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Also- Is there only one elementary school in Glen Rock or Ho-Ho-kus??? Are all elementary schools in Ridgewood very good? Thanks so much! Appreciate all the help!
There is only one school in Ho-ho-kus, K-8, then they go to Northern Highlands HS in Allendale.
I believe there are two elementary schools in Glen Rock.
As far as Ridgewood, all elementary schools are good. If you compare the scores, they are pretty much the same.
[quote=kristin1;3368490] I've also heard it called "Ghetto Ridgewood". It's laughable - especially coming from adults.QUOTE]
Oh, that's too funny - I've never heard that. Well, maybe that's why my friends and neighbours are such nice and down-to-earth people - because I live in the ghetto.
So Should have no worries about Somerville school???? So basically- there is ABSOLUTELY no area to steer clear of in Ridgewood. We are considering a house in an area- where homes are more modest than other areas - realtor told us neighborhood would be considered "The Lawn(s)". Would this be considered the area w cheapest homes in Ridgewood- The "GHetto Ridgewood?"
So Should have no worries about Somerville school???? So basically- there is ABSOLUTELY no area to steer clear of in Ridgewood. We are considering a house in an area- where homes are more modest than other areas - realtor told us neighborhood would be considered "The Lawn(s)". Would this be considered the area w cheapest homes in Ridgewood- The "GHetto Ridgewood?"
Somerville is a great school. It is overcrowded but they just approved to hire an extra 1st grade teacher so next year will be much better since they are adding an extra class.
There are no bad areas of Ridgewood. Nothing to worry about - seriously. Just decide where you want to be (close to downtown, elementary schools, train station, etc). This will determine which area works for you.
The taxable rate is based entirely upon the mil rate the town imposes on its residents. If there has not been a reassessment on properties (For instance, the last time Camden reassessed properties was in 1961) in a while, the mil rate will decrease measurably, to offset the dramatic assessment change over time. In the case of most NJ reassessments, the mil rate is lowered, because there would be a tax revolt if kept the same. The mil rate is basically a tax rate imposed upon the property owner by either the town or county entity. The rate is usually fractional: you get an exemption on a % of your property value, then you are assigned a % of cents on the dollar (varies depending on town, using Camden as an extreme, I think they are 18 cents on the dollar) on the remainder of the value of your property. Generally 1 mil is 1 cent for every 100 dollars of assessed value, at least that's how they do it in Las Cruces NM.
But, more important to you folks is how it works in NJ. Here is a link that enables you to find out how the mils are adjusted, by county, and by town, for each year: New Jersey Land Value Tax Project
Any of those towns will do for you. Each town listed has certain types of people - similar.
Ridgewood women run the gamut, some are professionals that have full time nannys and some are stay at home. You have a 'poor' section of Ridgewood called 'the lawns' - (or Ghetto Ridgewood as I've heard) and these people are NOT rich. They are middle class. The kids in Ridgewood are rich, and bored for the most part. A lot of stupid crimes go on in that town, and the kids do a LOT of expensive drugs. Most of the kids don't work, and Mommy and Daddy pay for everything. The kids in the Lawns feel ostracized, and basically act out because they aren't as rich as the other kids in town.
The lawns is basically an extension of Paramus. Don't kid yourself. The schools are NOT that great, I have two sisters in Ridgewood with middle and high school kids. It's not pretty. I'd never live there. Too complicated.
Ho Ho Kus is nice, but if you're looking at homes in the Lawns, you won't afford Ho Ho Kus. Why live in the lawns???? Icky. Go to Glen Rock instead. Do yourself a HUGE favor.
Glen Rock is basically the exact same thing, and I don't know what anyone else is talking about, but its just a little bit under the income and home prices of Ridgewood. There are MORE jews in Glen Rock. And jews, for the most part are not as interested in the big victorian homes of Ridgewood. That's mainly the waspy-er types. There are temples in Glen Rock, a Jewish Community Center, but of course, there are all kinds there. Glen Rock is nice.
Wyckoff is a soccer Mom Town, as well as Allendale. I'm not saying there arent working mothers there too, but most don't work. These four towns are similar, but you will have a warmer fuzzier feeling in Allendale or Wyckoff, and you will get a larger piece of property than Glen Rock or Ridgewood. All are close to train stations. All have proper shopping nearby. Ridgewood is very busy as a shopping district and as a restaurant mecca. Basically its Northern Jersey. You have Paramus to shop in, and thats all you need. If you can't afford a proper home in Ridgewood, then don't bother, because you will be playing ketchup for the rest of your life. Spare your children the horror.
Good Luck
Last edited by JennyOnTheMove; 04-07-2008 at 07:12 PM..
If you can't afford a proper home in Ridgewood, then don't bother, because you will be playing ketchup for the rest of your life. Spare your children the horror.(Quote-JennyonTheMove)
Geesh- well thanks for the advice- but now I'm really confused We were actually just planning on renting in the lawns- a home for $4,000 a month- and wanted to buy in the next year in same area- so my son wouldn't have to switch schools. In looking at sales of homes in Ridgewood for 2007- there seems to be many- a majority of homes were in 500-700's- would this be incorrect data???? We would be looking to spend around 650-700k-would that leave us in the "poor" section of town? I guess since looking at homes for sale there seems to be so many in that price range, but I certainly don't want my kids to be "ostracized" - although our income is way over the average in Ridgewood. In visiting- the people seemed so much more down to earth than in lower Westchester- or maybe I thought so because i grew up in Westchester???? Does anyone else agree with poster on Ridgewood and general area???? is there another area in Bergen that would be considered more "down to earth?" What about Montvale/Hillsdale???? Don't know ANYTHING about these towns???? confused. One of the reasons we were looking outside of Westchester was because in 700k range for homes in good school district- we would be living in the "poor" neighborhoods and didnt want my kids to feel pressured by materialism, etc.
Any of those towns will do for you. Each town listed has certain types of people - similar.
Ridgewood women run the gamut, some are professionals that have full time nannys and some are stay at home. You have a 'poor' section of Ridgewood called 'the lawns' - (or Ghetto Ridgewood as I've heard) and these people are NOT rich. They are middle class. The kids in Ridgewood are rich, and bored for the most part. A lot of stupid crimes go on in that town, and the kids do a LOT of expensive drugs. Most of the kids don't work, and Mommy and Daddy pay for everything. The kids in the Lawns feel ostracized, and basically act out because they aren't as rich as the other kids in town.
The lawns is basically an extension of Paramus. Don't kid yourself. The schools are NOT that great, I have two sisters in Ridgewood with middle and high school kids. It's not pretty. I'd never live there. Too complicated.
Ho Ho Kus is nice, but if you're looking at homes in the Lawns, you won't afford Ho Ho Kus. Why live in the lawns???? Icky. Go to Glen Rock instead. Do yourself a HUGE favor.
Glen Rock is basically the exact same thing, and I don't know what anyone else is talking about, but its just a little bit under the income and home prices of Ridgewood. There are MORE jews in Glen Rock. And jews, for the most part are not as interested in the big victorian homes of Ridgewood. That's mainly the waspy-er types. There are temples in Glen Rock, a Jewish Community Center, but of course, there are all kinds there. Glen Rock is nice.
Wyckoff is a soccer Mom Town, as well as Allendale. I'm not saying there arent working mothers there too, but most don't work. These four towns are similar, but you will have a warmer fuzzier feeling in Allendale or Wyckoff, and you will get a larger piece of property than Glen Rock or Ridgewood. All are close to train stations. All have proper shopping nearby. Ridgewood is very busy as a shopping district and as a restaurant mecca. Basically its Northern Jersey. You have Paramus to shop in, and thats all you need. If you can't afford a proper home in Ridgewood, then don't bother, because you will be playing ketchup for the rest of your life. Spare your children the horror.
Good Luck
I'd say that is going a little too far.
I know many people who bought "starter" homes in the Lawns who later purchased homes elsewhere in Ridgewood. The elementary school that the kids go to is Hawes and it is just as good as the other elementary schools in Ridgewood. It is also the most diverse - I think almost 10% Asian, which I think is a good thing. And the Hawes kids all go to Ben Franklin Middle School with the other East side kids and then onto the one high school.
People in the "poorer" sections of Ridgewood are usually there for one reason - the schools. And those are kids I'd love to have in my kids class - their parents are very smart. Another area similar to the Lawns (maybe a step up)in the neighborhood across the street from Travell and Ben Franklin. These are more modest homes, with many down to earth people. Both of these neighborhoods have homes usually less than 600K, and now with the housing crunch they are many under 500K, esp in the Lawns. If my kids could just hang with fellow "ghetto-dwellers", aka east-siders, I'd be happy. But I agree, I do worry when they get to high school what will happen when they are exposed to such showy wealth.
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We were actually just planning on renting in the lawns- a home for $4,000 a month- and wanted to buy in the next year in same area- so my son wouldn't have to switch schools. In looking at sales of homes in Ridgewood for 2007- there seems to be many- a majority of homes were in 500-700's- would this be incorrect data???? We would be looking to spend around 650-700k-would that leave us in the "poor" section of town? I guess since looking at homes for sale there seems to be so many in that price range, but I certainly don't want my kids to be "ostracized" - although our income is way over the average in Ridgewood. In visiting- the people seemed so much more down to earth than in lower Westchester- or maybe I thought so because i grew up in Westchester???? Does anyone else agree with poster on Ridgewood and general area???? is there another area in Bergen that would be considered more "down to earth?" What about Montvale/Hillsdale???? Don't know ANYTHING about these towns???? confused. One of the reasons we were looking outside of Westchester was because in 700k range for homes in good school district- we would be living in the "poor" neighborhoods and didnt want my kids to feel pressured by materialism, etc.
