Towns similar to North Caldwell or Montville (including Towaco and Pine Brook) (Clifton: power lines)

[Jtee]

I grew up in Northern NJ and have returned to the area after 20 years. I’m looking to purchase a single family home that is ideally under 750k. I don’t really like Bergen County or Passaic County for myself, but I’d like to be near both because I have family members in those counties. I telecommute full time, so a commute is not a factor for me. I just want to be somewhat accessible to 80/287/46 for visiting friends and family and maintaining our attendance at Liquid Church in Parsippany.

My major considerations are wanting solid public schools for my neurotypical son and excellent special ed services for my son who has autism, sensory processing disorder and adhd. We currently live with family members in Clifton, and while clifton public schools have terrible reps, I am really thrilled with the quality of special education my son receives. Moving here has been a smooth transition for him and he’s gotten more services added to his IEP without me even requesting them, let alone fighting for them. My younger child will be starting kindergarten next year.

Can anyone recommend some good towns to look into? I’ve been looking for over a year, and have finally narrowed my search to North Caldwell and Montville. I really like North Caldwell, but I’m priced out of most of the town unless I want to consider houses on busy streets or near the high tension power lines (neither are options for me). I also don’t want to be RIGHT next to any lakes because my son is an escape risk and highly attracted to water, so Mountain Lakes is not a great choice for my little family.

There are two homes I like on the Pine Brook/Montville border, and I hear some concerning things about the “sketchy” part of Pine Brook. Do you think being on the border of the Montville section (near the library and high school) is an ok area?

Also, for what it’s worth, I lived in Potomac, MD before relocating to NJ, so although I’m used to a snobby/new money area, I’d prefer a place slightly more down-to-earth and less flashy. (So I’ve crossed off towns like Franklin Lakes from my list)

Thank you in advance for any input!

[luckyram]

That area is fine.....the "sketchy" Pine Brook area you refer to is mostly bordering Rt 46/Rt 80 at the south-most portion of the town. The upper part of Pine Brook is indistinguishable from other parts of Montville with million dollar homes & manicured lawns. But even though the lower section of Pine Brook may not be as desirable and a bit more sketchy, it's all relative...a sort of upscale sketchiness if you will.

[schil]

I have not been back for 4 decades. All i remember about pine brook is Pine Brook Auction, and the amusement park. There was a bar there with 2 names on it, but my memory is sketchy. I was from Caldwell, and we enjoyed the auction. Lake Parsippany was nearby, and had little 800 sf houses lining the lake.

[bookspage]

Pequannock (which is often split into Pompton Plains and Pequannock when people talk about them but it's all technically Pequannock Township) seems like a nice town from friends who live there. I don't know about special ed there.

[luckyram]

Originally Posted by schil

I have not been back for 4 decades. All i remember about pine brook is Pine Brook Auction, and the amusement park. There was a bar there with 2 names on it, but my memory is sketchy. I was from Caldwell, and we enjoyed the auction. Lake Parsippany was nearby, and had little 800 sf houses lining the lake.

Man, that was a LONG time ago!!

As you can imagine, it's changed MUCH in those decades. The amusement park is gone and the auction place burned to the ground in the 70's. In those places are either restaurants or businesses/warehouses. I'm sure you also remember the Pine Brook Speedway off Bloomfield Ave/Rt 46?? Gone also with a Home Depot built on site. GI Auto Salvage was there forever but that closed up....was supposed to be a senior living community built and then a Lowes (of course ,right by Home Depot) but both have stalled and the vacant lot being used by a dealership as an overflow parking area for new cars.

[schil]

Originally Posted by luckyram

Man, that was a LONG time ago!!

As you can imagine, it's changed MUCH in those decades. The amusement park is gone and the auction place burned to the ground in the 70's. In those places are either restaurants or businesses/warehouses. I'm sure you also remember the Pine Brook Speedway off Bloomfield Ave/Rt 46?? Gone also with a Home Depot built on site. GI Auto Salvage was there forever but that closed up....was supposed to be a senior living community built and then a Lowes (of course ,right by Home Depot) but both have stalled and the vacant lot being used by a dealership as an overflow parking area for new cars.

i remember the name of that bar: Wes and Ann's. it was a favorite with kids from Caldwell. That strip of highway was empty at night, and 46 was as stretch of highway to rev engines. the race track was noisy on Friday nights. There was a very old church up there on the first light going west. Is that still there?

[SaraWhitley]

Have you looked in Montclair? They have great special education programs and it's close to Bergen and Passaic counties.

[bergenwayne]

Ridgewood

[Dal360]

I was going to suggest Montclair as well.