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Yeah, my question is about the town. IMO, I think the town is a nice town and a good place to live it. It's quite a large township and has a variety of homes and the different parts of the town aren't the same. They're all a little bit different in their own way. So this to me sounds like WO would be a good place to live, because it offers so much variety. I've been to the area many times, and I know different families from the town. But people don't exactly have the greatest things to say about the town, and I was wondering why? My guess is, it's because the schools aren't the best.
A good family friend of ours has a daughter my age that attends WOHS. She said it's horrible, and it's so big that they need ID cards and they security checkpoints or some stuff like that. And I thought that WO was to supposed to be the best off of all the Oranges? I understand that the school demographics are made up of mostly minorities. I still don't know why people don't give it as high ratings as it should. I think it's slightly underrated as a town. It's not a bad area from what I can tell.
West Orange is the most suburban and safest town out of all the oranges, I personally think 90 percent of the town is a great place to live if you are looking for safety, nice homes, nature, retail etc. Most people complain about the heavy traffic on the main drags, the overload of chain/large department stores instead of more small mom and pop businesses.
Historic West orange (the area near the thomas edison muesum off main st) has gone down hill over the years. It's nothing compared to newark but its defiantly a little run down and lower income housing. I actually don't really know why WOHS has mostly minorities. If I were to guess it's becauase most of the wealthier families who live in the St. Cloud or Gregory section of town have feared the large high school atmosphere and can afford to send their kids to private schools. Meanwhile minority students from lower income areas of WO go to the high school. Essex county high schools are known to be just average so it's no suprise that even though WO is a great community, the schools in it are not so good. Other high schools similar to WOHS are montclair, columbia and union high.
West orange is very safe and has a reputation as being a stable solidly middle class suburb. Of course all is relative to one's taste but I highly recommend west orange.
If you have any other questions just ask.
I agree with midwestern45, West Orange is a great town. My grandparents live in the St.Cloud area and its by far the best orange, hands down. South Orange is nice but West Orange is much nicer much more suburban. I didnt go to school there but the amount of minorities in the school is hard to believe, there is a substantial african american minority which is a good thing but whites far outnumber everyone there I guess a lot do go to private school. Crime also is at a record low and keeps going down. The only downside to West Orange as opposed to south orange is that it does not have as much character as perhaps south orange, but they have started a huge project in the valley with condos and townhouses and retail to re-vitalize the downtown. If it works it will only strengthen the town. In terms of diversity, safety, housing stock and natural beauty West Orange is one of the best towns in the area.
Yes there are gangs in so. orange and definitly in maplewood. Just because you don't see them dosent mean there not there. Did you ever hear the term outta sight outta mind. They don't have to be on the street hanging out. It could be parks or friends porches. Theres haitian bloods from irvington and newark on 18th av that live in maplewood and got little groups over there. All you gotta do is go to columbia high after school and observe the kids and watch for hand shakes and bandanas.
You reactivated a seven-year-old thread to say that?
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