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I have a few questions for those who might know more about NJ -- we're currently in Brooklyn (family of 4 with small kids) and are looking for more space with great schools and good community feeling (we're both liberal and like the feeling of "belonging" in Brooklyn). We also would like to be close to NYC, if possible (<1H to NYC)
We were looking into the SOMA area but I'm hearing that schools are not what it used to be (E.g., school buildings are old and literally falling apart in some cases, education is acceptable rather than great, parents don't like the school board, etc). Is that true for elementary schools in the SOMA area? Is the quality not what it used to be? Is one area better than the other -- e.g., Are Maplewood elementary schools better than SO elementary schools? If we're going to end up sending our kids to private school because of a deteriorating school system, the move to NJ ends up being less attractive to me because of the high taxes.
Is there another area outside of the immediate SOMA area with great schools and good community that I should be exploring?
Consider Montclair, Verona, and Glen Ridge. Also consider Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, and Ridgewood, but those are probably outside of your <1H to NYC requirement (pretty sure most places are, these days).
Thank you so much. I'll look into all those that are listed -- do you have any thoughts regarding the rumors about the schools in the SOMA & Montclair area? Is the education/infrastructure really getting worse over time?
Do you need a train, or are you okay driving into the city? If you don’t need a train, check out Fort Lee. Maybe Rutherford as well, and they do have a train.
Indulge me here. I've lived in New Jersey for 63 years and have NO idea what the "SOMA area" might be.
Also, what kind of budget do you have? Where in the city do you work? That can make a difference.
The less-than-one-hour-with-good-schools commute is sort of an amusing stereotype on this forum, a non-existent fantasy that for some reason NY-ers imagine is available is NJ in the 21st century and probably was fifty years ago. But with the right budget and work location, people here can help you find as close to it as possible.
Any other info you can provide to help people help you would be good. Check out the sticky that appears on the top of the page to see if there is anything else we should know.
Indulge me here. I've lived in New Jersey for 63 years and have NO idea what the "SOMA area" might be.
Also, what kind of budget do you have? Where in the city do you work? That can make a difference.
The less-than-one-hour-with-good-schools commute is sort of an amusing stereotype on this forum, a non-existent fantasy that for some reason NY-ers imagine is available is NJ in the 21st century and probably was fifty years ago. But with the right budget and work location, people here can help you find as close to it as possible.
Any other info you can provide to help people help you would be good. Check out the sticky that appears on the top of the page to see if there is anything else we should know.
All the liberal areas in NJ are high taxes and less desirable. Montclair is probably what you want.
Less desirable in what respect? I think the data supports that Montclair's real estate market has been very much in demand and that is a very liberal community. Please share your data.
Where are you coming from? Brooklyn
Why are you moving? We need more space
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? Downtown NYC
Will you buy or rent? buy
What is your budget ? Ideally 850K, but can go up to ~1M
What kind of place are you looking for ? A 4 Bedroom or a 3 Bedroom that can accommodate a guest in the basement. It'd be great if the house has pool potential, but that's more like a dream than a need
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Spouse + 2 small kids
Do you need/want good public schools? Our highest priority is great public schools!
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
Ideally we're looking for a forever home with a liberal and close-knit community, families with young children would be great.
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc) Great schools, good community, bearable commute
I would need a train -- our jobs are downtown. Commute less than an hour would be a dream, but we'd be okay with something slightly longer -- 1.5 hours is probably the max for us.
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