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I recently moved to South Orange, noticed the posts were old and wanted to share my testimony -- especially as an outsider and person of color. My young family moved to Hoboken from out of state, and the experience was well, umm....strange. I LOVED it and the quasi-urban experience was fantastic. Hoboken was an amazing town, but in my 1+ year there, I met NO friends and was constantly referred to as my daughter's nanny for unknown reasons. I had a hard time mingling with mommy groups there because it felt like they were guarding entry harder than Mensa. We are a mixed culture family, so after our experiences in Hoboken, we were hoping for a welcoming community where we felt we fit in.
Good schools were important to us but diversity was too -- we wanted a town with like-minded people who don't make the same assumptions or as closed off as Hobokenites. We had a healthy budget and started off in Chatham. No way. People claim it is diverse and open but don't kid yourselves. I won't even share what my family experienced in a restaurant there.
We moved on to Westfield, Montclair, Scotch Plains, Berkley Heights and Short Hills. We avoided parts of Essex County due to taxes and mixed info about schools, but it was such a mistake. If you're looking for a home and put South Orange as a search term in this forum ... Don't let the comments scare you. The schools are great, the atmosphere is so welcoming and the sense of community is unmatched. No one here assumes I am my daughter's nanny (or even ask). It's incredibly diverse with like-minded folks. My husband and I both commute to NYC in less than 1 hour flat; we can walk to the train station easily. Also, I am the same woman who lived in Hoboken for over a year with NO friends...to having several moms on speed dial within weeks of moving to South Orange; I have been here nearly 1 year now. If you're looking for a commuter town that's a great place for families, don't sleep on South Orange/Maplewood. It has great town services, but more importantly, great people.
I don't visit these forums or post often, but I received an email telling me to log in and check it out. I felt compelled to do so because I remember past comments about this town being appalling enough to turn people away. I say try it out; or at least check it out. We love this town and are proud to call it home.
Good to hear. There is a reason towns like South Orange/Maplewood and Montclair have such high demand despite the taxes. Sometimes, the environment and culture of the town is indeed priceless.
I don't know who is claiming Chatham is diverse (a real estate agent maybe?), but don't listen to anything they have to say on that subject. Chatham is over 90% white with a few Asians mixed in. I'm glad South Orange worked out for you.
I don't know who is claiming Chatham is diverse (a real estate agent maybe?), but don't listen to anything they have to say on that subject. Chatham is over 90% white with a few Asians mixed in. I'm glad South Orange worked out for you.
Chatham is very, very diverse!! Some of the residents are into golf, others into polo, and a few even played lacrosse when they were in prep school. Residents of Chatham should celebrate this diversity of interests among them.
Chatham is very, very diverse!! Some of the residents are into golf, others into polo, and a few even played lacrosse when they were in prep school. Residents of Chatham should celebrate this diversity of interests among them.
This is my nominee for Post of the Day!
Additionally, it should be noted that the folks in Chatham are very diverse in their automotive affiliations.
Some drive Mercedes-Benz vehicles, some are adherents of BMW, others are die-hard Range Rover fans, and there are a few folks who drive Bentleys and Maseratis. Yes, it is a truly diverse town...
Very nice to read a good followup and that things worked well for you.
I still remember when we first moved to NJ (over 30 years ago) we had a realtor who told us (when realtors could share truths with clients and not be subject to lawsuits) that although on the surface it might seem that we should consider Chatham, we would be ok living there, but probably not feel very welcomed as we are Jewish. I am sure things have evolved over 30 years but I always remember that.
Thanks so much for this post. We are also a mixed-race family and are, for the first time, considering moving to the suburbs (I am a born and bred New Yorker, third generation, so the very idea of moving away is almost heart-stopping to me). But now that we have kids, we realize we are priced completely out of the areas in NYC in which we might want to live, unless we become life-long renters who never build any equity. So, reluctantly, I have been looking toward Westchester and New Jersey. Maplewood is standing out as a good possibility for our family, and your post is making me feel even more like it is the place we may soon want to call home.
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