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Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2684
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 1:59 pm: | 
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Any knowlege of this place, or likely resources? A friend at work is looking to move a bit closer in. We work in Jersey City, and right now she lives in Randolph. Looking to be closer, good schools. Husband's mother lives with them and looks after their toddlers. Some proximity to Indian community would be a plus, but not at all required. Prefer a downtown area. Long Hill is said to be near Chatham and Watchung. She heard that kids in Long Hill go to Watchung high school, so she's curious about school quality, etc.
Thanks! |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4812
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 2:25 pm: |
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Long Hill is a great community. You won't find many Indians there though. Parsippanny and Edison have a large Indian population. I find it hard to bellive the kids from Long Hill go to Watchung Schools. The two towns are not even close to each other! I thought the kids from Warren and Watchung went to Watchung Hills High School. Long Hill I thought shared a school system with a couple of other towns. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3024
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 2:26 pm: |
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http://www.longhill.org/
Long Hill has 3 sections, Gillette, Sterling and Millington. Millington is the farthest west and butts against Basking Ridge. Gillette is close to Berkeley Heights, Watchung and Chatham Township (not Chatham Boro). Sterling is in the middle.
From the website it looks like you are correct, they all attend Watchung HS. I never knew this despite growing up in ajoining Berkeley Heights! In addition, it says that Watchung HS gets students from Watchung (duh), Green Brook and Warren.
School report card:
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc05/rcoptions.php?c=35;d=5550;s=050;lt=W;st=A
Their schools break down as follows:
Gilette: PreK-1st grade
Millington: 2-5 grade
Central: 6,7,8 grade
Watchung Regional: 9-12
I know Millington is very cute, with lots of land. Gillete and Sterling have some older homes but I think most of area is 1970's, splits, ranches and colonials. The "downtown" areas aren't that cute or walkable, but there are a surprisingly large number of retail/supermarkets/etc. There is also a lot of new mcmansion development there.
My co-worker is Indian and has family in Gilette. I'll ask him about the community in the area. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4813
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 2:39 pm: |
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WOW I'm surprised to hear the kids go to Watchung Hills for high school! Long Hill is pretty close to Chatham. I use to have friends in Millington. Don't remember them going to Watchung Hills. Though I did have a friend in Warren who did. Warren and Watchung are off Route 78 on the other side of Berkeley Heights (where another handful of friends lived!) My friend in Warren Lived on Hillcrest. One of those in BH lived on Lenape Road.
What a strange school system! The high school kids come from different towns then the lower graders! The Long Hill website says it's over 75 percent White. Doesn't list any Indian population. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3025
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 2:58 pm: |
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Just asked my co-worker and he confirmed that there is not a large Indian community in that area. Strangely enough though there were several Indian families that all moved into a new development at the same time he did. So maybe the demographics are changing.
Watchung is actually quite large geographically, and the HS is just south of the middle of Sterling. Interesting that the HS is in Somerset County yet Long Hill is Morris.
Might also look at Berkeley Heights and New Providence, although they are probably more expensive. |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2686
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:14 pm: |
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Thanks, guys. Turns out my friend is aware of the large Indian community in Gillette. Her big interest is in schools related stuff (data) and what actual parents do. She has some fairly well-off acquaintances in Watchung who send their kid to private h.s. Without getting in to the grit of it, she wasn't sure whether it was "just cuz they could" or a reflection on the h.s. quality.
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Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3026
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:22 pm: |
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I think the HS is rated pretty well, the report card seems to indicate that. The Long Hill school system itself seems pretty small, so it might be a bit of a shock to go to the HS purely because of the number of kids. In terms of wealth, I'd say Long Hill kids are below Warren and parts of Watchung, and above Green Brook.
My co-worker's cousin has a toddler (3 or 4?) I believe. They seem to like it there. |
Camnol
Citizen
Username: Camnol
Post Number: 319
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:29 pm: |
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Well, in my experience Long Hill is not known for its elementary schools. Watchung Regional high school does have a good reputation. Long Hill is a sprawling area, so there is not much of a sense of community. There is a very large Catholic school there that a lot of kids go to. The Millington area is closer to Basking Ridge, for what it's worth.
It's a nice enough area. The shopping is "strip-mally." Grocery stores are close by. Without knowing your friends it is hard to say if they would like it. I always suggest spending as much time as possible in an area to try and get a feel for the fit. Now that the weather is nice, they can hang out in the parks, eat dinner in local restaurants... |
catmanjac
Citizen
Username: Catmanjac
Post Number: 155
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 4:49 pm: |
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"Leo" the MGM lion is buried in Long Hill. "Cheetah" the chimp is rumored to be buried there too, though there is no marker. |
Calliope
Citizen
Username: Calliope
Post Number: 147
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 5:44 pm: |
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Cheeta just celebrated his 74th birthday in a sanctuary named in his honor.
www.cheetathechimp.org |
catmanjac
Citizen
Username: Catmanjac
Post Number: 159
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 5:50 pm: |
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Yes, I do recall reading that recently about Cheetah.
Also read http://www.roadsideamerica.com/pet/leo.html |
Calliope
Citizen
Username: Calliope
Post Number: 148
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 6:17 pm: |
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Thanks for the link, catmanjac, sorry for the thread drift
There were probably more than one Cheeta---just like all the actors who played Tarzan.
Anyway, Long Hill has some beautiful spots including a magnificent 9/11 memorial on the grounds of the Shrine of St.Joseph. The Shrine received a donation of I-beams salvaged from the rubble,from the construction company of former Secretary of Labor Ray Donovan,who is a supporter of the Shrine. The I-beams form the housing for antique, graduated bells, which chime every quarter hour,lest we forget. The setting is lovely,quiet and very moving,overlooking the watershed.
Calli} |
Camnol
Citizen
Username: Camnol
Post Number: 320
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 6:58 pm: |
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The Shrine is a beautiful spot. Definitely worth a visit. My favorite Thai restaurant is out that way, too--Thai Thai, in Stirling. |
catmanjac
Citizen
Username: Catmanjac
Post Number: 160
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 7:39 pm: |
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Yes, Long Hill Twp is beautiful, though it has been a while since I've been through there. When I was in my teens I used to bicycle frequently in that area, and across the border into the Chathams and Morristown. I suppose like so many areas, it too has been built up with numerous strip malls, housing developments, etc. They call it "progress." I knew someone in high school (CHS '76) who wanted to escape all of this. I recently learned that he became a dentist and has been living in a suburban(?) area if Vermont, the 2nd least populated state according to today's Ledger. And I thought Sussex County was "getting away from it all." |
kevin
Supporter
Username: Kevin
Post Number: 695
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 8:21 am: |
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Long Hill (Gillette, Stirling, Millington) was called Township of Passaic until the late 80s.
Yes, students go to Watchung Hills for high school only.
Watchung Hills sending districts are: Watchung, Warren (where school is located), Long Hill, and since 1990 or so - Green Brook.
Kids are bussed to and from school
I never really understood how this works tax wise. Long Hill is in Morris County, yet Watchung Hills High School and all of the other sending districts are in Somerset County.
Know nothing about an Indian population. To follow on JTA's comments, if the school is now over 75% white, it has gotten better since 15-20 years ago, the schools were not diverse at all and at least 99% white.
Local rag = Echos Sentinal
This is only specific to people who plan on taking the train to NY: If you are commuting to the city, plan for about 2 hours each way door to door. The Gladstone line will leave you stuck in Summit where you have to change trains when you are on some of the later trains from Penn.
In the past 10 years, the whole area has really, really changed and has been built up.
Very easy to hop on Rt 78 from there.
Zoesky1 could tell you more about the feel of living out there since she had lived in Warren for a year or so.
Also, the cops are real ballbusters in Long Hill. Nearly all of them have chips on their shoulders. They pride themselves on this as well as being best dressed ( http://www.longhillnj.org/police/lhpdo_uniform/lhpd_uniform.html ). Be warned.
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Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3033
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 8:22 am: |
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Funny what someone said about the elementary schools, check out the school report cards (see my HS link above) and look at the description written by the Super. He seems like a very angry dude. No idea how that affects school quality though. |
Camnol
Citizen
Username: Camnol
Post Number: 321
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 9:23 am: |
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"Also, the cops are real ballbusters in Long Hill. Nearly all of them have chips on their shoulders. They pride themselves on this as well as being best dressed ( http://www.longhillnj.org/police/lhpdo_uniform/lhpd_uniform.html ). Be warned."
I totally agree with this! They will pull you over for going 2 miles over the speed limit (happened to me--even though I was between two cars and the one behind me was riding my bumper). I suppose we could use some of that around here, though! |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1456
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:00 pm: |
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Kevin is right --- yes, I did live in Warren for one year (2002-2003) prior to my divorce (maybe it was the cause of it....no, just kidding). Long Hill is the northern boundary of Warren in some places, and I used to cut through it regularly to get to Chatham. In fact, we lived on the northern edge of Warren very near the Gillette town line...we could walk through a forest and come out in Gillette. Long Hill is very pretty. I noticed lots of farms, stables, berry stands, etc. mixed in with new and old housing. Very hilly, suburban without being too built up. But the commute was NOT good. My ex-husband used to take the train from Gillette to NYC, and found the Summit change to be a total pain. The commute was exhausting for him. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom, so I never experienced the commute firsthand. The high school (Watchung Hills Regional) is among the best in the state, but I have no knowledge of Long Hill elementaries. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3040
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:43 pm: |
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If they work in Jersey City they can take the Hoboken line, no need to change.
In fact there is no need to change for NJ Penn except off peak.
But the commute does suck compared to here. Hubster commuted to JC and NYC from Basking Ridge for 8 years (2 stops after Gilette). Commute might not be as bad than Randolph though. |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2688
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 2:22 pm: |
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They've been driving from Randolph, albeit on an early schedule so miss some traffic. As you say, the commute would be better than that. Won't live in Essex county for love nor money given taxes...rather put their cash in the best possible house for their needs (one mother in law with them so far, maybe another coming, and they provide childcare), provided schools are good by their lights. Prefer not to do the private school route. Plus, they're early 30's so personal wear and tear doesn't seem to get to them like it does me! |
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