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Please compare and contrast these two towns. People, schools etc. Which has an easier commute (going up Rt 4 or being a bit further but using the Palisades)?
i like closter better because it's a much quieter town, in my opinion, i think you get more of that small town feel. closter is by palisades parkway, so easy access to nyc, and this hwy never gets as nearly trafficky as rt 4. river edge is closer to rt 4 and easier access to the malls, but a much busier town, imo. schools are excellent in both towns.
I prefer Closter also. Closter also has very highly rated schools, easy access to public transporation to NYC, and I think the commute into NYC is easier and has less traffic taking the Palisades Parkway than Route 4.
What are you looking for? Then we can tell you what you want to know about the town. Both towns have good schools. Closters may be ranked a little higher, but I actually know someone who moved out of the town because they felt the schools were too much of a pressure cooker. Closter is quieter, but it is more out of the way. Read, it is sometimes a NIGHTMARE to get to a major highway and out of the way. But some like that. River Edge is far more centrally located. River Edge also shares a Middle and High School with Oradell. Has very lovely neighborhoods too.
Thanks so much everyone, I am avidly reading your responses. What am I looking for?
As to schools, I want top of the line, but dont want a pressure cooker atmosphere, I succeeded as a lawyer without barely any effort in high school and college, so I dont see why my daughter can't do the same. We're more the laid back type..
We can easily fit in with both upper class and blue collar types. We like em all. Any mixture of economics in these towns? We dont like snobby.
Is there a lot of self-imposed segregation between whites and Asians in northern jersey and these 2 towns in particular? It seemed that way in Closter when I observed the kids walking around after school but its hard to tell if you dont live somewhere.
Commuting time is very important to me. Unlike yall suburbanites, I love driving and I hate trains, subways and buses! haha So I may consider driving as I may take a new job right near the West Side Highway in midtown. I will also be near Port Authority and Penn Station. What is the best commuting town?
Walkability: I see lots of sidewalks, so do people do a lot of walking say to get to the railroad station in River Edge, or to the bus stop or to get to school?
I am open to considering any towns with good school districts, safe communities, and extremely close to the GWB. I chose these 2 towns because the prices are a bit lower than other towns with my criteria. Any ideas, please do share. Any comment on Paramus?
After reading your last post, my vote would go to River Edge for you.
KUDOS on the school comment - I agree with you 100%. A lot of people get to be school snobs and forget that you don't have to go the VERY BEST school district in America to succeed. River Edge has very good public schools... I will say that crowding has been a problem at the elementary schools in recent years. I'm not sure how it has been addressed or if it i s still a big problem. The middle school and high school are shared with Oradell (another very nice town) to form the "River Dell" school district. These schools are rated quite well. I know many people who came through the RD school system and they speak very highly of them.
I'm very anti-snob factor myself. I like to see more diversity (economic, ethnic, etc.) in a community and I think RE will fit that bill for you more. Until maybe 15 years ago RE was considered more "blue collar" than other towns in it's vicinity. This has changed rapidly since that time, however the town does retain a bit more diversity than some surrounding towns.
I can not tell you about segregation, I have know people who have attended St. Peter's in River Edge and they said there did seem to be a divide between the Korean and non-Korean students in their school. However, many of t he Korean students were exchange students and did not speak much English, so that may have led to a divide too. I can't say for sure.
I LOATHE public transportation and prefer driving myself! lol IF you prefer driving RE is DEFINITELY a better choice. You can quickly access Rt. 17, Rt. 4, and the Garden State Parkway from RE. You also have "major" local roads that cut through RE, like Kinderkamack Road and Forrest Ave (actually in Paramus, but right on the RE border.) Closter is one of those towns where you have to drive a good 15 min in order to get to a major artery....something I don't like personally. My friend lived in Creskill and moved to Hillsdale because of this very reason.
Personally, I really like River Edge. I love Oradell, but you'll pay more for both a home and in taxes, but it is a very nice town. I have heard that both have good recreation programs from those I know who live there. Also very close to "life" restaurants, malls, shops (NON mall). I like that RE has sidewalks too, not always the case in the Jersey 'burbs.
Paramus is a good town. Decent schools. Typically lower taxes because of the large amount of businesses in the town (this does not mean LOW taxes....mind you.) But Paramus is very big and does not have a town "center." Because of that it can lack that "hometown" feel that you will get in other communities.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know! Good luck.
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