| Author | Message | ||
     deborahg Citizen Username: Deborahg Post Number: 604 Registered: 5-2001 |
Another hypothetical question...sort of.... IS there anyplace else like Maplewood, e.g. good schools, cool old houses, diverse, culturally interesting? Specifically, is there anywhere that has all this, but is somewhat less expensive? it doesn't have to be that near to NYC, but NJ would be nice. Any thoughts? | ||
| Jackie Day Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 28 Registered: 6-2003 |
I know that Plainfield appeals to some people who are priced out of Maplewood, and I can say the Plainfield "Sleepy Hollow" section is awesome: gorgeous old houses, elegance, etc. Plainfield is very diverse and is culturally on the rise, plus it's very near Westfield, which has plenty to do. However, my friends in Plainfield plan to send their daughter to private school because the schools just aren't that good. Taxes, however, are lower, so they don't mind so much. | ||
| lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1624 Registered: 5-2001 |
You could count the number of towns like this in the US on both hands, and I bet they're all expensive. | ||
| deborahg Citizen Username: Deborahg Post Number: 605 Registered: 5-2001 |
Where is the "Sleepy Hollow" Section? How do I see it? | ||
| Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4820 Registered: 5-2001 |
Plainfield's schools are not good. Not even close to SO/M system. It's also a highly segregated community. With that said, the Sleepy Hollow homes are very nice, very large, affordable and have relatively low taxes compared to SO/M, so people can better afford sending their children to private schools. But there's no nice downtown area, no midtown direct and all your shopping has to be done on Rt.22. To get there, take Rt. 22 West to Terrill Rd., take jughandle (will point you south), then go straight for about 2 miles and turn right at light after you go over train tracks. (Pay attention: this shopping area with the fastfood joints is the nice business district.) Go straight and make a left at the Getty station, go a few blocks in and you'll be in the Sleepy Hollow area. | ||
| Jackie Day Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 29 Registered: 6-2003 |
I agree with Dave Ross about Plainfield. But I will add that our friends, who looked in Maplewood and were turned off by the taxes, have been very happy there. They do things in Westfield, as mentioned, as well as in Plainfield and Cranford. I should also point out that they say there's a growing gay family movement in Plainfield similar to here. They are good friends with a lesbian couple raising a daughter. So Plainfield's diversity goes beyond race. I am not aware of how segregated or unsegregated it is, but they have a mix of races on their street (they are white). Yes, no midtown direct but my friend, who works in Manhattan, takes the train from a nearby town (forget which station but it's nearby) about a 5-minute drive away. All by way of saying, it's not Maplewood -- it doesn't have our small-town feeling -- but it's apparently a relatively nice place with some similarities. | ||
| deborahg Citizen Username: Deborahg Post Number: 606 Registered: 5-2001 |
OK, thanks. Any other suggestions? | ||
| dpc Citizen Username: Dpc Post Number: 90 Registered: 5-2001 |
Is this town really that diverse? I take the mid-town direct every a.m. it seem pretty homogenous. My neighborhood also seems pretty homogeneous. By diverse do you mean a large geographical area that contains many different types of people who choose to live in small communities with people of their own kind? If it makes you feel better to say you live in a progressive community.......... | ||
| Maplewoody Citizen Username: Maplewoody Post Number: 246 Registered: 5-2001 |
What town is dpc living in? We have gay friends in Plainfield. Yes they have a BIG old house, a BIG yard thats larger than ours, and their taxes are about 2/3 of ours. We still like it here better, love the short commute into the city from Maplewood, love the diversity of our neighborhood, the small downtown area w/o any traffic lights, the Trattoria, the close proximity to the Livingston & Short Hills Malls, the Reservation, RT 22(yes RT 22!), etc.... | ||
| deborahg Citizen Username: Deborahg Post Number: 607 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yes, Maplewood is great...dpc notwithstanding. I'm just looking for other options. Hypothetically! For the people who private lined and asked me, thanks for asking, we're not planning to move out of town any time soon--just wondering! For instance, what about further out in NJ? Towards Lambertville area? Or Stanhope area? In Somerset? Or...? Any good communities? | ||
| Musetta Citizen Username: Musetta Post Number: 4 Registered: 6-2003 |
We are moving FROM Stanhope TO Maplewood in August. We have been out here for a year and a half and are unhappy enough to be willing to pay a heck of a lot in extra taxes by not waiting the full two years before getting out! "Downtown" Stanhope looks as if it could have potential - trust me, it does not. There are some pretty older homes....but they are all on horrible streets...most of the "good" streets are filled with raised ranches and bi-levels. The schools are fine...there is NO diversity (everyone - even in the Newcomers Club is from NJ - most from within a few miles....many NEVER venture anywhere but perhaps Florida and NYC is a totally foreign concept)....TOTALLY lacking in culture (I'm sure there is one - but not the kind I would bet you are talking about)....we have yet to find a decent resturant that would actually be worth hiring a babysitter for...resigned ourselves to evenings at Cracker Barrell and Chili's. (yes...it's that bad. we can't even get edible pizza. had to throw away the one that was reccommended to us!)OH...and the taxes are not low...pretty much the same for the same price home. (Although, yes. You DO get quite a bit more house for your money) On the plus side...it is very safe...there's lots of shopping (of the subrban chain variety)It is very close to some really beautiful countryside in Sussex Co. and, like I said, the schools are pretty OK...there are a lot of SAHMs (which is important to me - and hard to find nowadays) I have very few friends here - most folks seem to have their entire family within walking distance (almost) and we really feel we never we able to settle in. My husband is from Ireland and I think he is the only person in twon with any sort of accent - seriously - people look at him like he's a freak. The whole thing seemed like a good idea when we moved here form NYC (and it's all we could afford!), but we are delighted to be getting out. I'm sure I have gone on quite enough (and I feel a little bit guilty for saying all that; there are so many people I meet that would never dream of leaving this area!) Feel free to PM me - we have checked out many options in Morris and Suzzex Co. | ||
| Musetta Citizen Username: Musetta Post Number: 5 Registered: 6-2003 |
We are moving FROM Stanhope TO Maplewood in August. We have been out here for a year and a half and are unhappy enough to be willing to pay a heck of a lot in extra taxes by not waiting the full two years before getting out! "Downtown" Stanhope looks as if it could have potential - trust me, it does not. There are some pretty older homes....but they are all on horrible streets...most of the "good" streets are filled with raised ranches and bi-levels. The schools are fine...there is NO diversity (everyone - even in the Newcomers Club is from NJ - most from within a few miles....many NEVER venture anywhere but perhaps Florida and NYC is a totally foreign concept)....TOTALLY lacking in culture (I'm sure there is one - but not the kind I would bet you are talking about)....we have yet to find a decent resturant that would actually be worth hiring a babysitter for...resigned ourselves to evenings at Cracker Barrell and Chili's. (yes...it's that bad. we can't even get edible pizza. had to throw away the one that was reccommended to us!)OH...and the taxes are not low...pretty much the same for the same price home. (Although, yes. You DO get quite a bit more house for your money) On the plus side...it is very safe...there's lots of shopping (of the subrban chain variety)It is very close to some really beautiful countryside in Sussex Co. and, like I said, the schools are pretty OK...there are a lot of SAHMs (which is important to me - and hard to find nowadays) I have very few friends here - most folks seem to have their entire family within walking distance (almost) and we really feel we never we able to settle in. My husband is from Ireland and I think he is the only person in twon with any sort of accent - seriously - people look at him like he's a freak. The whole thing seemed like a good idea when we moved here form NYC (and it's all we could afford!), but we are delighted to be getting out. I'm sure I have gone on quite enough (and I feel a little bit guilty for saying all that; there are so many people I meet that would never dream of leaving this area!) Feel free to PM me - we have checked out many options in Morris and Sussex Co. | ||
| thegoodsgt Citizen Username: Thegoodsgt Post Number: 255 Registered: 2-2002 |
Any thoughts on Cranford, on Rt. 28? My wife and I met friends there last week for dinner, and it seems to be a very nice little town. And there's a NJT train station, too. | ||
| Elizabeth Citizen Username: Elizabeth Post Number: 196 Registered: 7-2002 |
Welcome to Maplewood/South Orange, Musetta! One thing I love about this area is the geographic diversity of people's origins--it makes for a very friendly community. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3194 Registered: 5-2001 |
Sounds like Deborah just got her new tax bill!!  Kidding aside, there really is life after Maplewood. It is a matter of what you want and can afford. It is interesting to note that taxes in many towns in Union County and most towns in Morris County are less than half what one pays in Maplewood for a similar housem and usually, South Orange, although the Village taxes are so uneven it is hard to say as a result of appeals during the recession in the early 1990s. I also tend to agree with DPC. Looking at the census data Maplewood is more segregated than it once was. I would suggest surfing through WWW.gsmls.com and WWW.realtor.com for ideas. Given current interest rates, for each $1,000 you save in RE taxes you can carry an additional $14,000 to $15,000 in mortgage for the same monthly cost. | ||
| AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 133 Registered: 1-2003 |
I'm sorry but I grew up near Plainfield and while there is one very small nice section the rest, as far as I'm concerned, is uninhabitable. Plainfield is a major drug and crime center in Union County, and, consequently, you can see where the schools go with that. It's basically taking south Newark and merging it with 5 blocks of Maplewood. And to think you'd have to go to RT 22 to shop is repulisive. To each his own. There is also North Plainfield, which is a safer town then Plainfield. I'm not sure if that is what the previous posts were referring to. One town that I was in recently is Clinton in Hunterdon County. It is quite a ride (exit 15 off RT78) but it has a very nice little downtown with a lake. I think the only savings in moving there would be in taxes because the housing prices are pretty high. There is also a train there on the Raritan Valley line so you're probably going to hit Newark first before NY Penn..but not sure. | ||
| deborahg Citizen Username: Deborahg Post Number: 608 Registered: 5-2001 |
Musetta, Wow, THANKS for this info! This is just what I am looking for. OK, Stanhope goes off the list....AZ, Clinton does sound pretty. Anyone know anything about schools etc. for there, Cranford, etc. As for the diversity question, for me it comes down to the schools. My daughter's classes have kids from every background, and her friends come in a rainbow of colors, family types, etc. She's learning more about diversity, and at a younger age, than I ever did--takes it for granted that not everyone looks the same or has the same type of life. That's very important to me. As, of course, is an excellent education. But back to the town question! Thanks so much! | ||
| shoshannah Citizen Username: Shoshannah Post Number: 164 Registered: 7-2002 |
If you are willing to leave the area . . . Takoma Park, Maryland. Close to DC, diverse, inhabited by many artists. Old homes; has a historic district. Not sure about the schools, or the taxes for that matter. | ||
| Jackie Day Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 31 Registered: 6-2003 |
Don't get me wrong, folks - I love Maplewood and just moved BACK here after a stint in Somerset County (previous posters might remember me under a different name (Zoesky) who originally departed for lower taxes, but a personal crisis has brought me back to a town I know well and good friends/support system). I lived in Warren, which I did like and enjoyed for its own reasons but which is VERY different from Maplewood and doesn't really merit an apples-to-apples comparison. Anyway, I was just recommending Plainfield as a possibility. Hey, I like Maplewood enough to have just bought my 3rd house here, taxes and all. Anyway, I think I have heard that Clinton is nice.And while I don't know it that well, isn't Ridgewood supposed to have some of the same characteristics of Maplewood? Although Ridgewood is expensive, no? Not sure. | ||
| xavier67 Citizen Username: Xavier67 Post Number: 210 Registered: 6-2002 |
Houses in Ridgewood are 30% to 60% more expensive than in Maplewood. Taxes are about 25% lower. Excellent schools. But it doesn't have the mid-town direct (not until the Secaucus exchange opens), the main reason why Maplewood/SO real estate has gone up in the last 6 years. Deb, have you looked at Metuchen in Middlesex County? Older homes, decent schools, lower taxes. |
