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Realize that there IS a college in South Orange - Seton Hall! I graduated from there 10 years ago. Anyways, the town of South Orange is really nice. They have the downtown area, and then the homes off of those side streets off Wyoming Ave are so cute! I have two friends who grew up in South Orange, and one who grew up in Maplewood - all 3 are great people (and seton hall grads. woo-hoo!)
The South Orange PD do a really good job of keeping the riff raff out from Newark. In fact, in back of Seton Hall by Ivy Hill in Irvington, they have some of those streets barricaded with orange and white jersey barriers. I'm serious. Newark stays in Newark. South Orange doesn't go to Newark. It's two different worlds, really.
I completely forgot that SH is in SO. That may have a lot to do with why the downtown is so chic. There's definitely a certain vibe in SO that I don't sense in other non-college towns. Though I can't really say the same about Newark, which is home to several colleges.
I haven't worked out a budget yet. I really have to find some time to sit down and work out the new figures. I have to assess the whole tax situation and decide what we're comfortable spending. We've been looking online and the homes that we've found the most appealing were in the $600k-$800k range. We'd probably be comfortable putting $100k down at most. Even though we want a nice-sized beautiful home, we would still like to live well within our means.
If you want to live within your means, $100k down = $500k house.
I used to go to Shop Rite in West Orange because the Pathmark was crap (the one of Valley St) and I'd never go food shopping in Newark. No way, Jose.
Regarding parking at the South Orange train station - back in my hey dey we could only park in that little area by Cryans - like by the fire department. I thought that now they expanded parking to the parking lot of SOPA? (South Orange Performing Arts Center.) I may be wrong...?
I used to go to Shop Rite in West Orange because the Pathmark was crap (the one of Valley St) and I'd never go food shopping in Newark. No way, Jose.
Regarding parking at the South Orange train station - back in my hey dey we could only park in that little area by Cryans - like by the fire department. I thought that now they expanded parking to the parking lot of SOPA? (South Orange Performing Arts Center.) I may be wrong...?
the supermarket in newark is on the newark/maplewood/south orange, and is a very good supermarket with a variety of ethnic and american foods. in fact, maplewood/south orange has only 4 supermarkets, but ashley markets isn't really a supermarket, more of an expensive gourmet shop, and extra supermarket in maplewood is quite small. the pathmark here is crap. the city supermarket in newark is the closest large supermarket.
cryans is now closed, and there are many parking areas near it. the one between it and the fire department is either only permit, or non-commuter, it is a SOPA lot, i don't know what the rules are now, they change often.
you could be on permit waiting list for up to 8 years, no joke! it's easier to park on the side street, and take bus or jitney to station.
A great place to go to get answers to more specific questions is to check out the discussion over at All Discussions - M/SO Community Forum (the discussions include South Orange as well). Lots of friendly people there who will be more than happy to answer your questions!
I recall downtown South Orange around the train station area has been gentrified a lot since the 1990s. Both my parents went to SHU, and the bar and restaurant scene in downtown area was a little hoody at night. I went again in 2010 and it seemed way more family oriented. Plus the train station and local surrounding areas got a facelift.
that thread is around 4 years old! back then, downtown south orange was having many flash mobs/fights, but the sopd did a good job, and stopped them. they have not happened in at least 3 years.
It is a great place and what I love about South Orange is the ethnic restaurants. You can find a number of restaurants there. Jamaican, Italian, Ethiopian, Japanese are amongst some of the places they have.
Livingston mall and Short Hills Mall are not far.
In the summer there are jazz musicians who play live music in the town center. There is a train station right in the town center.
The school system is great, with great teachers too.
Teaneck is very deceiving. The schools are sub par compared to the rest of the state. There is absolutely zero downtown liveliness. The council and building department are awful at being proactive visionaries. They refuse to build the town up then wonder why every store is vacant. I'd choose south orange in a heartbeat. If I wasn't so tied down to this crappy sub par town id be out. But the property value is also sub par so dont be fooled either.Put it this way if I took my house out of Teaneck and dropped it in south orange the price would go up by 50k or more. I'm in real estate and generally deal soley in Bergen county and I can tell you Teaneck property value is sub par in comparison to the rest if Bergen county.
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