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If schools are such a big concern, I would look into Nutley. Nutley is very close to Montclair, so you could certainly live in Nutley and drive into Montclair pretty quickly for anything happening there. Nutley is real close to Rt21, Rt3, the GSP, etc. but a bit farther away from the trains. I believe there are some private bus companies that go through Nutley though. Also, housing in Nutley is a little cheaper, prices are more stable, schools are far better than Montclair, and it is a really family-friendly community with several very nice parks.
I don't know where you get the idea that Nutley's schools are better. They don't do nearly as well in the rankings (they are ranked 141 -- about in the middle).
Nutley will get you much more house for your dollar, but the access to mass transit is much less convenient -- Montclair has half a dozen train stations, whereas in Nutley you would need to drive or take the shuttle to Delawanna.
If you really must have top schools, Glen Ridge is the pick of that area though.
Hello everybody!
Montclair looked nice last time we were there, but it is the first opinion, right? or no? how is it to live there? How are the schools? (it is a separate question and a serious one) Can someone, please, explain the school situation? Thanx in advance.
Glen Ridge, which is next door to Montclair, has top schools. That would be one alternative to Montclair.
I think Montclair is a great town, I would live there if I could afford it. I don't have first hand experience with the schools, but their rankings are solid (see the link I posted).
I don't know where you get the idea that Nutley's schools are better. They don't do nearly as well in the rankings (they are ranked 141 -- about in the middle).
Nutley will get you much more house for your dollar, but the access to mass transit is much less convenient -- Montclair has half a dozen train stations, whereas in Nutley you would need to drive or take the shuttle to Delawanna.
If you really must have top schools, Glen Ridge is the pick of that area though.
Just have to add my two cents on the Nutley commute to NYC. In addition to the jitney, you can walk to several DeCamp and NJ transit bus stops in town. I know the DeCamp 32 and some of the NJ transit routes take a long time but there is a DeCamp 33/88 stop in Nutley (4 corners) and it is the last stop before it gets on Rt 3 to go into the city (with one stop on Rt 3 at Clifton Commons). There are, of course, the typical DeCamp frustrations. Also, there is the park & ride at Clifton Commons. You do have to drive there, but there are always spots available mid-day. We've done the commute from Nutley for 6+ years and its very doable.
Just have to add my two cents on the Nutley commute to NYC. In addition to the jitney, you can walk to several DeCamp and NJ transit bus stops in town. I know the DeCamp 32 and some of the NJ transit routes take a long time but there is a DeCamp 33/88 stop in Nutley (4 corners) and it is the last stop before it gets on Rt 3 to go into the city (with one stop on Rt 3 at Clifton Commons). There are, of course, the typical DeCamp frustrations. Also, there is the park & ride at Clifton Commons. You do have to drive there, but there are always spots available mid-day. We've done the commute from Nutley for 6+ years and its very doable.
How long is it end to end (and to which destination) ? I work in lower Manhattan and when I looked into it, it looked like it would be a headache though I can see that it might be a better choice for midtown.
You get much more house for your dollar in Nutley and Bloomfield compared to (for example) South Orange and Montclair, but I don't see the commute working for me.
His office is at 28th and Park Ave. South and door to door usually 60-75 minutes. Of course, there are the horrific 3-hour bus-broke-down-in-the tunnel trips, but there are also plenty of trips that are just under 60 min. door to door (usually 8 pm or after). There are several factors that I think reduce his commute; we live a 5 minute walk from bus stop, its the 2d to last stop before the bus heads into the city and he tends to travel on the outskirts of rush hour, i.e after 9 am and after 7 pm. In the am, either he takes the 33/88 from the 4 corners stop (Nutley) or he goes to Clifton Commons because it has more buses (either I drop hom off or he drives and parks) and takes either DeCamp or NJ transit bus. Then he walks/takes the subway from Port Authority to work. At night he goes to the 4 corners stop and walks home. I think it's alot, but he doesn't seem to mind at all.
Of course DeCamp has its frustrating aspects. But really, commuting sucks no matter what. We've never used the train so I can't compare the two but I've heard horrible things about the train too. Nutley is a densely populated town and we've considered moving further out for more space, but we just aren't ready to give up the commute and the increased family time that comes with it. Hope that helps.
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