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Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Ho-ho-kus, Wyckoff, Allendale, Ramsey, Mahwah, Alpine, Tenafly, Hillsdale, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River...and the list goes on. Not all offer good commute to the city but as far as schools, they are all top notch!
I have to disagree about Saddle River. It's one of the wealthiest towns in the country, so you'd think it would have outstanding schools, but it does not. Saddle River, despite its millionaires and celebrities, has very low property taxes so I guess maybe there's not money to build/have better schools. There's no high school there (SR citizens go to private schools or to Ramsey or Allendale) and the elementary school, Wandell, is very small and doesn't give a good education. My two friends who went there didn't realize it at the time but their schooling was a joke-- they got to go on some expensive trips to Canada and Mystic, CT, but they didn't learn much in the classroom and the teachers were lazy. That was about a decade ago, so maybe things have improved, but I know property taxes have not increased so I don't see how.
You might want to try private schools if you can afford it, although my friends went to Catholic private high schools in the area and also agree that their high school education was nothing to brag about.
As someone else has stated, Millburn/Short Hills and Livingston have top schools and are about 1/2 hours drive to either the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels. Short Hills has a direct train. Livingston has an express bus.
All of the towns mentioned here are great, and I'd live in any one of them. None of them are isolated, but some do give you more property than others. Personally, I like not being able to smell what my neighbors are cooking. A few towns that weren't mentioned here but are great towns, are Mendham, Warren, Watchung, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernards Twp., and Peapack/Gladstone. All of them are a bit pricey, but from what you say, you can afford them anyway. I live in Warren, and I love it. It's quiet, almost rural in some places, but in 5 minutes, you have be on Rte 22 and all the stores that it has to offer. Bridgewater Commons and The Mall at Short Hills are two very nice malls that can quench anyone's thirst for shopping. Oh, and the schools??? All are Blue Ribbon School Districts. I believe that the Warren Hills School District is also one of the best in the country. Top 200 if I remember correctly. Trains to the city are run in or around those towns, so access is pretty easy. Personally, I work downtown and I prefer to drive to Harrison and take the PATH. I leave my house at 7, and I'm sitting at my desk at 8:30.
Glen Ridge! Came in at # 9 or 10 in the NJ Monthly issue. Small town, Great atmosphere and a short commute to NYC...less than 25 minutes on the train direct to Penn Station. Gas Lanterns, tree lined streets, beautiful old homes and a great community. Check out the town website at www.glenridgnj.org (broken link)
I have to agree with the last post, Glen Ridge is well respected for it's excellent schools and why people want to move there. I'm a local realtor and live in Montclair (neighbors GR) and it's got a well regarded district, but in GR, it's a known "thing". I think there are alot of places in NJ with good schools and many without. Overall, some communities where you may have more involved parents, you have better schools. I can tell you that alot of people move to Essex County (Montclair, Glen Ridge, Verona, even areas of Bloomfield, West Orange) specifically for the school districts. Of course, that often comes with higher priced homes and taxes but there's always a trade off!
Elaine
There are tons of towns in NJ that are relatively close to NYC. I know Essex County well as I'm a local realtor and NY translplant...it's why many of us move here. It depends also on the general atmosphere, pulse of a town that you seek. If you want a more suburban type environment, Bergen County is a bit more like that. Essex is somewhat more young, hip...at l least in towns like Montclair, Glen Ridge, Verona, Bloomfield, Nutley, West Orange where alot of folks want to live. In Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, there's the midtown direct train to Penn...total is approx. 30 minutes. The other towns are a short drive to train or have jitneys to the train and there's also private (Decamp) and public (NJTransit) bus service. Montclair is a hub for alot of towns because it has more amenities; restaurants, art, theatre, music. Of course, prices, taxes are not always pretty and that's why the neighboring towns including Bloomfield, Verona, West Orange get alot of attention...house prices and taxes are this much less and still close to the fun stuff! Moderator cut: See TOS, no advertising, especially by realtors.
I have to disagree with the reply on Saddle River-it's a tiny town and most districts in Bergen County are regional because there are many small towns, therefore a lot of them share high schools- but agree that many of the Catholic High School's in the area are a joke. However, I would go with Tenafly, Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Ramsey or Hillsdale-all excellent school districts and relatively easy commutes to the city-they all have train stations that can get you there kind of quickly.
Dear MNladdy,
My husband is also considering a relocation from London to NY. I would be very interested in any information you manage to assimilate on good schools, there have been a lot of helpfull responses but quite a spread of areas. My chn are pre-schoolers but like you feel education is of paramount importance.
Thanks in advance. Yummum
Hello, Somerset county and Hunterdon are blue ribbon school couties. They were voted the best counties to live in for children in NJ. They offer a lot for children. 50 minutes to Manhatten. Country and upscale living with many schools to choose from. Good Luck!
Hunterdon Central is a Blue Ribbon High School . My 2 children graduated from there and we were very happy with it.
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