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Old 12-23-2015, 11:15 PM
 
166 posts, read 324,632 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by honestmoe View Post
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
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.

Last edited by spoonman109; 12-23-2015 at 11:28 PM..
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Old 12-24-2015, 07:43 AM
 
Location: NJ
4,940 posts, read 12,084,047 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by honestmoe View Post

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
The issue is white people, in general, think a high school is bad if it has minorities. That's just the way it is whether you want to admit it or not. We have a lot of neighbors that have sent their kids to the high school and they were completely happy with it. I plan to send my kids there eventually. Statistically, West Orange high school is no different than Montclair or South Orange/Maplewood, and those 3 towns are always recommended on this forum. I've been living in West Orange for 7 years and the location of this town can't be beat. Easy access to pretty much everywhere.
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Old 12-24-2015, 10:30 AM
 
7 posts, read 30,730 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spoonman109 View Post
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.
Totally sold me on Caldwell/W.Caldwell sounds exactly like what we're looking for. Will have to sort out the half day kindergarten situation, looks like the YMCA does before/after care. Is there busing when they get a little older?

Taxes look very reasonable for W.Caldwell, more expensive for Caldwell is that the case or am I looking at something wrong?

I love W.Milford had family there when I was younger, but it's simply too far. I do confess looking at few houses just off 23 but it would be craziness trying to do that commute to the city, I hate NJTransit too much for that.

Thanks again this looks like the best option.
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Old 12-26-2015, 09:14 AM
 
166 posts, read 324,632 times
Reputation: 173
The schools are all walking, however there are elementary schools in every neighborhood and crossing guards on the street corners so no issue. Verona is the same way.

W. Caldwell and Caldwell taxes aren't much different but they are a tad higher in Caldwell.

If you do visit the places that I mentioned in my previous post are. Rock N Joe for the coffee Shop. Craft Beer bar is called Cloverleaf Taven. The Bakery is called Asalt and Buttery. It's a very functional downtown with a movie theater, paint store, flower shops, a diner, lots of restaurants.

Dough Artistan Pizza is excellent for a sit in experience. Tony D Pizza for Takeout Pizza and Forte for take out Italian food. Check out Calandras Italian Vilage. Check our Fresco Italian Market.

The house prices will be on and above the upper end of your budget but you might be able to make it work. If you could get into the 400's it would be better.

West Caldwell has the big box stores/chains and strip malls so you get the downtown in Caldwell and the strip mall stuff too all close by. Panera Bread, Jersey Mikes, Chipotle, Marshalls etc.. Probably over 100 stores there.

Like I said before real sense of community in Caldwell. For Halloween all the stores go all out with the decorations. Trick or treating starts with a parade and goes downtown where all the stores pass out candy to the kids and then they venture into the neighborhoods. Lots of Christmas decorations and christmas trees in all the shops and stores.
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