Black family wanting to move to West Milford, NJ (Orange: homes, neighborhoods)
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I live in the Bronx, New York and am looking to move to West Milford, NJ. I did some research and found out it’s not a lot of black folk living out there. I got to see a few gorgeous homes and even made and offer on one. But am concerned about the lack of diversity. Can anyone familiar talk me off the ledge and tell me there’s nothing worry about. I have kids in middle school I’m concerned for.
I live in the Bronx, New York and am looking to move to West Milford, NJ. I did some research and found out it’s not a lot of black folk living out there. I got to see a few gorgeous homes and even made and offer on one. But am concerned about the lack of diversity. Can anyone familiar talk me off the ledge and tell me there’s nothing worry about. I have kids in middle school I’m concerned for.
There sure aren't a lot of black folk living out there.
In addition, I have some experience with West Milford, there's definitely a redneck element there. But that was a long time ago.
Live where you want to live though. It's NJ in 2019. A lot different from NJ in 1987.
Anyway, I can't really tell if you're trolling, but it's up to you.
CaptainNJ,
I’ve always lived in diverse neighborhoods. But when I did research on demographics it said 95 of it’s residents are white. It’s truly not a bother for me but my wife is just a little concerned about our kids. Kids can be very insensitive sometimes.
You would be absolutely fine in West Milford as long as you are ok with 95% white. I find it refreshing up there. People tend to be less materialistic than some of the NJ towns closer to the city.
Where do you work? It can feel very out-of-the-way.
As an American, you have the right to live wherever you like.
Most people would probably treat your family fine but you guys may still run into the occasional idiot (especially when your kids are in Middle & High School - which is usually the peak of kids' immaturity).
Just have a long talk with your kids about this to prepare them just in case they find themselves to be getting mistreated. Let them know that not all kids are used to children that are different from them; and let them know what to do and who to go to if somebody starts bullying them.
Who knows, your kids may actually have a wonderful experience! I've heard of some cases where kids who are in the extreme minority at their school sometimes get treated like novelties where they are instantly elevated to "cool status" and everyone wants to be their friend.
Last edited by MemoryMaker; 04-17-2019 at 02:28 PM..
CaptainNJ,
I’ve always lived in diverse neighborhoods. But when I did research on demographics it said 95 of it’s residents are white. It’s truly not a bother for me but my wife is just a little concerned about our kids. Kids can be very insensitive sometimes.
im just curious about specifics. id imagine it can be tough to make friends when you are in .52% of the minority. however, i wouldnt imagine there would be any overt racism. i dont know though, maybe there is.
im just curious about specifics. id imagine it can be tough to make friends when you are in .52% of the minority.
I don't think that race is much of an obstacle in making friends these days; especially for younger kids.
I grew up in a diverse school system and I find that diversity can work very well as long as there is no language barrier, the minority populations are Americanized and each group within that community shares a similar economic class. South Orange is a great example of this.
Diversity seems to be the least successful whenever there's extreme wealth gaps (like Englewood) or it is forced (like a housing project being forced on a town via lawsuit).
Last edited by MemoryMaker; 04-17-2019 at 03:41 PM..
I don't think that race is much of an obstacle in making friends these days; especially for younger kids.
I grew up in a diverse school system and I find that diversity can work very well as long as there is no language barrier, the minority populations are Americanized and each group within that community shares a similar economic class. South Orange is a great example of this.
Diversity seems to be the least successful whenever there's extreme wealth gaps (like Englewood) or it is forced (like a housing project being forced on a town via lawsuit).
I agree with that. When everyone is more or less on the same economic plane, superficial differences fade in the background.
I am not sure about West Milford. The only people I ever knew who lived there (they were from Franklin Lakes and bought a riding stable) would have not been a problem. My sister lived in Hewitt for a few years, a section of West Milford. I should ask her.
Just a note--I grew up in Midland Park and returned there to raise my daughter. It is overwhelmingly a white town. However, when my daughter was in school in the 90s and 00s, there were a couple of black families, and a couple of Indian families, and a couple of Asian families, and a few mixed-race families of different types, and I never heard of any problems. They lived there for the same reasons everybody else did--safety, good schools, small-town feel, activities, etc.
Scope out West Milford and see if the people who live there seem to have the same priorities and values that you do, and then you'll have your answer. People who have the same values as you, no matter what race they might be, aren't going to embrace racism.
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