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Originally Posted by honestmoe
Thanks for the replies lots of good ideas there thank you. Few questions:
Do the Caldwells share a school district? Full day kindergarten? Quick search shows of good houses in this area for us. Best way to NYC- Montclair train depot? Any difference between the Caldwells?
West Orange- I have family there but have heard the high school is not good and you need to send your kids to private which is big $$ I dont know how true that is or isnt
Fairlawn looks nice will look into that as well
Any thoughts on Saddlebrook?
Again I appreciate the input
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West Caldwell and Caldwell Share a School District. The schools are very good. James Caldwell High School is the High School and in the 2014 NJ Monthly Magazine rankings (the bible for school rankings in NJ) it was ranked 52nd out of 339 High Schools. So Schools are great. 1/2 day Kindergarten.
Caldwell is basically a real town and by that I mean it's not Wayne..haha or a town like Wayne that is high ways and strip malls. It has a downtown with restaurants a coffee shop a seafood store, lots of arts and crafty stores and the best craft beer bar in the Northeast (no seriously it was named that last year) Calandras Mega Italian Market is in Caldwell. Lots of italians, Lots of houses decorated for Christmas so a christian / catholic town. It feels old school like a throw back kind of town where people are friendly and care about where they live. It's also very pretty with leafy streets and sidewalks and the topography isn't just all flat and boring. It also borders Essex Fells (castles in the woods) and North Caldwell (McMansions in the woods) so the affluence is all around. West Caldwell and Caldwell are Upper Middle Class while Essex Fells is mainly multi millionaires and North Caldwell is upper class to multi millionaires.
There is no difference between Caldwell and West Caldwell. I live in Caldwell and the only difference I've seen so far is that Santa Claus drove by on the firetruck through all the streets of Caldwell this year and he didn't through West Caldwell.
To NYC it is either the Montclair Train, the 33 Decamp bus, the Willowbrook Mall Park and Ride or Drive to the Harrison Path. What you have are lots of options. Caldwell is also trying to get a Jitney service for the NYC commuters that would go to the Montclair Bay Street Station.
Montclair is very up and coming and has amazing restaurants and a cool semi NYC scene and you are only 8 to 12 mins away depending upon the side of town you are on as well.
btw you mentioned West Milford which is where I grew up. Drive around North Caldwell and the Cedars section of Caldwell and you'll get your fix of woods without being in the middle of nowhere. It's suburban but has a bit of a ruralish tinge to it which is great.
Grover Cleveland Park is beautiful in Caldwell too.Woodsy with a pond and an amazing playground.