| Author | Message | ||
     John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2006 |
All: I posted the following question in the 'Welcome' section, and received some feed-back. Someone suggested I put my questions here, so apologies in advance for duplication... I am not a green-bean about the ways of the internet (e.g., flame wars, hyperbole, Godwin's Law), so I can apply the appropriate filters when reading the comments. But, I do need some frame through which to interpret comments about police squadrons at the local secondary school, 'war zones,' (I know it's not a war zone, but that the comment implies a certain lack of, what's the word? quiet? Safety?) inter alia. We live near San Francisco, so there are certain things we are accustomed to. Good schools most assuredly is not one of them (our schools here are among the poorest quality in the country). And, given that here, an undeveloped, 1/4 acre parcel of land sells for 1.5 million dollars, everything in the area looks more or less like a bargain. So, I suppose the direct questions I would ask from people are: What is the over-all crime profile of the different neighbourhoods? How about the local elementary schools - which one is considered the most academically rigourous? Do you consider it better to live in SO or in Maplewood and why? West or east of the train line? We are active in our local Catholic church - which church, if any, do people attend? How about a good quality supermarket? We are looking at a few homes near the 'Reservation,' along the Ridgewood Rd, north of West Orange Blvd near Grove Park, and in the 'Tuscan' area. There is obviously some variance in price - so any comments on the pros and cons of these areas is appreciated. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 12755 Registered: 1-2003  |
There's a fair bit of car theft and vandalism, but I am under the impression there isn't a lot of violent crime or even much burglary. Crime increases as you get closer to Irvington, Orange, and Newark. I know some people who never lock their houses at all. I don't think you can get a straight answer about the elementary schools. Mostly, you'll get "the one I sent my kids to is the best" which isn't bad news, at least. The biggest flame wars occur in the Education section of this messageboard. Anyone in the district can send his/her kids to the Seth Boyden school, which sounds very good. I moved in when my kids entered 9th and 6th grades, so I have no experience with any elementary school. Our Lady of Sorrows is a grand church on Prospect St. I know the music director, and he is top notch. I hear good things about this place, but why am I talking about stuff I have no qualifications for? There are two other Catholic churches nearby, too. You will be disappointed in the supermarkets around here. I suppose the best nearby place is Whole Foods, but the selection is slim and the prices are high. But the service is very good, and the food is good. You can drive a ways to Trader Joes. Most of us end up going to two different supermarkets each week, because no one place satisfies all needs. Welcome! | ||
| Hamandeggs Citizen Username: Hamandeggs Post Number: 195 Registered: 8-2005 |
Oi vey..."most acad rigorous" and "better to live in SO/Map" -- I think you'll likely hear good things from those who live/attend school in each place, rather than data. All the schools are good, and the two towns function as one community in many, many ways. If you are looking for the very best school, very best town, or even very best neighborhood, though, you will simply have to decide for yourself. As a group, the M/SO'ers don't have a unified point of view on the best of anything!! When we embrace diversity, we mean it and it goes for schools of thought on just about everything. (And this is absolutely one of our strengths!) It sounds like you could use a very good realtor. And I wouldn't worry yet about a grocery store -- that you can choose when you're here! The same goes for churches, since you would need to visit them all before choosing. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 8 Registered: 3-2006 |
Tom: thanks for the response. I suppose that you're right about the schools - every parent feels his schools are doing 'well' (save for the truly awful ones), and there are empirical data available. I have to confess that I am pretty happy to hear that Trader Joe's is not too far. I always reckoned them to be a west coast store (I go there every week for certain items). Our supermarkets situation here is two big chains (Safeway and Albertsons), with a couple of speciality shops like TJs and yes, Whole Foods. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 9 Registered: 3-2006 |
HamandEggs: yes; I realise I am more likely to get subjective opinions rather than data. But that is what I want. The hard data (about test scores, school leavers, etc.) are readily available on line. We have a realtor who is helping, and will be travelling next week to look at homes there, as well as in Union County, and Basking Ridge area. She is a person born and raised in SO, and seems helpful. You're right as well that we will just have to see, but SOME information is appreciated, given we are 5000 kilometres away. | ||
| Elgato Citizen Username: Elgato Post Number: 36 Registered: 2-2004 |
You don't you have Wild Oats Market in your neck of the woods? There's a school attached to Our Lady of Sorrows church also http://www.ourladyofsorrowsschool.org/ | ||
| jet Citizen Username: Jet Post Number: 1046 Registered: 7-2001 |
John , I live against the "Reservation" , have for the last 15 yrs. I love the area , it takes about 15 min downhill to the train 22 min going up , but there is a jittny " small bus " that you can take either way . I find the services to be great from supermarkets to resturants , we also have a very good fish store in town . I don't have kids so I can't help you with the school thing . Newark Airport is maybe 20 mins away , Manhattan 40 min by car 30 min by train. The Jersey shore is a hour away. I have never had a car stolen or been burlarized , to me crime is a non issue. There is excellent hiking in the "Res" & I have never tired of the view , if you don't like deer , turkeys , & bird life the "Res " might not be for you. An Advance welcome , BTW the Tudor next to me is for sale 85 Claremont , it also backs up to the "Res". | ||
| ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 4533 Registered: 5-2001  |
Don't know your price range but there's a great one on Durand in Maplewood. Supermarkets- Kings in the village for convenience, Shopright (in Millburn) or Pathmark for supermarket, and Whole Foods for specialty. Catholic churches - Our Lady in SO, St Joe's in Maplewood and St Rose in Short HIlls (i call it St Roses of Lime Juice!) Basking Ridge does not have any kind of diversity and is very Republican (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but my friends who moved there 3 years ago are finally liking it. Ridge High School has a good reputation. As for schools, though, note that the higher ranked schools usually correspond to high average income towns. It doesn't necessarily mean the school is "better", just different. We have economic/racial diversity and a VERY large high school which reflects in the rankings yet we produce just as many top notch kids as other area schools and get more than our share of accolades. We've lived here for 15 years. Our kids were peanuts then. Our oldest is graduating from Columbia in June. Good luck in your search. All the areas you mention are nice. I think you'll find good neighbors everywhere. One thing I remember keeping in mind when we looked oh so long aago was to look into the backyards of the neighboring houses to see if there were swingsets that would signify that there were kids in the neighborhood (if in fact you have kids!). | ||
| Camnol Citizen Username: Camnol Post Number: 258 Registered: 3-2005 |
Well, I think it really depends on the type of community you are looking for. I live in Maplewood now, but used to live in Basking Ridge and in several towns in Union County. They all have nice qualities, just depends on what you are looking for. For me, I will never go back to "deep suburbia," but I love the sense of community, diversity, and arts vibe that are Maplewood/South Orange. Good luck | ||
| Eats Shoots & Leaves Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 3093 Registered: 9-2001  |
I love the fact that I can hear new and different music in a cozy setting in my own town. This year has been a banner year for wonderful music being produced and presented locally--wherever you live in SO/M make sure to get to some of the Underground Concerts and American Composers and the SO Jazz series--all sorts of neat stuff happening musically within walking distance of your home. Notehead, Jamie, and a lot of others work really hard to bring novel acts to town. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 11 Registered: 3-2006 |
To all: thanks for the information thus far. No; we don't have Wild Oats  , but we muddle through. I understand that it is basically useless to try to mark a school as 'good' or 'bad' based on the mean test scores (as a professional mathematician, I am well aware of the pathologies inherent in such a system). My main concerns in schools are: are there programmes for exceptional children, and is the school itself safe and relatively free of crime. In California, those two items are big concerns. And, whether school performance is a proxy for socio-economic factors is, to me, irrelvant, as the outcome here is my concern, not the cause. Here, saying someone is economically disadvantaged often means that the children are being baby sat by the television. We very heavily regulate the amount of television and other media our child is exposed to. Our price range is up to about 1M, so that does provide some flexibility. So, it really boils down to us liking the home and neighbourhood. I don't recognise the two homes mentioned by street name (Durand, Claremont), though I have a general idea where they are. BTW, I find the remark about "Basking Ridge to be Republican (not that there is anything wrong with that)." I certainly do not care what political affiliations our friends are. Where I live, the Democratic Party is considered borderline reactionary for what it's worth, yet I find most of my neighbours to be fine people, their politics set aside. If it were simply a matter of schools alone, we clearly would pick a place like Basking Ridge, but given my family's demographic, an all-white area might be a bit uncomfortable. Let's just say, I am hoping there will be some Singaporean style restaurants and an Asian market available... Thanks again. | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 1229 Registered: 10-2004 |
Not super close to us, you will find some really good Thai, Malaysian, Indian and Vietnamese restaurants. The Chinese around here I find a bit sketchy. There are a few Asian food marts but none of them are super close or exceptional (one on Rt 10 called Kam Man and one on route 22 called I THINK AFC???. I don't think we have any Singporean anything as far as I know. I wouldn't say our area is great for Asian anything to be honest. But I would be happy if someone popped on here and proved me wrong. | ||
| Camnol Citizen Username: Camnol Post Number: 259 Registered: 3-2005 |
After reading your note, I'm thinking that Berkeley Heights might be up your alley. The schools are considered good. No Singaporean restaurants, but there is an Asian market and a growing Asian population. The housing stock isn't as nice as there-- mostly 1950s split levels or new construction McMansions. It's not my cup of tea, but one person's nightmare is another person's dream.  Have you considered Millburn? I really would not judge our schools based on MOL. I would look closely at the schools in Basking Ridge. That area has seen an explosion of new housing construction and I'm leary of how the schools have kept up with the growth. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 13 Registered: 3-2006 |
Camnol: 1950s-style housing is absolutely out of the question. If I wanted that, I would have refused the promotion and stayed in California. | ||
| max weisenfeld Citizen Username: Max_weisenfeld Post Number: 23 Registered: 9-2001  |
Nearest Asian markets about 15 minutes south (on Rt.22) We love the Tuscan neighborhood. My kids feel safe in both Tuscan and the Middle School. Gifted programs in the Elementary schools are all the same (this applies to M/SO only) and they are just a little better than token, but classroom teachers have been helpful and I have even done some things in the classroom to help out (depends on the teacher). Middle school is leveled (similar to tracked) and my older finds the work sufficiently challenging in level 4 math (there is also an option to advance, in math only, to next grade level). Live west of tracks, deer will eat your garden. Tuscan started a TV-Turnoff program that goes for the entire school year -- over 1/2 the students participate at some level. It has now been rolled out to the entire district at the elementary level. I think you will find that in these towns no-one will look twice at your family diversity unless one of you is non-humanoid. That said, there is more of an Asian demographic in Livingston, not as much here but still visible. Hope this helps. We've been here 15 years and counting. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10887 Registered: 5-2001 |
1. Both South Orange and Maplewood officials indicate that crime is no higher near the Irvington and Newark borders. However, the perception of crime is higher in those areas. 2. The last round of NCLB elementary school tests were not kind to our schools. By far the best performer was South Mountain, which covers the area of South Orange West of Ridgewood Rd. and a smaller area of Maplewood. As pointed out here previously test scores are not the be all and end all of how good a school is. 3. Your Realtor should have discussed with you that South Orange is going to be reassessed next year. Some areas of the Village are probably going to see steap tax hikes based on sales data. 4. I think the road you are talking about is South Orange Avenue, not West Orange Blvd. Also Grove Park is located east of the railroad, in or near the Montrose section of South Orange. 5. My wife and children attend Sorrows and it is a nice church. Their elementary school is very popular with those who want a structured curriculum. 6. If you are commuting to NYC, you can't beat the train ride from either town. | ||
| Camnol Citizen Username: Camnol Post Number: 260 Registered: 3-2005 |
Have you looked at Chatham? | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 14 Registered: 3-2006 |
Wow; a lot of information. Most of it very helpful. BobK, I meant West South Orange Ave; sorry for the mistake. And, of course officials will say that there is not more crime nearer Newark, despite perceptions. That is what elected officials due. I will actually be commuting AWAY from New York, so the proximity of the city is nice for us from a recreational perspective. My wife has been exclusively an urban dweller, and finds California to be pretty rural, believe it or not. That's a big reason why we are considering the extra cost associated with Essex as opposed to Somerset or Union counties. We are also looking in Chatham (and Summit, Westfield, Madison...), but find that the housing stock there is much less selection, much less attractive, or more than we want to spend on my salary alone. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 3157 Registered: 12-2004  |
All of the schools in M/SO have their pros and cons. Everone I know who has a child in any of the schools is very happy with their experience. I live in the Tuscan area but chose to sent my child to Seth Boyden. Not because I had any objections to Tuscan School, but because I felt Seth Boyden fit us better. We've never had a single incident in terms of crime at my house. Partially, I think that's because I have a "big" dog who barks whenever anyone comes near the house, but mostly I think it's because things like that just don't happen in this neighborhood. Can't recall hearing any stories of neighbors having any problems either. Religious, ethnic and socio-economic diversity are pretty much the norm here. Not so much in Chatham, Madison or Basking Ridge. We've been here almost eight years, and I can't imagine living anywhere else. I grew up in upper-middle class homogeneous suburbia (very much like Chatham, Madison and Basking Ridge) and have lived in Philadelphia and Jersey City. I find M/SO to be nicely in the middle of true "suburbia" and city dwelling. | ||
| CLK Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 1988 Registered: 6-2002  |
I am de-lurking for a second just to say this: As far as Catholic churches go, don't overlook Good Shepherd parish in Irvington. It also serves Maplewood. It is in a poorer bordering town, and the neighborhood is run-down. But the parish is very vibrant, and the pastor, Fr. Frank, is one of the most wonderful priests I've ever met. One of those rare gems - his homilies are always right on target, and he seems very spiritual without being weird. He reaches people. If you dig multi-cultural Catholicism, you'll love Good Shepherd. Sorrows is more mainstream middle-to-upper-middle-class, and very nice if that's what you like. The building is beautiful. I've also heard that St. Joe's is a nice community but I've never been to Mass there. | ||
| Camnol Citizen Username: Camnol Post Number: 261 Registered: 3-2005 |
Well, it does sound like M/So is what you are looking for housing wise. I've lived in most of the towns you have mentioned, so feel free to private line me if you have any questions about them. I can tell you that I'm happy with the schools so far, and the majority of my neighbors are happy with them. I feel very safe and I have no problems allowing my children the freedom to walk to town and to school without me. I also make it a point to stay out of the education forum. That was advice given to me when I moved here Good luck to you. Also remember, if you can visit the area during the week, you can schedule an appointment to visit a school or two. | ||
| CLK Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 1989 Registered: 6-2002 |
PS my sister lives in the SF area - Fremont - and I can say with 100% assurance that the schools here are MUCH better than where she is. Her house is worth easily 5 times what my house is worth (maybe more), and she had no choice but to send her kid to a private school as things were so bad there. The stories she told me were pretty outrageous. I have my own few pet issues with the schools here, but these are quibbles in the grand scheme of things. The schools here are quite good. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 15 Registered: 3-2006 |
Fremont is just the opposite side of the Bay from us. The schools there are considered generally above-average around here. The cost of living here is very, very high. In our town, the median price is about $800 per square foot. But, because of Proposition 13 (among other things), our schools, roads, and the state in general, are falling apart. Cam - a couple of the homes we are hoping to see next week are on Osborne Te, and South Crescent. It certainly looks like a very nice area. Another home we really like is on the corner of Ridgewood and Glenside in South Orange. | ||
| Camnol Citizen Username: Camnol Post Number: 262 Registered: 3-2005 |
Ah, I know the Ridgewood/Glenside house. I went to the open house last week (it's my new sport--I love looking at the older homes). It's a beautiful house. My folks live in the S.F. area, so I understand the housing costs. It's just nuts. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2006 |
Cam: that home does like terrific, and a great (.56 acre) piece of property that would be way, way out of reach for me here. Though, the listing agent calls it a Colonial, it plainly looks like an arts and crafts home to me. We have a bunch of those, as there was a big building boom here in Santa Clara county in the period of 1900-1920 when the movement was at its apex. | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 1394 Registered: 3-2002 |
John, where are you currently, and which Bay Area towns have the vibe that you like? To be honest, you'll have to decide how important an Asian population is in your town. We have reasonable access to Asian markets, etc., as other have said, but (as a former Bay Area resident) I continue to be surprised by how few Asian faces I see in town (other than Chinese adoptees -- we even have a local bilingual preschool). I'm not sure what drives the differences. I love these towns, and wouldn't easily trade them for any of the other towns mentioned here! Best of luck finding the match that is right for you. (Editorial aside -- Prop 13 and its impact alone are enough to keep me from becoming a California resident again!) | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 12758 Registered: 1-2003 |
Mightn't S1701 end up proving to be equivalent to prop 13? | ||
| Josh Holtz Citizen Username: Jholtz Post Number: 310 Registered: 4-2004 |
John: We live in the Montrose section and love it. Beautiful old homes, wonderful, caring residents, a nice neighborhood school and Grove Park. I personally have lived in many towns throughout Essex County. Many of the towns claim to be diversified - but none are as integrated as SO/M. We love the fact that when you walk down the street in Maplewood or South Orange - people actually say hi. It is a special community. Good luck. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 4242 Registered: 1-2004  |
You might want to look in Livingston then. There is a very large Asian population there. The Livingston Schools are very good. The town just built a new library. I know the house on Glenside youi're talking about. It's a beautiful house! | ||
| Grrrrrrrrrrr Citizen Username: Oldsctls67 Post Number: 340 Registered: 11-2002  |
I coach lacrosse at Ridge HS in Basking Ridge. While it is definitely not as diverse as Maplewood, I would say that all the usual groups are represented ethnically/religiously. It's not all white kids and a few tokens like it is made out to be. | ||
| Lizziecat Citizen Username: Lizziecat Post Number: 1090 Registered: 5-2003 |
John, there is also another house for sale on Glenside, about halfway up the hill. There were realtors' open houses at both of these homes yesterday (Sunday). | ||
| Grrrrrrrrrrr Citizen Username: Oldsctls67 Post Number: 341 Registered: 11-2002 |
The house on Osborne Terr is around the corner from me...It is owned currently by a very successful Real Estate Agent, and he has done a lot with the house as far as upgrades, etc. Tuscan Elementary school is a 1 1/2 blocks away as you will see. | ||
| Smarty Jones Citizen Username: Birdstone Post Number: 426 Registered: 10-2005 |
John- Having recently gone through this ourselves, I'll share our limited experience. You will immediately find that the majority of your neighbors have moved out from NYC/Hoboken?Jersey City to raise their families.... I'm a registered Republican living in a 99% democrat town. It's not as bad as you might think, if you can live with Political Lawn signs on every other lawn. The town pool is incredible. When we moved here (Maplewood) we were told to buy on the North/West side of the tracks, which is what we did. It's very beautiful here, but my wife actually prefers the part of town between Valley Rd and Springfield Ave., and specifically the area called "Golf Island"....oh well, our mistake for taking subjective advice too seriously. Across the board, everyone loves their elementary schools, I doubt you can go wrong there. The commute to Manhattan is the best in the tri-state area, because you can get to midtown or downtown door-to-door in under an hour. Keep in mind that Midtown direct service is still less than 15 years NEW, and the demand for people wanting to train to NYC only continues to rise. If you are commuting further out (ie using Rt 78) consider looking as far West as you can (in Wyoming area) for proximity to this exit off of Vauxhall rd/Rt 24.) it can be either super easy, or very tedious if you have to drive 25 MPH through the towns to get there. (South Orange has easier access to Rt. 280, which might be your route). Keep in mind, if you fly often, you can be off your plane and in your house (via $32 cab from EWR) in under 45 minutes....VERY NICE. For 1MM or under, you'll find yourself a SWEET pad, as most of the homes from 600k-800k are pretty nice and located proximal to town. With respect to crime, I wouldn't give it a second thought. Relatively low levels, and tremendous Police force/response. (We called 911 once, and had 12 cops at the house in under 5 minutes. I was flabbergasted, although it was a false alarm) In the interest of full disclosure, Maplewood is a VERY diverse town, when you don't include Asian influences....the Best Japanes restaurant in the area (Samurai) just opened a Maplewood location, and that's the closest we can offer what you are seeking. PS. My college friends who live in Bergen and Morris County continually ask when my family is moving to the real "burbs"...they all consider Maplewood/SO city living. PPS. Kings in Short Hills is the only Grocery Store around worth 1/2 a cent. Whole Foods is super-nice if you are into high prices and the organic thing, which we aren't. | ||
| Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1402 Registered: 6-2003  |
John Nance: FYI, I live in Livingston (moved from Maplewood after many years for a variety of reasons...still come to this board for advice on home repair, miscellaneous non-town-specific things), and there is a huge Asian population. Of my daughter's kindergarten class, literally 11 of the 21 children are Asian. My daughter comes home and talks about classmates going to China to visit relatives, celebrating Chinese New Year, etc. There are Chinese, South Koreans, Taiwanese, Japanese, Malaysian...you name it. Out on Rt 10, just over the border with our neighboring town of East Hanover, is a huge Asian food market, and an excellent Malaysian restaurant. Livingston has excellent schools (HS is rated #14 in the state), and is about 10 minutes west of Maplewood. | ||
| Miss L Toe Citizen Username: Miss_l_toe Post Number: 472 Registered: 10-2003 |
John....I'm guessing that your wife is Singaporean and your child/children are Eurasian? We lived in Singapore for a few years and loved it there moved directly here on our current expat posting - I'd go back to Singapore in a heartbeat! I live right next to Maplewood in Millburn township and you might want to check out Millburn and Short Hills too (yes you can get property for less than $1m in SH). There is a large Asian student population attending the township schools, where they excel; the High School is considered one of the best in the State and nation and offers AP classes - with a new Chinese class. It's the norm to see Asian students in the public library after school doing their homework. There are also significant numbers of ethnic Indian and Korean students too. Here is the Millburn township school website: http://www.millburn.org You might like to check out the Millburn properties which border the Reservation and Maplewood (eg. Sagamore & Wyoming and all the little streets just off them) which have some charming homes - it is impossible to see which ones are in Millburn township and which one are in Maplewood - further along Wyoming the houses are in South Orange - you would need a map or/and realtor to show you. Housing taxes are cheaper in Millburn than Maplewood when comparing similar sized properties, but housing prices are a little higher in Millburn because of the esteemed school district. Not much choice re; Singaporean food but 'Ginger Taste' in the old IHOP on Millburn Ave isn't bad. In Chatham there is a Malaysian restaurant run by Chinese Malays from Ipoh. The best Asian grocery/large supermarket with a small 'hawker centre' inside is Kam Man on Route 10 in East Hanover, adjacent to the Home Depot and there is 'Penang' a Malaysian restaurant in the same shopping parade. Across the parking lot is the Royal Buffet with Asian and Western food which is fine for a casual meal but nothing 'special' but family friendly. As mentioned before, Livingston might be a good choice if you don't need the trains to commute into the city and housing prices are cheaper to reflect that - but there is no real 'town centre' in Livingston. | ||
| DRJ Citizen Username: Alaska Post Number: 55 Registered: 9-2005 |
John, I live on Glenside Rd and I can tell you the house you are interested in is beautiful. It is also a great street. Feel free to send me a PL if you would like more information on the neighborhood. Good luck with your search! | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 12759 Registered: 1-2003 |
There are a few "discipline" problems at the high school in the district, called Columbia High School (CHS). But there are in all high schools. I have a unique few of them, I think. I think the stuff that happens is both unacceptable and to be expected, to a degree. I believe we should deal with it swiftly and sharply, which we do, but I'm not shocked to hear of it. I think the kids are definitely safe enough, but nothing in life is risk free. I have two daughters, and I have no guilt about sending them there. My younger starts there next year. CHS does have lots of things for advanced kids. It also has lots of things for kids who need extra help. The most common criticism I hear is that kids in the middle tend to get lost. The most important statistic TO ME is how many kids go from a high school onto four year colleges. This is where CHS does extremely well, even though our test scores are not stellar throughout the student body. I moved from Edison, NJ, where test scores are higher but going to four year colleges is less common. I think I moved to the right place. I think our Asian food around here is excellent until you compare it to places where it's really outstanding, like, well, California. | ||
| Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1403 Registered: 6-2003 |
Miss L Toe, you say housing prices in Livingston are "cheaper" because there's no train. I'd disagree on that. There's virtually nothing on the market out here less than $400K, and there are literally dozens of houses in the $1 million to $1.5 million range, and even some in the $2 million to $3 million range. That's a significantly different type of housing market from M-SO. The middle range of the market appears to be the $700-800K range. As someone who has bought and sold four houses in Essex County and one in Somerset County, I'm pretty up on this stuff for a non-real estate professional. | ||
| John Nance Citizen Username: Johnnance Post Number: 17 Registered: 3-2006 |
Thanks to all for some great information, and also to the couple of folks who sent a PM to me. I really am impressed with how courteous and friendly the people here are to a stranger. I am going to be commuting to Basking Ridge for work, so the train to NYC is a nice week-end feature at this point, and for my wife when she finds work (she works in media, so NYC is really the choice for her). Susan: our home is in Los Altos (on the Peninsula, one town down from Palo Alto. I can ride a bicycle to Stanford in about 10 minutes). We really like the town a lot - many trees, a 'friendly' downtown, only 30-45 minutes from San Francisco). We also like spending time in Palo Alto and Los Gatos, which are similar towns. We almost never go to the East Bay, which to us is basically just Los Angeles north - urban sprawl. Obviously, we do not want to be the only family with Asian faces, but also don't want to live in a 'Chinese ghetto,' like Cupertino is out here. Miss L Toe: actually, my wife is originally from Djakarta in Indonesia, but came to the US via Singapore. When she gets annoyed with me, the Singlish reminds me of those days. Singapore is a great city. I turned down a job there a couple of years back because my wife did not want to move back, though I agree - I would have returned if I were still single. We speak Chinese to our son, so the idea of a bilingual pre-school is very attractive; I will look into it further. The one problem I have with towns like Livingston and Berkeley Heights is that there seem to be far too many McMansions (to use someone else's word). Out here, since land prices are prohibitively high, people will buy a 6000 square foot lot, demolish the 50 year old home, and build a giant, pink stucco box that essentially eclipses the property. Half the front is taken up by a three-car-wide garage. They look like massive Taco Bells. From what my realtor has shown me, those towns seem to replicate the problem. Tom: I think you and I are in almost complete agreement on schools. As a professional mathematician, I understand the statistical fallacy of tracking schools by mean test scores. We'll be there in one week, and the proof, as the old aphorism goes, is in the pudding. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 12771 Registered: 1-2003 |
South Orange and Maplewood have some pretty tough zoning restrictions, and we also seem to carry on a tradition of "good taste" so there are virtually no houses that eclipse the property. It's pretty much illegal. As an experienced cyclist, I regret to tell you that the area is not very hospitable to cycling. I do it, but it does take some well conditioned nerves. I will take a ride with you, if you like, to show you how to negotiate the hostile traffic around here. I have some spare bikes, so if you have time, I'll even go riding with you next week. My email address is noglider@pobox.com |
