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Hello,
We are moving out of NYC and are looking at Paramus and Ridgewood bc of proximity to the city and good reviews. We like that Ridgwood has a great center of town but the taxes are very high. We have family that live in Paramus that say that they get around the traffic issue by using side streets and that Ridgewood traffic can be even worse. We have 3 young children and are looking for good schools and while we see Ridgewood has top rated schools, we want to know if this is going to put crazy pressure on our kids to not feel like kids. Have Paramus schools gotten worse or are they still good? Is Paramus considered middle or upper middle class? Our budget is around $600-700, so this also plays a factor and from what we've heard that would put us on the "poor side" of Ridgewood. It is absolutely necessary to be close to the highways & shopping so that's why we have eliminated many other towns. Excellent schools and transportation very important and of course a good town feel. Can you please give us your thoughts..Thanks!
Wow second post about Paramus this week where I'm glad to chime in!
I'm a proud product of Paramus.
To this day, friends are moving back to raise their own kids.
I have one particular friend who is a music educator in town, and I can say for certain that the arts program there, particularly music, has always been and continues to be very strong.
I would consider the town middle- to upper-middle-class.
You really can't get much closer to shopping than Paramus. Keep in mind that wherever you are in Bergen county, Blue Laws prohibit most businesses to be open on Sunday.
Clearly, Ridgewood is more attractive in more ways than one, but for me personally, if I had the choice of moving into a $650,000 house in either Paramus or Ridgewood, I would lean towards Paramus just because it would be the right fit for me. But that's because I don't currently have to rely on a train system or have the need for a "downtown" per se.
Neither is a bad choice. Edge Ridgewood with downtown, better schools, old-school charm. Traffic's a push. Ridgewood crowded downtown & hard to park there. Paramus with crowded highways.
Apples and oranges. Both nice towns though. The major drawback to Paramus is traffic which spills off highways and onto main roads. Navigating Paramus on a Saturday you need patience and skill.
I am quite familiar with Paramus and Ridgewood. No matter where you end up I think you'll be quite happy with either town even though they are somewhat different. Paramus schools, while not as good as Ridgewoods, are no slouch and have done quite well over the years. Paramus is also more an upper middle class town. However there is really no town feel as there is no downtown spot for the community to congregate. Also Rt 17 splits the town in half (you can't exactly cross that on foot as opposed to the railroad tracks in Ridgewood). Rt 17 also crosses eastern Ridgewood so just don't live east of 17 in Ridgewood--stay west which isn't hard. Also keep in mind Ridgewoods taxes can be as much as double Paramus but in Paramus you pay for it with traffic and malls. The only busy streets in Ridgewood that get congested are East (not West) Ridgewood Ave, Maple Ave (near downtown) and Franklin/Garber Square/Godwin. I am a little confused with you saying 600k will get you on the poor side of Ridgewood. First of all there is no poor side of Ridgewood. There may be some neighborhoods not as desirable (busy street, too close to railroad tracks, etc) but there are no poor neighborhoods. In fact I found one home in your price range on MLS at 669k located near one of if not the best elementary school in Ridgewood (Willard) on a side street. The only drawback is it has 3 bedrooms so with three kids they won't be able to have their own rooms. Paramus you should get more room for your money but you loose the amenities of Ridgewood. It's a toss up.
There are two other towns I think you should also look into--Glen Rock (borders Ridgewood) and Oradell (borders Paramus). Glen Rock schools are top notch (better than Ridgewood) and they have a nice downtown while Oradell sends there kids to River Dell (not as good as Ridgewood but better than Paramus) and they also have a nice downtown area.
There are two other towns I think you should also look into--Glen Rock (borders Ridgewood) and Oradell (borders Paramus). Glen Rock schools are top notch (better than Ridgewood) and they have a nice downtown while Oradell sends there kids to River Dell (not as good as Ridgewood but better than Paramus) and they also have a nice downtown area.
But really, if you send your kids to any of those schools is it really going to make a difference? Like your kids will gain IQ points by going to Glen Rock schools over River Dell?
But really, if you send your kids to any of those schools is it really going to make a difference? Like your kids will gain IQ points by going to Glen Rock schools over River Dell?
That's what the statistics show but your right. Any school in this area is a good choice.
Last edited by rural_urban; 07-24-2013 at 05:05 PM..
I think RW hands down. My concern with Paramus is the constant continuing to build out. Meaning just when you think they can't possibly fit one more big box store in that area, poof, another one goes up. Just no break from it. I think resale will also always be more steady in a town like RW than in Paramus. I also like the walkability factor that comes with Ridgewood. Regarding your budget, I would say that $600-$700k is the most sought after. After that it just breaks into large expensive properties $900 k and up. Below the 600k you'll find mostly fixer uppers or capes. RW is pretty big and you have a bit of everything in town. But there is no way you will feel 'poverty' after buying a home in that budget. Unless of course you choose to play the keeping up with the Joneses game. And last but not least in your case, a little separation from family isn't too bad a thing sometimes
I don't think Paramus is upper-middle class. It's a middle-class town with wanna-be's. Out of PURE CURIOUSITY...what do you and your husband do for a living?
I don't think Paramus is upper-middle class. It's a middle-class town with wanna-be's. Out of PURE CURIOUSITY...what do you and your husband do for a living?
What makes you say Paramus is a town of wanna-bes? Wanna-be what? Not trying to be defensive or start an argument here, but we're looking to possibly move there soon, so any additional information (if critical, hopefully constructive) would be helpful.
We chose a budget of $1mm and can definitely afford Ridgewood, but elected for Paramus because of the lower taxes since our family wouldn't be taking advantage of the school system for at least another 5 years. There's a similar feel of the neighborhoods (for the areas North and West of Rte 17, which are less affected by commerce and it's accompanying traffic), lower snob factor and pressure of keeping up w/ the Jones'.
Paramus schools we feel would not be as ultra-competitive and more diverse (we've heard stories of Ridgewood parents holding their kids back a grade to gain an edge, don't know how true this is), and we know our kids' are going to be smart anyway . There's also more bang for the buck in terms of land/house, but of course there are reasons for that. I am definitely not knocking on Ridgewood, which we have seriously considered. It's a gorgeous town w/ excellent schools and a great community it seems, but it just might not be for us.
My wife and I both work on Wall St btw, just to satiate your curiousity. We consider ourselves upper-middle class, even by Manhattan standards.
Last edited by jpf723; 07-25-2013 at 07:56 AM..
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