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Great town, decent schools, tons of diversity. And less expensive than Montclair.
No suggestions for Teaneck, Hackensack, or Englewood? Montclair is a good place. I don't know alot about Morristown, but there are other towns that are diverse too, like Bergenfield, North Brunswick Township, etc.
Thank You all for your responses. JC is very nice, but I have not heard very good things about the schools.. Please correct me if I am wrong..
Someone reccomeneded we look in Woodbridge or Iselin.. in middlesex county.. does anyone know about these towns?
Woodbridge is a decent town. But if you could afford something better I would suggest you move to other towns.
The schools are okay but nothing to brag home about. I know someone who goes to Fords Middle School where he tells me stories about drugs, gangs, and plenty of fights. He said when he went to school in Keasbey there wasn't a week without a fight. Granted Fords and Keasbey are the more blue collar parts of Woodbridge, overall Woodbridge is pretty average.
Also there is some racism there as well. I hear stories where some of the white kids call the black kids nasty names and say "not so nice" things about them because they're black. Now I don't want to say EVERYONE in Woodbridge is like this. But it does happen.
Iselin is "Little India". I go there sometimes for their food and their sweets (they're delicious!) So unless you have a problem with living next to Indians you really shouldn't have a problem I suppose.
Honestly, as a well-educated minority from the south in a doctoral program at Rutgers, I can confirm that there is significant racism in New Jersey--and that the towns recommended in the above posting in Essex County and perhaps Union are the best recommendations. I would also avoid Bergen County, with the exception of Teaneck and parts of Hackensack and Englewood. I have beautiful children, and a multi-racial family, and have been overtly discriminated against by employees of major businesses, even in Essex County where there are many well-educated, upper-middle class and higher African Americans and others. When I experienced the problems in Essex County, at least the management at the companies I wrote acknowledged the existence of problems stemming from the environment, and offered sincere apologies.
From a social stratification and psychological perspective, many non-minorities do not acknowledge the existence of discrimination or racism, even when it is present simply because they do not experience it. They are not racist, just not the victims of maltreatment and have a hard time believing it exists when those of us who experience it everyday affirm its existence.
Stereotypes are fueled by the presence of "iconic ghettos" in places like Newark and East Orange, where high concentrations of minority poor live and spill over into the suburbs. They are the descendants of minorities fleeing the murderous racism of the South that existed without recourse all the way up to the 70s who have been unable to yet achieve the better lives their ancestors sought because the same structural biases existed, unfortunately, in the North, that existed in the South they fleed.
Thus, even though statistically speaking there are double the number of poor whites on Welfare in America than blacks (please see current Census Bureau data), the high concentrations of black poor in large cities allows people to make comments like the one above: "It's very interesting how intristically linked the crime/poverty debate and the race issue actually are."
It's actually not that surprising that the two are linked because they are forever related in our societal caste system, which by the way, will have to change over the next 20 years as whites will no longer be the largest race group in America.
I have always wondered why non-racist whites simply do not help their racist brothers and sisters overcome their issues, much in the way that most educated and well-off blacks try to help the physical and psychological state of their more in need fellow-minorities.
The rise of racism on the right clearly shows us that problems still exist in America. Why not just all work together so that other emergent economies, like Japan, China, India, and the EU, do not spank us in the global economy? Why not work for all of the Latino, black, and white poor to all become well-educated so our PISA scores (international education scores) are superior to theirs? Mind you, I've analyzed the data and ALL American students white, black, Latino perform worse than their International counterparts.
It's kind of like a marriage--if your spouse says something you do is hurting them either subtly or directly, if you care for their well-being, you'll acknowledge their complaint and try to improve--not just wish or ignore it away. We are all Americans and are in this together. Prayerfully, we'll get this race issue right before our America fails irrecoverably.
In the meantime, if you are a minority, you will want to avoid certain places in NJ because you will feel unwelcome and your precious children may have difficulty in the school system because of labeling, resentment based on white flight, etc. I have found, though, that the higher income areas where there are younger people in this category are more receptive than working class areas with older residents.
Honestly, as a well-educated minority from the south in a doctoral program at Rutgers, I can confirm that there is significant racism in New Jersey--and that the towns recommended in the above posting in Essex County and perhaps Union are the best recommendations. I would also avoid Bergen County, with the exception of Teaneck and parts of Hackensack and Englewood. I have beautiful children, and a multi-racial family, and have been overtly discriminated against by employees of major businesses, even in Essex County where there are many well-educated, upper-middle class and higher African Americans and others. When I experienced the problems in Essex County, at least the management at the companies I wrote acknowledged the existence of problems stemming from the environment, and offered sincere apologies.
From a social stratification and psychological perspective, many non-minorities do not acknowledge the existence of discrimination or racism, even when it is present simply because they do not experience it. They are not racist, just not the victims of maltreatment and have a hard time believing it exists when those of us who experience it everyday affirm its existence.
Stereotypes are fueled by the presence of "iconic ghettos" in places like Newark and East Orange, where high concentrations of minority poor live and spill over into the suburbs. They are the descendants of minorities fleeing the murderous racism of the South that existed without recourse all the way up to the 70s who have been unable to yet achieve the better lives their ancestors sought because the same structural biases existed, unfortunately, in the North, that existed in the South they fleed.
Thus, even though statistically speaking there are double the number of poor whites on Welfare in America than blacks (please see current Census Bureau data), the high concentrations of black poor in large cities allows people to make comments like the one above: "It's very interesting how intristically linked the crime/poverty debate and the race issue actually are."
It's actually not that surprising that the two are linked because they are forever related in our societal caste system, which by the way, will have to change over the next 20 years as whites will no longer be the largest race group in America.
I have always wondered why non-racist whites simply do not help their racist brothers and sisters overcome their issues, much in the way that most educated and well-off blacks try to help the physical and psychological state of their more in need fellow-minorities.
The rise of racism on the right clearly shows us that problems still exist in America. Why not just all work together so that other emergent economies, like Japan, China, India, and the EU, do not spank us in the global economy? Why not work for all of the Latino, black, and white poor to all become well-educated so our PISA scores (international education scores) are superior to theirs? Mind you, I've analyzed the data and ALL American students white, black, Latino perform worse than their International counterparts.
It's kind of like a marriage--if your spouse says something you do is hurting them either subtly or directly, if you care for their well-being, you'll acknowledge their complaint and try to improve--not just wish or ignore it away. We are all Americans and are in this together. Prayerfully, we'll get this race issue right before our America fails irrecoverably.
In the meantime, if you are a minority, you will want to avoid certain places in NJ because you will feel unwelcome and your precious children may have difficulty in the school system because of labeling, resentment based on white flight, etc. I have found, though, that the higher income areas where there are younger people in this category are more receptive than working class areas with older residents.
Re the bolded--that's kind of an ignorant statement, surprising in an otherwise honest and well-thought-out post.
We do try to "help" racists overcome their issues in many ways; however, your perception that this is somehow simple to accomplish is perplexing. Is it simple for educated and well-off blacks to help the physical and psychological state of their more in need fellow-minorities? If so, why haven't educated and well-off blacks yet cured the issues?
If getting people to overcome their racism was such a simple matter, it would have ceased to exist long ago.
Sitting down and holding someone's hand and gently explaining that racism is stupid and illogical wouldn't be very effective. In fact, the way most people end up overcoming their racism is when they have regular, meaningful interaction with people of other races and discover that their long-held, often unconscious concepts of who these people are is not what they thought.
I agree that the Newark-ghetto perception of black people is very damaging. There's a whole world around us of black people who go to work everyday, own their homes or pay their rent in middle-class areas, are involved in their children's lives and in their communities, and pretty much do a lot of the same things we white people do. The problem is, no news cameras are following these people around. There's no story to it.
Why not work for all of the Latino, black, and white poor to all become well-educated so our PISA scores (international education scores) are superior to theirs?
We have. We've given billions upon billions - if not trillions - to education in poor areas. And it has failed. We've bankrupted our state and driven out the middle class by blowing state budgets on poor school districts.
I'm sorry, but this isn't the responsibility of white people anymore. Communities, families and individuals have to deal with their own cultures, values and biases. No money will help poor children become educated if they grow up without fathers around, hate authority in school and in law enforcement and think that crime, drugs and gangs are acceptable facts of life. Their parents need to teach them that - not me.
Having lived in both Northeastern and Northwestern NJ, I have to agree with some earlier posts and tell you that you are better off avoiding Sussex, Warren, and the outer parts of Morris County. These areas are not racially diverse at all, and arguably not accepting of racial diversity as well. It is my personal opinion and my experience that you would feel more welcome anywhere west of Sussex and Warren Counties. I felt serious culture shock when I moved from Northeastern to Northwestern NJ. I am of Spanish descent (the only distinguishing feature that would proclaim this fact was my former last name) and I will just say that I was certainly different and treated as such by many members of the community where I lived, including people in various positions of authority.
I wish you and your family the best of luck in your search and a warm welcome wherever you end up.
We have. We've given billions upon billions - if not trillions - to education in poor areas. And it has failed. We've bankrupted our state and driven out the middle class by blowing state budgets on poor school districts.
I'm sorry, but this isn't the responsibility of white people anymore. Communities, families and individuals have to deal with their own cultures, values and biases. No money will help poor children become educated if they grow up without fathers around, hate authority in school and in law enforcement and think that crime, drugs and gangs are acceptable facts of life. Their parents need to teach them that - not me.
We have given? I'm a little confuse does we mean white? You mean no one else pay taxes but white people? Everyone pay taxes no matter how little or big. Let me make something clear, blacks were brought here as slaves, beaten killed raped and you know what else. Although their children were not raped they were looked down on, not allowed to live in areas and segrated from everyone. White schools get better teachers and better equipments while black schools gets the worst. I remember a friend had to take her daughter to white school so she can get better education. She had to wake up at 4am travel all the way to white school to drop off her daughter. As times goes on the racism changed because of law so people become concious so instead of saying it in a persons face now they wait until you leave and than talk behind your back. If there is prodominently black area it is considered ghetto or the worst area ever. Back in the days racism was out in your face, you are black and therefore not human but now a days racism is a concious thing but exist. You will have to live as a black person to understand the extend, cops pulls you over for nothing, cant be promoted or that you are lower than others just because you are black although you have the same education and money. This is daily you have to live with this daily.
A better way of understanding this using something that isnt colored. There are many people out there who gets abuse, whatever that abuse it affects their behavior so if they have kids they sort of pass it on not meaning to but all they have known in their lives is abuse, that child pass it on and on and on. Now there are people who gets abuse gets up and realize they dont want it to happen to their kids so they change their lives but this is not everyone as abuse affects everyone differently.
Personally I believe in hard working and taking care of your family and better yourself but than I dont know how I would react if I were abuse. I hope you have a better understanding, it has been a pattern for years can you imagine humans being treated worst than animals and for decades? Than they pass a law so now people still do the same racism just differently so it is not seen only because there will be repucussions and nothing else. Times are changing and minorities are growing fast so yes I am hopeful we will treat each other as humans .
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One word: Morristown, Morristown, Morristown
