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Old 05-26-2020, 12:44 PM
 
9,434 posts, read 4,228,807 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vision33r View Post
$450k in those areas? Try 2x that, at the price range not many good schools.
The budget is 600k and that is the sweet spot for both of those towns. 900 would be at the tippy top.
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Old 05-26-2020, 01:32 PM
 
189 posts, read 580,873 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by foodyum View Post
As a realtor I know you can’t comment but I think the op needs to do greater research as a biracial family in Cranford. The demographics show a less diverse picture than other places. May not matter but should be mentioned as this is a concern for the OP.
There are biracial families in cranford and it is a very accepting town that is open to diversity.
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Old 05-26-2020, 01:54 PM
 
9,434 posts, read 4,228,807 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RiggerNY View Post
There are biracial families in cranford and it is a very accepting town that is open to diversity.
Happy to hear the current energy is so accepting. Is there a large lgbt presence too? Wasn’t always the case but nothing stays the same for good or bad.
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Old 05-26-2020, 02:13 PM
 
86 posts, read 104,108 times
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In all honesty, and I'm speaking as a former native of Brooklyn, realistically you are not going to find all three things on your wish list. The macroeconomics of the state essentially prevent everything in your wish list from being fulfilled. Generally speaking, the closer you live to one of the two major economic centers in New Jersey, those economic centers, as what Benjamin Franklin famously used an analogy as the state being "a barrel tapped at both ends", being Philadelphia or New York City, then the more expensive property is going to be. Home prices, rent, mortgages, home insurance, property taxes, even basic amenities. It's due to their being an economic incentive for young professionals to live as close to a major city as possible, which makes perfect sense.

Given that you're coming from Queens, there's going to be a lot of tradeoffs in making the big move to NJ. If proximity to 'the city' is your main concern, then realistically the only county in NJ that could in theory offer up a commute within 30 minutes would be Hudson County, and even that is kind of pushing it. If you want to keep your kids in a good school system, then you would have to move to either Hoboken or Jersey City because the rest of the school systems in Hudson County are not desirable. To put it bluntly, the Western half of Hudson County is 'the hood'. I have good friends who come from Union City, a major municipality within Hudson County, and they can back up what I am saying. If you have the dough then that is not the place to settle your nest. It would be the equivalent of moving from Queens to the South Bronx, although probably not as bad, but still counterproductive nonetheless. So now you would have to factor in home values in JC or Hoboken, which are going to be rather astronomical (think of these places as NJ's own 'Long Island City') and then that means that the $600k max budget that you're offering makes it rather inaccessible for you to even access the best of amenities that you are desiring. Thus, you would have to offer up more money.

This is just a general 'tough love' rundown, from one NYer to another. Like one poster already said, you should definitely pose this question onto the sticky board so that you could get more in depth answers. If you're willing to make some tradeoffs, speaking as me and my entire family also come from NYC, I can offer up some great options for you.
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Old 05-26-2020, 02:19 PM
 
189 posts, read 580,873 times
Reputation: 114
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodyum View Post
Happy to hear the current energy is so accepting. Is there a large lgbt presence too? Wasn’t always the case but nothing stays the same for good or bad.
Yes there are LGBT couples, we have met several in town. They arent as common as in Maplewood or Montclair, but they are accepted in the community as would anyone else.
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Old 05-26-2020, 06:10 PM
 
2 posts, read 988 times
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Live in Cranford now. It's really a great place. Strongly recommend it for someone looking for a great place to raise kids. Very good and well respected public schools. Strong community involvement and events. We have a wonderful walkable downtown with many restaurants and "local watering holes". Many homes are walkable/within a mile from train and bus.
I can speak for our family and the many young families we know well- a biracial couple would be welcomed by just about everyone here that we know (and as parents with young kids you get to know a lot of people around here!)
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Old 05-27-2020, 09:44 AM
 
Location: New Jersey
357 posts, read 124,643 times
Reputation: 267
Sometimes you can't have it all if you want quality of life with the traffic commute and diverse neighborhood...Real talk, I was going to mention some neighborhoods in Jersey City and they would be great for your commute, the diversity is on point, and don't listen to people about the schools in the city. One of Jersey City's high schools is rated third in the state (a public school) just pick your neighborhood carefully, and be ENGAGED with your children, and you would be happy. If Jersey City don't work, I say go to Union...you'll get the yard, the right price, the diversity, and solid elementary schools. Average home price in Union is 450k or something like that. Good luck; Peace
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