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After visiting Englewood Cliffs (and the town of Englewood) we are adding that to the list. We really love the new construction homes and fell in love with the neighborhoods and feel of the town.
Any insights into Englewood??
Just throwing my .02 in as a former NJ contractor, I shudder when I hear anybody say "new construction"
New construction by an independent contractor can be great with a quality build. Uses the same subs that he has history with.
New construction in a development is generally not up to the quality of an independent builder. Uses subs that submit the lowest bid.
Choose wisely, just know what your looking at when you select new and get an independent inspection.
After visiting Englewood Cliffs (and the town of Englewood) we are adding that to the list. We really love the new construction homes and fell in love with the neighborhoods and feel of the town.
Any insights into Englewood??
I would steer clear of Englewood Cliffs if you want decent schools. Schools there are shared with the much less affluent Englewood and are awful, not in the same league as Tenafly, Northern Highlands, Ridgewood, etc.
Are Tenafly, Northern Highlands, Ridgewood, neighboring towns?
It seems in Englewood Cliffs they have the kind of houses we like and relatively low taxes. So we can buy a $1.2M bc unlike Montclair the taxes aren't $40K/year :/
The Englewood Cliffs advantage of easy access to commute by car into NYC has no meaning for you. As mentioned, the schools are not as good as many other towns in the area and Englewood has some shaky areas. You might need to add the price of Dwight Englewood School (private) to your tax bill at some point:
K $28,560/yr
1-5 $32,590/yr
6-12 $40,210/yr plus fees
The public high school for Englewood Cliffs is Dwight Morrow HS in Englewood, although it seems many of the EC high school students pay tuition to attend Tenafly HS (public) and Dwight Englewood (private, $40,210/year). Englewood Cliffs has been trying to get out of the sending agreement with Dwight Morrow HS in Englewood since the 1980s.
You also get to enjoy all the pollution from the idling traffic waiting to cross the GW Bridge.
Englewood Cliffs is a couple miles from Tenafly and not really near Ridgewood, and Hohokus. Allendale is where Northern Highlands HS is located and takes students from Hohokus, Saddle River, and Allendale.
Are Tenafly, Northern Highlands, Ridgewood, neighboring towns?
It seems in Englewood Cliffs they have the kind of houses we like and relatively low taxes. So we can buy a $1.2M bc unlike Montclair the taxes aren't $40K/year :/
I'm just not sure how to decide???
They are not neighboring towns, but are in Bergen County and close to each other. They are generally considered the elite school districts in the area-I'd rank them as Northern Highlands, Ridgewood,and then Tenafly.
There are other low tax towns besides Englewood Cliffs which will give you much better schools. At your budget, take a shot at Alpine or Saddle River and see if you get a home there. Franklin Lakes, Upper Saddle River and Tenafly are all doable for you.
Are Tenafly, Northern Highlands, Ridgewood, neighboring towns?
It seems in Englewood Cliffs they have the kind of houses we like and relatively low taxes. So we can buy a $1.2M bc unlike Montclair the taxes aren't $40K/year :/
I'm just not sure how to decide???
Just to clarify if you didn't already know... Northern Highlands isn't a town, it's a school district in Allendale that also serves Ho-Ho-Kus (and maybe the Saddle Rivers?)
Not sure why everyone knocks the schools in Englewood Cliffs. We looked it up and they are #21 in all of NJ. My guess is that excludes the high school which is in Englewood. But I think the Kindergarten and Upper School are very highly regarded.
By the time my daughter gets to high school we'd either pay for private school or we'd have to move again....
Not sure why everyone knocks the schools in Englewood Cliffs. We looked it up and they are #21 in all of NJ. My guess is that excludes the high school which is in Englewood. But I think the Kindergarten and Upper School are very highly regarded.
By the time my daughter gets to high school we'd either pay for private school or we'd have to move again....
Englewood Cliffs schools district group factor is I, the second highest. J school distrcts have the highest rating and are generally considered the most elite in the state, and there are only about 20 or so. By this measure, EC schools excluding Englewood are very good, but not the "best".
Englewood Cliffs schools district group factor is I, the second highest. J school distrcts have the highest rating and are generally considered the most elite in the state, and there are only about 20 or so. By this measure, EC schools excluding Englewood are very good, but not the "best".
The group factors are not measurements of the quality of the school, they're measures of the socioeconomic status of the school district. There's pretty good correlation, but it's not a direct measure and you can't say that a given "J" will be strictly better than a given "I". Summit, Princeton, and Livingston, for instance, are all "I", and rank above Mountain Lakes ("J")
My husband and I lived in NYC for over 15 years when we were single. Shortly after we married, we moved to Boulder. We had a baby and now, we want to move back here to be close to our family again. I'd love Manhattan, but with a Sizable dog and a toddler and about a $1M budget, my husband wants me to focus on NJ.
I grew up in Central / South NJ and the thought of a total suburb and NJ town with strip malls is scaring me. We are exploring areas closer to Manhattan now - like, Montclair, Ridgewood, Englewood, Morristown. Admittedly, I know very little to nothing about these towns but I'm hoping to have some of your input. Perhaps you can help us with your opinions on some of the things of high importance to me.
I'm a health nut, so it's important to live in a town with a health food store (the more the better) independent and / or whole foods, cycling studios or high end gyms, healthy restaurants
- I need to be able to walk some where - downtown area, or a park or hiking trails - I need to have something to do (with a toddler), without always getting in the car
- good schools, no, GREAT schools. I'd love a private school but we won't have the money for it
- I'd like an upscale town, upscale area (but open to a city-feel {diversity} like Montclair)
- friendly moms so I won't feel isolated with my little girl, ideally lots of activities (mommy and me)
- a farmers market would be great
I've found this forum so helpful! I'm a NYer, so your straightforward replies are embraced!
Thanks in advance!!!!
sort of off topic but how did you like boulder??
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