Hi Rockysci, the best town where to raise kids in Northern NJ is Nutley. Great school, very safe... I raised my kids here, they went to school here and we still leave the back door unlocked...It's also a middle class town unlike Glen Ridge, Montclair and the ones in Bergen County, which are usually more expensive markets and with higher taxes than Nutley. If you are still interested in buying, contact me at : daniela.mateescu@coldwellbanker.com
I would be happy to help you in any way I can.

Thanks everyone for the great responses.
Tonton, they reason we're thinking of leaving Rutherford are for 2 reasons. One, we kind of had some disagreements with our neighbors that had to go to the town court to work out. While many of our neighbor are great, we still feel like we just don't belong here. And two, it seems Rutherford is broke. It hasn't really hit just yet, but they are starting to cut back services and in the four years we've been there, our street has been a pothole mess with giant sized potholes and no fix in sight . There's talk about more cuts in future budgets including police and education (which is why we moved to Rutherford in the first place). I don't know if I'm needlessly worried about the state of the town, but I want to see what else is out there in case there is a place I've overlooked.

I always thought that Rutherford is a safe town with good schools. Actually I am looking to buy in Rutherford because it is close to the city (I work in the City/Midtown) and has good schools. May I ask why you are moving? Unfortunatelly we couldn't find a house yet which we liked.

Rocky,
Hi there are some great homes in Lyndhurst and North Arlington. Also Hasbrook Heights has some beautiful homes with excellent pricing right now. I have lived in Lyndhurst for years , great place to raise children and the towns I've indicated have a lot to offer. Have you considered locations closer to your wife's shop? I can put together some info on the surrounding towns and we can discuss. Feel free in contact me, I'm sure I can be of assistance.
Thank you,
Charlene Nagel
Agent
Weichert Realtors
charlenetn2@yahoo.com
201-842-1279

Hi Rocky,

It is helpful to priortize your search by price range and other factors that are important to you such as school programs, style of home, condition of home, size of property, etc.

There is a "first time" homebuyer tax credit available which you might qualify for. If you are considering short sales and foreclosures, I would be happy to explain the pros and cons of them to you.

There are many great towns in this area and if you go to the various towns website you will find additional information on town activities, a link to the schools, recreational activites, and other useful information.

I can set up a number of searches for you if you like so you can see what's available in your price range.

I am a full-time realtor and I would be happy to work with you.

Please feel to contact me at anytime with any questions you may have.

Thank you,
Eve

If you want me to do that, please send me your email and the price range you are in, how many bedrooms, etc.

I work througout Northern NJ including Bergen, Essex, Passaic, and Hudson counties. I can help you in Morris and Union counties as well.

Rocky,

What price range are you looking at, number of beds/baths? Since you mentioned Montclair and Glen Ridge in Essex County, Nutley is also great town to raise a family although the taxes are high but it is still a very desirable town. Other good possibilities for Essex are Verona, Cedar Grove, Roseland (but now you are getting a little bit farther) and even Little Falls in neighboring Passaic County can also be good choices.

I cover the Essex County area so if interested in receiving specific information about available homes and/or schoo/town information, please visit my website below or contact me directly.

Good luck with your home search.

Gina Chirico, Sales Associate
Prudential NJ Properties
973-715-1158 cell
973-992-6363 ext 116
Gina.Chirico@PrudentialNewJersey.com