| Author | Message | ||
     1-2many Citizen Username: Wbg69 Post Number: 153 Registered: 6-2002 |
agree with lseltzer - the things you are looking to duplicate in another town are what makes Maplewood UNIQUE. I moved here from Madison (and moved there from Atlanta) and consider myself so lucky to have found this place - as places like this ARE hard to find! Maybe your STREET isn't the most diverse, but the town you shop and relax in is, and the classes your kids attend are - pretty reflective of the real world, I'd say. To respond to a comment that taxes in Plainfield are "only" 2/3 of what they are here - that isn't that much money, and certainly isn't enough to cover private school tuition for just one child (unless you live in a monster house). And I, for one, would not not not send my child to a private school; I know others share that preference but not everyone so please don't take umbrage, to each his own. Additionally, comparing taxes in two towns is not quite apples to apples. A $500k house in Madison is a very small house, in a "wanna be" section of town (and btw in a very "keep up with the Joneses town" which comes with its own costs) with taxes around 2/3 of what they are here. Here, though, I got a bigger house on a much nicer street for the same purchase price. The cost of the extra size comes in the form of taxes, instead of higher purchase price. Additionally, and to my great relief, I don't live near a bunch of phonies anymore. And not every mom is a SAHM (important to ME). Want another town like Maplewood? How about South Orange? Oh wait, I think their taxes are even higher... | ||
| C Bataille Citizen Username: Nakaille Post Number: 1477 Registered: 5-2001 |
We've noticed that our neighborhood, on the Irvington border, which was predominantly families "of color", with most newcomers from the Carribean, has had an influx of caucasians again. This change has been since the reval and may or may not be reflective of that. Or perhaps the old issue of racial steering has finally, really been put to rest. At any rate we see it as a good sign as we chose Maplewood for its apparently stable racial diversity as much as some other factors and we prefer to live in a mixed neighborhood where we are not the only lighter skinned folks around. (Our own racial mix being Asian and Caucasian.) Cathy aka Bacata/Nakaille | ||
| bisquit100 Citizen Username: Bisquit100 Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2001 |
Not to stir the pot, but I agree with DCP's comments. I adore Maplewood, but there is this weird impulse to wave the diversity banner, like we're all better people because we chose to live here. Frankly, Maplewood looks pretty white to me and to my friends of color who visit. As for alternatives: there are lovely pockets of progression in every state, you just have to look for them. Good luck with your search! | ||
| ral Citizen Username: Ral Post Number: 52 Registered: 10-2001 |
i have heard nice things about metuchen. i know cranford somewhat; it has alot to offer, and plenty of great old victorians, but it does not appear racially diverse at all. | ||
| sportsnut Citizen Username: Sportsnut Post Number: 456 Registered: 10-2001 |
DCP and bisquit100 - I've been saying the same thing for over a year now. In my neighborhood all of the new folks moving in are white professionals (IT folks, Lawyers, Doctors etc.) It is looking more and more like my old neighborhood in that "brain-dead" western suburb I used to live in. The main difference is the people moving in here don't have that "attitude." | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3195 Registered: 5-2001 |
Cathy, my opinion is that the reval has helped to increase housing prices in your neighborhood as well as in sections of what we used to call the Clinton area, if only because of the tax increases in other areas. Unfortunately, higher prices usually equals less minority families can afford the price. Heck, in ten years your neighborhood will probably be lilly white if the present trends continue.  | ||
| mim Citizen Username: Mim Post Number: 266 Registered: 5-2001 |
If you think Maplewood isn't diverse, you haven't walked into Clinton School recently. Totally different demographic than the Midtown Direct crowd. | ||
| amandacat Citizen Username: Amandacat Post Number: 163 Registered: 8-2001 |
About Plainfield, our friends recently bought a house there -- gorgeous old house, a mansion really, with something like 8+ bedrooms and at least 5 baths, 100 years old and fully restored with amazing historical details (huge stained glass window, oak paneled entrance hall with fireplace, at least 4 other fireplaces throughout) for under $600,000. Not in Sleepy Hollow, but in another historic section (near the high school). It's an amazing place, very Gilded Age -- very Vanderbilty, very Rooseveltian. All that said, Plainfield is very much a town that -- despite it's bosters -- has not quite made it back yet. Think Orange, think Newark. I certainly wish Plainfield -- and especially our friends -- all the best, but given the choice I for one would feel more comfortable investing in a smaller house in a more demonstrably liveable community. We also have family in Cranford and were about to start househunting there a couple of years ago before we finally found the house we eneded up buying in Maplewood. It's a cute town -- not as cute overall as Maplewood, though, with many neighborhoods full of post-war capes and split levels. Reminds me of Scotch Plains. I'm not so sure either town (Cranford or Scotch Plains) is all that much cheaper than Maplewood, either, though the taxes are certainly less. I for one have always been a little fascinated by Boonton in Morris County, an old mining town on the Morris & Essex/Boonton line with some great old houses. I get the feeling, though, that the majority of the population there is a little too NY Post for me . . . | ||
| shrink Citizen Username: Shrink Post Number: 16 Registered: 2-2003 |
A town like Maple wood...try South Ornage, where I live. (: Seriously though, why don't you look in Orange-specifically the Seven Oaks section which is right near the Montrose section of South Orange. There you will find beautiful homes and well tended neighborhoods. No, you can't send your kids to the public schools but this is no different from Plainfield and at least you would still be in the Maplewood/South Orange area. If you want a realtor to guide you through there, do not go to Burgdorff in Maplewood. They have a vested interest in keeping people in Maplewood since that is where most of their listings are. I would try Weichert. | ||
| AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 134 Registered: 1-2003 |
I know about Cranford and Westfield. Both are very nice towns and do have nice "downtown" areas but not as cozy as the Maplewood Village. They are more like Millburn because of the busy thru streets. Westfield is considered more "high end" then Cranford but from what I remember both school systems are very good. I don't think they have midtown direct trains but am not sure. Ridgewood is an awesome town but the housing costs there are through roof. Their taxes are a little lower. They have a great "beach" , which is a pool with sand. Very nice. But, like any town in Bergen County, if you want to get out you're on the RT 17 and 208 nightmare. It's great if you work in the area but if you need to travel outside, forget it. You're a prisoner to the over populated highway systems. All I have to say I'm glad we bought in Maplewood. The taxes are ridiculous but you get more for your money. I just wish someone would reform the school system and cut our taxes!!!! REFORM!! | ||
| mooewe Citizen Username: Mooewe Post Number: 150 Registered: 6-2001 |
Cranford and Westfield are on the Raritan Valley line, which requires a train change in Newark, where you board already packed trains coming up from the south. Not fun. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3203 Registered: 5-2001 |
Good point about the diversity in most of the elementary schools. However, once in middle school and tracking takes hold, the classes are much less diverse.  | ||
| shoshannah Citizen Username: Shoshannah Post Number: 166 Registered: 7-2002 |
Here's an interesting pick: the Radburn section of Fair Lawn. Radburn is a community of about 500 1920s-era homes that was developed around a large park. The front of each home faces inward, toward the park (although not every home is "on" the park), and the rears of the homes face the streets, which are a series of dead-ends. A system of winding pedestrian paths -- no autos allowed -- connects everything in Radburn, including the elementary school, community pool, Radburn train station, some small shops, and, of course, the park. Although it is not an especially diverse community, it is solidly middle-class, less expensive than Maplewood, and has a decent school system. Penn Station will be accessible via the Secaucus transfer. Great downtown shopping and restaurants are available five minutes away in Ridgewood. | ||
| eliz Citizen Username: Eliz Post Number: 557 Registered: 5-2001 |
What about Nyack? | ||
| soresident Citizen Username: Soresident Post Number: 59 Registered: 10-2001 |
Can't tell you how surprised I am to hear Ridgewood mentioned as an alternative to Maplewood, and I'm not sure the reference is remotely accurate. A quick read of year 2000 census data I found shows that Ridgewood is about 87.8% white, 1.6% black and 8.7% Asian. Maplewood: 58.8% white, 32.6 black, 2.9 Asian, 1.6 other, 4% two or more races. When I grew up in surrounding Bergen County communities in the 60s and 70s, Ridgewood was not only totally white but known as a "restricted" community. While that has definitely changed, my impression is that it is much closer today in charachter to Short Hills than to Maplewood. To my mind, downtown Ridgewood today in fact reminds me of Greenwich Connecticut. | ||
| Tommy Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 220 Registered: 1-2003 |
I just moved out of Edison. Edison is donut shaped, and Metuchen, which is a totally separate borough, is the hole. Metuchen is a really nice old fashioned town, with a walking downtown and a train station. It's pleasant looking, and people there like to patronize the local businesses. But it's probably not much cheaper than Maplewood. For years, I had my eye on Highland Park. It's just slightly less pretty than Metuchen, it's cheaper, and it's more diverse. It has students, old folks, gays, blacks, orthodox Jews. It's a short walk across the Raritan River to New Brunswick. Both towns are about one square mile. Both have very well reputed schools. But both are surrounded by suburban sprawl, Metuchen in particular. Highland Park has the advantage and simultaneous disadvantage of an overzealous police department. They hand out tons of tickets for minor infractions. I got my car impounded in a most unfriendly and expensive way, because my registration was a few days overdue. Yes, it was my fault, but their response was overreactive. Metuchen has a jazz club which has good musicians play there. Highland Park probably has a few things going on. In both towns, having New Brunswick nearby is a plus. Tenafly, in Bergen county, seems nice. I worked there in my previous life, at the bike shop, commuting by bicycle from Manhattan. (Big hills to climb!) I visited Tenafly a few months ago, and it was nice. The shops seem nice, but I don't know about cultural events. Tom Reingold | ||
| xavier67 Citizen Username: Xavier67 Post Number: 211 Registered: 6-2002 |
Tenafly is as expensive as Ridgewood. It's about as diverse as Millburn. And you guessed it...its schools churn out big, impressive numbers. | ||
| irl Citizen Username: Irl Post Number: 45 Registered: 6-2001 |
We were looking in Boonton when we were hoping to move near where our children are in school. It's a nice town, lower taxes, some older homes, train. Not as diverse as Maplewood, not as quaint in the center, but, we felt, comparable. We decided to stay when my job situation changed and the commute timing turned out not to be so manic each morning. It was an easy decision, since we were never leaving because we didn't like it here...we just didn't want to have to leave our house at 6:45 every morning (and get home at 7:15 every evening). | ||
| shoshannah Citizen Username: Shoshannah Post Number: 168 Registered: 7-2002 |
I wasn't suggesting Ridgewood as an alternative to Maplewood. I was suggesting nearby Radburn as an interesting type of residential community that attracts a certain type of people who like the communal feeling and older homes. I only mentioned Ridgewood as a town where Radburn residents can find good and plentiful resturants and shopping. | ||
| Jackie Day Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 32 Registered: 6-2003 |
I only suggested Ridgewood because of its housing stock and quaint downtown, but I admitted above I knew very little else about it. Sorry! |
