NJ Single mom w/biracial daughter-Where to live? (Scotch Plains, Cranford: neighborhood, good schools)

[elflord1973]

Originally Posted by NJMar

Thanks for the input! I'm looking to spend tops $1500 for rent. What kind of hairy things in Cranford? I would love to go back to Montclair. My daughter still has friends there and probably would adjust back well. Where are the $900 rentals??? Is thatfor 2 bedrooms??

You should be able to get something in Montclair for under $1500. Check the listings on craigslist, etc.

[jigglypuff]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

I'm just going to add that there's a reason why this part of town is cheaper and leave it at that. OP: walk the area of town and decide for yourself whether you're comfortable there.



The address is undisclosed because it's in Greenville.

OP's first two criteria are excellent schools, and general safety. If OP asked for a dangerous neighborhood with lousy schools, you couldn't have done much better.

it was an example of what is available. clearly no one is going to buy a place sight unseen. there are options out there and all i was doing was recommending considering different options. condos for example.

as for that street in montclair, i have friends who live there and its fine, also there is a good school within walking distance, montclair does have some of the best schools in the nation. also in that same area they are building new units, i dont know if they are condos or rentals. but either way they are almost done building and you should contact them to find out the cost. there are also rental units near the library that is around there. i found the people who live and work their to be generally unpleasent but you should check them out to if it is a good fit for you. i think it was called Hawthorne towers. they have 2 bedrooms for rent now and a doorman. this is a little further from that school a block away from the bay street train station but it should be cheaper for it.

also within walking distance of that bay street train station they just openned up a panera bread that makes great salads and sandwhiches.

as much as some people on this forum enjoy talking down parts of montclair and new jersey in general, it is up to the person who will live there to decide what they want. this forum should be a place to talk about options not about things people have no knowlegde of. take the naysayers with a grain of salt and visit the bay street train station area yourself. and dont forget to check that great school with a MASSIVE park attached to it a block away from the bay street train station.

i also know friends who live on grove street. i would not like because the houses are like right on that busy street, but because of it they houses there are cheaper and people are renting units in their converted homes there if you are interested in renting in a home.

[brook2ga]

You could also consider the Brookdale section of Bloomfield. It's right next to Montclair with lower rent. Good luck!

[elflord1973]

Originally Posted by jigglypuff

as much as some people on this forum enjoy talking down parts of montclair and new jersey in general, it is up to the person who will live there to decide what they want.

Well, that's what I said, isn't it: here is exactly what I said:

walk the area of town and decide for yourself whether you're comfortable there.

this forum should be a place to talk about options not about things people have no knowlegde of.

I'm familiar with that area. I have walked most of those blocks (Pine St, New St, Mission St, Maple St, Pine St, Bay St). I wouldn't go so far as to dismiss the whole area (though I'd pretty much rule out Mission St based on the general vibe there and the fact that stray bullets flying aren't what I have in mind when I think of "safety".)

[Lusitan]

I would suggest looking for a rental in South Orange or Maplewood. There are a good number of rentals available there, and you can probably find something that fits your price range. The school system is pretty good, lots of diversity and ex-pat NYers, and lots of nice parks with plenty of trees. Now is a great time to rent.

In terms of buying, I would wait a year or two, because you will see prices 20-25% lower than they are today, which may put a house in Maplewood/South Orange (or Montclair) within your reach.

Good luck.

[clevedark]

Hmm. there has to be SOMETHING bucolic, yet culturally diverse for this nice lady and her daughter.

I have a friend who lives in Fishkill NY and she says it's very diverse. It's super countrified and her family loves it. Don't know if that's too far north for the OP.

I understand what the OP is saying about Morris county--diversity there is almost at zero, and why Montclair, S. Orange and Maplewood are so appealing....

Maybe take a look at New Providence and Berkeley Heights??? Much less dense than Essex and may have a smidge of diversity.

[angerinthenation]

Move to Maplewood/S.O. Somebody said that they had the highest rate of interracial couples in the nation.

[block911]

alabama.

[NJNJNJ]

Scotch Plains is a very nice town which is somewhat diverse and I think it is quickly becoming more diverse. There is a decent sized AA population, besides other ethnic minority groups, so she should feel more comfortable.

I used to live in Cranford - and while not diverse at all, (there is a slight increase in the Asian population) what "harry" things have happened there?

[NJphillyfan]

I'm confused as to why people think that if an area is not diverse, the population would not be welcoming or have "open" minds? How are you drawing these conclusions? I grew up in southern Morris County in a predominately white town and rarely witnessed any blatant racism or discrimination. For the most part, the entire area is going to be accepting. We're talking about the Tri-State Area here, not some rural Mississippi town.