Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I will be attending this college next year? I was just curious as to what the neighborhood around it is like (to be honest, it looked like suburban boringness to me, but I only saw the immediate neighborhood off of Route 3)
Also, how would you get into the city w/o a car, on weeks and weekends.
And what grocery stores do you all have down here, I've found Target, but I need a place for all food, and there aren't any Giants, Safeways, Shoppers, or Food Lions like in DC. So like... for a college student, where would I go for basic needs, where are the fast food joints, and how do I get into the city w.o a car?
Wow. Someone from out of Jersey attending Montclair State? COOL!
In case you didn't know, Montclair is one of the trendiest burbs in North Jersey. The downtown area has tons of restaurants and shops. You name it, it's probably there. It is about four miles from campus to the downtown, however. If you just want a quick bite, there are plenty of fast and casual restaurants along Valley Road and on Route 46. There's the Crow's Nest Diner and a McDonalds at the end of Clove Road. Both were big hang outs when I went to MSU. Alexus Steak House on Valley Road in Clifton (just off of campus) was a major place to go, but I've heard quality there has slipped in recent years. Worth checking out though.
As far as supermarkets, there are plenty in the area. Montclair itself has an A&P, and a Kings. Kings is a bit of an "upscale" supermarket. A&P is less so, but the crowd is still slightly upper-middle-class in general. Shop-Rite is probably the most popular chain in this area. There's one on Browertown Road/Route 46 in Little Falls (not far from campus). Good prices, but often busy, and sometimes the crowd rolls pretty hard. There's also a Pathmark on Route 46 in West Paterson (excuse me, "Woodland Park"). Prices are good, but they tend to cater to a less fancy crows than the others. Stop & Shop is our version of Giant (owned by the same company) and I believe there are two locations in Clifton. I hate Stop & Shop with a passion (multiple reasons, but #1 is I think they're insanely expensive), but if you like Giant, you'll probably like Stop & Shop.
I believe Montclair now has direct train access to NYC, so that shouldn't be a problem. (I used to drive into Harrison to take the PATH train.)
Montclair State is in a great location. You'll find plenty to do. Good luck!
On Valley Road, if you follow it down to Bloomfield, there will be an A&P, a wine store to go along with GAP, Cold stone, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, BOA, post office, etc. Pretty much everything you'll need within five miles of MSU.
And there's a train across the Village residential area that takes you to the City.
In summary, there is everything you need on route 46, route 3, and Valley Road.
On a side note, the nightlife sucks and you'll see a lot of people head home during the weekend.
Wow. Someone from out of Jersey attending Montclair State? COOL!
In case you didn't know, Montclair is one of the trendiest burbs in North Jersey. The downtown area has tons of restaurants and shops. You name it, it's probably there. It is about four miles from campus to the downtown, however. If you just want a quick bite, there are plenty of fast and casual restaurants along Valley Road and on Route 46. There's the Crow's Nest Diner and a McDonalds at the end of Clove Road. Both were big hang outs when I went to MSU. Alexus Steak House on Valley Road in Clifton (just off of campus) was a major place to go, but I've heard quality there has slipped in recent years. Worth checking out though.
As far as supermarkets, there are plenty in the area. Montclair itself has an A&P, and a Kings. Kings is a bit of an "upscale" supermarket. A&P is less so, but the crowd is still slightly upper-middle-class in general. Shop-Rite is probably the most popular chain in this area. There's one on Browertown Road/Route 46 in Little Falls (not far from campus). Good prices, but often busy, and sometimes the crowd rolls pretty hard. There's also a Pathmark on Route 46 in West Paterson (excuse me, "Woodland Park"). Prices are good, but they tend to cater to a less fancy crows than the others. Stop & Shop is our version of Giant (owned by the same company) and I believe there are two locations in Clifton. I hate Stop & Shop with a passion (multiple reasons, but #1 is I think they're insanely expensive), but if you like Giant, you'll probably like Stop & Shop.
I believe Montclair now has direct train access to NYC, so that shouldn't be a problem. (I used to drive into Harrison to take the PATH train.)
Montclair State is in a great location. You'll find plenty to do. Good luck!
Has anyone actually been saying "Woodland Park"?
It was West Paterson to me all my life, and I don't even live there. I doubt I'm going to be able to change what I call it overnight.
Good info on posts 2 & 3. I went one semester (too expensive for my budget) and worked in the book store. But that was years ago. Shopping @ Kings, if you're a food junky is like Christmas year-round. It's a beautiful, old area.
The school is a small campus.
Here's what wikipedia said about the trains "There are seven railway stations in Montclair: Bay Street, Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Upper Montclair, Mountain Avenue, and Montclair Heights, and Montclair State University. Currently, this line only runs on weekdays.".
There is a lot to do in Montclair and surrounding areas, and easy access to Manhattan, via train or bus (thanks, DeCamp 66!), but it's true that lots of students go home for the weekends. Not me though! Which was fine, I really spent a lot of time in the city. And, I didn't have a car the whole time I lived up there, and got around Montclair, Upper Montclair, to and from Manhattan, with little to no problem. But, you either have to make it a fairly early night, or plan on staying all night because the buses don't run in the wee hours.
Lots of great info from zhelder and m3isffej. I ate at the Alexus quite often, and hope it's not true that the quality has gone to crap. Six brothers was the diner of choice, sounds like it still is. I did shop at Kings for the most part, and they were spendy for a college student, definitely a higher-end grocery, but the location is good. There is a movie theatre, pizza shops, laundromats, etc., and when I was a student there was The Office in downtown Montclair for a bar & grill. In fact, I lived in an apt. almost adjacent to that place! Spent some time there... LOL.
All in all, lovely campus. I'm sure it's changed some since I've last been which makes me crave a road trip, especially in Autumn with all the colors. I lived both on-campus, and off, and hardly had a problem getting around or getting necessities, even without a car. Great public transport, I wish I had that where I live now! Very hilly terrain, which is pretty; and, my dorm room had a killer view of the New York skyline.
Thanks for the info everyone! Would love some more feedback.
Yeah, Im coming to Montclair because I wanted to be near New York but didn't want to have to constantly deal with the traffic, the rush, and all the other stuff that comes with Manhattan everyday. Although I love NYC, I need a bit of a balance because DC is not NEARLY as fast. So I was looking through Jersey and MSU seemed to be the perfect school for me. I do realize that I'll probably be the ONLY person from outside of Jersey or NY attending this school, but hey, that dosen't phase me, I can't stand DC. As for not needing a car, Im glad to know that, because I'm not a big fan of driving at all, Id rather sit back on a bus and relax until I get to my destination.
Now, what is the reputation for MSU in the area, is it a school with barely any education, does it have a good reputation, I don't want to graduate and then upon my first interview, have the interviewer laugh at my MSU degree.
Wow. Someone from out of Jersey attending Montclair State? COOL!
In case you didn't know, Montclair is one of the trendiest burbs in North Jersey. The downtown area has tons of restaurants and shops. You name it, it's probably there. It is about four miles from campus to the downtown, however. If you just want a quick bite, there are plenty of fast and casual restaurants along Valley Road and on Route 46. There's the Crow's Nest Diner and a McDonalds at the end of Clove Road. Both were big hang outs when I went to MSU. Alexus Steak House on Valley Road in Clifton (just off of campus) was a major place to go, but I've heard quality there has slipped in recent years. Worth checking out though.
As far as supermarkets, there are plenty in the area. Montclair itself has an A&P, and a Kings. Kings is a bit of an "upscale" supermarket. A&P is less so, but the crowd is still slightly upper-middle-class in general. Shop-Rite is probably the most popular chain in this area. There's one on Browertown Road/Route 46 in Little Falls (not far from campus). Good prices, but often busy, and sometimes the crowd rolls pretty hard. There's also a Pathmark on Route 46 in West Paterson (excuse me, "Woodland Park"). Prices are good, but they tend to cater to a less fancy crows than the others. Stop & Shop is our version of Giant (owned by the same company) and I believe there are two locations in Clifton. I hate Stop & Shop with a passion (multiple reasons, but #1 is I think they're insanely expensive), but if you like Giant, you'll probably like Stop & Shop.
I believe Montclair now has direct train access to NYC, so that shouldn't be a problem. (I used to drive into Harrison to take the PATH train.)
Montclair State is in a great location. You'll find plenty to do. Good luck!
Haven't been in NJ in a year and a half, but last I was there, there was a Whole Foods, too, down on Bloomfield Ave, just a bit down the street from the art museum.
Thanks for the info everyone! Would love some more feedback.
Yeah, Im coming to Montclair because I wanted to be near New York but didn't want to have to constantly deal with the traffic, the rush, and all the other stuff that comes with Manhattan everyday. Although I love NYC, I need a bit of a balance because DC is not NEARLY as fast. So I was looking through Jersey and MSU seemed to be the perfect school for me. I do realize that I'll probably be the ONLY person from outside of Jersey or NY attending this school, but hey, that dosen't phase me, I can't stand DC. As for not needing a car, Im glad to know that, because I'm not a big fan of driving at all, Id rather sit back on a bus and relax until I get to my destination.
Now, what is the reputation for MSU in the area, is it a school with barely any education, does it have a good reputation, I don't want to graduate and then upon my first interview, have the interviewer laugh at my MSU degree.
Pfft..nah. I've known a few people from outside of those states that have attended MSU. Plus, if things ever work out for me, I'll be going there, as well.
And, for the record...many employers (of course, there are SOME) don't care what school you went to, as long as you're qualified/have a degree.
According to Forbes magazine, out of 600 schools it's #288 Montclair State University NJ, #20,678, 2,271 freshman. Special ReportAmerica's Best Colleges 2009By Richard Vedder and David M. Ewalt, 08.05.09, 06:00 PM EDT The best public and private colleges and universities--from the student's point of view.I participated for their music cirriculum and wished I could have stayed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
