the most part you'll want to go West, or SW. You'll find great schools in Madison and the Chathams, some of the best in the nation, but you'll also find housing costs are higher. I did a quick search and found several 3+ bedroom places for rent in the $2500 to 3K range. Millburn, and Summit are also possibilities, again top notch schools, though they are in Essex Co, so your car insurance and taxes will be higher as will the monthly rental cost. North Caldwell has good schools, but there really is not much available in rentals, ever. Also in Essex Co, Livingston has good schools, but the schools have a reputation for having quite an "aggressively competitive" vibe. Some kids do well or even thrive in that environment, for many others, it is quite the opposite. The commute from Livingston to W Caldwell is fairly short. A good rule of thumb for NNJ commute times it to take what ever is given on Googlemaps/mapquest, etc, multiply it by 2 and add 10%. That will get you a more realistic time approximation.
If you are seeking something as the best compromise, a safe community with pretty good schools, and lower-ish housing costs, I'd recommend looking at Florham Park, Whippany, Morristown, and even Montville. (I'd avoid the Pine Brook section of Montville, as parts are pretty seedy though) Don't count out West Caldwell, either, schools are decent, and you'd be able to find a place in the ~$2,500/mo range. Roseland is another place to consider, schools are decent, and the commute would be good.
Be careful when looking around, as there are areas within a reasonable commute of W Caldwell that have major flooding issues. If you are considering an area, post back here and ask about it, we'll be glad to alert you to any known issues with a specific town/area. A good idea is to search on this City Data forum for the towns I mentioned, you'll get a wealth of information. This site will also give you good information regarding the schools. Interactive Map: High School SAT scores - NJ Spotlight It will give you the average SAT scores for the high schools, as well as how the school's students fared on HESPA exams, how many students take AP courses, and how many pass the AP proficiency exams. All of that data will help determin the overall quality of the district. Another well regarded measure of the schools is the NJ Monthly rankings, the latest of which can be found here: The Top New Jersey High Schools: Listed Alphabetically One thing you should note is that NJ has some of the best performing schools in the nation, so even a school that is closer to mid pack in the rankings, would be considered good to great in other states/areas of the country.
HTH
KoalaNJ
PS Just thought of adding a possibility of Montclair to your short list, though with some reservations. Firstly, it is a much more urban environment, as opposed to suburban like the other towns being considered. The taxes are outrageous. There are some areas of town you'd def. want to avoid due to crime, drug and gang activity. It is a college town, and that can be a plus and a minus. The schools are good, though definitely "different". All of their elementary and middle schools are what they call magnet schools with specialties. (One elem for environmental science, one Montessori, one global studies, one university tract, one science and technology, two "gifted and talented") The three middle schools are categorized as Visual and Performing Arts, Liberal Arts, and University STEM. Which then all funnel to one HS. I personally have ambivalent feelings about the system - how can a parent tell if their 4 yr old will be interested in/have an aptitude for a specific/focused education? In your situation since you are dealing with a special needs child, I am concerned about how they deal with the situation. IDK about main streaming and support services in magnet schools. Definitely something I'd look into more thoroughly before committing to living there. There is more information available here Montclair Public Schools - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Although Montclair HS was ranked 90 out of 330 according to NJ Monthly, I always wonder if they are placed that high on the list is because of the reputation they garnered back in the day, (80's 90's) when they won a bunch of awards, and due to the demographics of the population. You should check out this thread for more info on NJ Monthly school rankings Updated NJ High School Rankings
I'd add East Hanover, Morris Plains, Denville, Verona and Cedar Grove to the list of possibilities in the $2,500 to $3K range, with good schools and a reasonable commute to W. Caldwell.
I'd add East Hanover, Morris Plains, Denville, Verona and Cedar Grove to the list of possibilities in the $2,500 to $3K range, with good schools and a reasonable commute to W. Caldwell.
I'd be leery of Denville, the schools are not that good, the schools are crowded and there are major flooding issues in town, also the commute can be an issue, (rte 80 is a PITA) Verona's schools are meh, barely making the state average scores for SAT and HSPA, and there are safety concerns. It is def. is not Newark bad, but... Cedar Grove's schools do not even meet the NJ statewide average scores for HSPA, SAT, etc. The NJ state average SAT is 1550, CG is 1492. Only 54.48 % of the schools graduates pass the HSPA. Only 85.7% pass the math HSPA. Only 42% are considered proficient or advanced proficient on the Biology HSPA. With outcomes like that, I would not say the schools are good. I do agree that Morris Plains and East Hanover should also be considered.
KoalaNJ
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This site will also give you good information regarding the schools. 
