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So DH and I have decided that we are going to pull the trigger and buy a house. We are NY'ers..born and raised (well I was born in Bayonne but that's neither here nor there) I have resided in NY a majority of my life. Currently we live in downtown Manhattan. We love the location and our neighbors the feel of the area but we want a house. We have a 5 YO who is entering 1st grade and we plan on having one more child.
We are looking for the same thing everyone else is..safe neighborhood, good schools, + diversity (good diversity since we want our children to be exposed to different races, sexual orientation, etc). Our budget is under $400k but prefer around $350K since taxes are high. We are not scared of doing renovations as DH is pretty handy. I work downtown Manhattan and DH works uptown Manhattan so the commute is a huge concern since we have a small child and plan on having more.
Here are the areas we have narrowed down so far. Open to other areas that meet our criteria.
Montclair, W. Orange and S. Orange. I love the older homes with charm, tree lined streets, etc. and I know the area is diverse which is a plus. The schools from what we read are just OK. I know taxes are really high there however all of NJ has high taxes and we accept this is a demon we have to pay to live in this state. What I don't like about that area is the proximity to Newark and Irvington. I am also not really familiar with the area so I'm not sure what areas to avoid. Also the taxes seemed to be higher than in other areas in NJ.
Bergen county. I'm more familiar with Bergen County since I attended college out there. I think in general if we go this route we are looking at Fairlawn. Any pluses or minuses.
A coworker of mine also recommended Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Kenilworth. She has a house in SP and really loves it but she doesn't have children so is not familiar with the SD. Any input?
To get into an ok area of town, Montclair and South Orange will be very difficult on a 350k budget
West Orange and Bloomfield are probably better bets.
That budget isn't going to get you very far with some of the criteria you have in mind, especially in a place like Montclair. I would throw in Westwood (Bergen). Fair Lawn is a pretty good bet as well with good schools to boot although you'll be restricted to smaller lots/smaller homes. Both towns have train lines and offer bus transportation to NYC.
Also, you mentioned you have a 5 year old going to 1st grade? Make sure you check the school district's cut-off date. My son missed it by one day and wont be entering 1st grade public until he's almost 7!
That budget isn't going to get you very far with some of the criteria you have in mind, especially in a place like Montclair. I would throw in Westwood (Bergen). Fair Lawn is a pretty good bet as well with good schools to boot although you'll be restricted to smaller lots/smaller homes. Both towns have train lines and offer bus transportation to NYC.
Also, you mentioned you have a 5 year old going to 1st grade? Make sure you check the school district's cut-off date. My son missed it by one day and wont be entering 1st grade public until he's almost 7!
Thanks yes my daughter's bday is in November and the cutoff for NYC is December 31st so she started K at 4 YO. Do you think they would hold her back?
You'll love an older home when you have to repair old floors, laff and plaster walls, anything electric beyond sockets, plumbing in general, etc ... list will go on ....
Unfortunately I do not know a lot about Montclair, W Orange, or So. Orange but I have a suggestion of a town you could consider in Bergen County.
I recommend you take a look at Teaneck. Plenty of homes in your price range, one of the more diverse towns in the area and pretty good schools (the high school looks like a castle so there's some charm for you). Additionally a lot of older homes are available such as Tudors and many of the streets are lined with tall, old trees. Also, you are minutes from the George Washington Bridge and Route 4 runs through the town.
So DH and I have decided that we are going to pull the trigger and buy a house. We are NY'ers..born and raised (well I was born in Bayonne but that's neither here nor there) I have resided in NY a majority of my life. Currently we live in downtown Manhattan. We love the location and our neighbors the feel of the area but we want a house. We have a 5 YO who is entering 1st grade and we plan on having one more child.
We are looking for the same thing everyone else is..safe neighborhood, good schools, + diversity (good diversity since we want our children to be exposed to different races, sexual orientation, etc). Our budget is under $400k but prefer around $350K since taxes are high. We are not scared of doing renovations as DH is pretty handy. I work downtown Manhattan and DH works uptown Manhattan so the commute is a huge concern since we have a small child and plan on having more.
Here are the areas we have narrowed down so far. Open to other areas that meet our criteria.
Montclair, W. Orange and S. Orange. I love the older homes with charm, tree lined streets, etc. and I know the area is diverse which is a plus. The schools from what we read are just OK. I know taxes are really high there however all of NJ has high taxes and we accept this is a demon we have to pay to live in this state. What I don't like about that area is the proximity to Newark and Irvington. I am also not really familiar with the area so I'm not sure what areas to avoid. Also the taxes seemed to be higher than in other areas in NJ.
Bergen county. I'm more familiar with Bergen County since I attended college out there. I think in general if we go this route we are looking at Fairlawn. Any pluses or minuses.
A coworker of mine also recommended Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Kenilworth. She has a house in SP and really loves it but she doesn't have children so is not familiar with the SD. Any input?
You can certainly meet that budget in a safe part of West Orange, though the house will need work. Taxes are, as you've seen, horrendous. Commute via NJ Transit can be a pain until you get a parking spot at one of the stations.
I think you have targeted some good towns, but you'll definitely need to be prepared for some remodeling, etc. at your price point. Based on those towns and your description, a look at Rutherford could be worthwhile too.
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