Check the site city-data.com. All the answers of home owners are highly subjective.

Hmmm, I live in Cliffside Park just south of the Fort Lee border. The elementary schools are great but I don't know how good the high school is (I'm under the impression that Fort Lee's is better but my child is only in 1st grade and we're not planning on staying here for more than 3 yrs- we want to move to a warmer climate- so I haven't done extensive research on it). Personally, I wouldn't go any farther south along the Hudson than I am right now because there *is* a dip in school quality when you hit Hudson county. That area's population is growing but a lot of the new development seems more geared to young couples than to families. I expect the schools there to improve as the tax base goes up but right now you'll find better schools in Bergen than in Hudson.

Commuting:
On a good day, it takes me about 35-40 minutes to reach the Port Authority on 42nd St & 8th Ave in NYC. On a bad day it's anyone's guess. There are express bus lines up and down this whole area, and trains if you go farther inland. (check the train map and the bus & train schedules on http://www.njtransit.com/)
Don't let anyone fool you into thinking you're going to have a really short commute from Apline, Demarest, etc. Those are lovely towns, with gorgeous homes, beautiful parkland, etc but they're farther up on the commuting routes so it's going to take longer than 40 minutes. If you want to live up there, get yourself used to doing some work during the commute or get up a lot earlier and sleep on the bus. There are always tradeoffs - you'll live in a beautiful place but you'll spend more time commuting. For what it's worth, I *love* that part of Bergen county. The easy access to the Palisades Park system is a definite plus, the area isn't as densely populated as the towns that follow it to the south (Ft. Lee, Cliffside Park, Edgewater), and it just feels like a relaxing place to live.

Best of luck with the house hunting!
L.

Hi...I live and work in Demarest. I am a Realtor for 20 years. I put all 3 of my children thru the school system. As far as real estate value it has not stopped increasing in the over 30 years I live here. People don't leave they upgrade their homes within the community. My husband is a builder and has built many homes in the area. My advise professionally and personally...Buy A Home In Demarest! Thru ME!
There are many great towns in Bergen County with super commutes. Feel free to call and chat anytime. Good Luck,
Niki Hayden

I live and work in the Union county for the past eight years, and go to NYC very often, some times by train and some times by bus.
I find the Union county area, Union township, Cranford, Kenilworth, Westfield and Roselle Park to have great schools excellent quality of live, reasonable property taxes, and a good value for the homes with price range for all income levels, and yet easy commute to the city, about 30 minutes rush hour or not, there are abundance of bus lines and train schedule to fit just about anybody’s need

I am a Bergen County realtor and have raised my family in Teaneck for the past 25 years. Bergen County has many good school systems; in general, almost all of them will be very good for your family. In my opinion, the ones which are in towns closest to NYC for commuting are Tenafly, Teaneck, River Edge, Oradell, Cresskill, Demarest, Haworth, etc. There are many others a little further out -- depends on what your destination is in NYC. If it's midtown, then I stand by my list. If it's lower Manhatten and you are getting there by PATH train from the NJ Transit lines, then you open yourself up to Fair Lawn, Ridgewood, Wyckhoff, Allandale, Ramsey, Hillsdale, Emerson, etc. Some of the towns are smaller and more homogeneous, some are more multicultural and have a wider socio-economic range. For my family, the Teaneck schools were very good to my children, who are now grown, and were the first in the nation in the 1960's to voluntarily integrate. Depending on your price range and wish list for a type of community, a realtor can narrow down your choices with you.

I live in Demarest, my daughter attended public school from kindergarten and graduated from Northern Valley High School, Demarest. She recently graduated from Northwester University (on merit scholarship) - plus the commute is easy. My husband works in Wall St and goes downtown everyday. Great town!

I do understand that Englewood cliffs has a great school system and low taxes however they do not have their own High School so depending on the Age of your Children this should be taken into consideration.
mia@villonrealty.com

Hello NJ,
The trains from Millburn are according to the schedule 37-41 minutes to Penn station in the morning and 41 to 45 minutes from the Summit stop. Newer homes in either of these towns are rare except for multi million dollar tear downs.
Here are some links for elementary schools in Summit and Millburn;
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/rcoptions.php?c=13;d=31… Millburn
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/rcoptions.php?c=39;d=50… Summit

and middle schools
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/rcoptions.php?c=13;d=31… Millburn
Hope this helps.

Hi NJ,

Newer houses, great schools, 40 real minutes to New York... Englewood Cliffs. I have prepared a report for you with detailed listing sheets for everything in Englewood Cliffs that is presently on the market. Have a look and let me know what you think. The link is shown below:

-Marc

Allendale, Ridgewood and Ramsey are all along the train line-great resale, schools & all have beautiful downtown areas. You can really work the train schedule to keep if from door to door about an hour. Less than that I have never really hear of -unless you live in Hoboken and walk to the path- or go very early. lived right outside the lincoln tunnel and it still took 45+ min in the morning. So closer to the city does not garuntee a quicker commute. Later I moved out further and the commute was the same that is the way the train schedules are set up. Not all trains stop at all stops - so the farther out they have some express trains. On the weekend and off hours obviously it take a few min to drive--There is no Traffic.

Wow, I did not expect to hear the responses I have received. By looking at the map, I thought it would be Englewood Cliffs, Demarest, Glen Rock, Harrington Park, Oradell, Tenafly.

I work in midtown near Hearld Sq and I really would like to limit the commute to be below 40 minutes and I'm interested in elementary & middle schools and areas where they have newer houses.

Hi NJ,

I'm sure you are going to get some other input, with all the Realtors selling their schools. But are you really strict on that 40 minutes? If you are leaving during the morning rush and you actually want to arrive in midtown or downtown in 40 minutes FLAT, you are really going to be drawing a close line to the Hudson River, and you are going to eliminate from contention most of the great schools I just listed.

So if I'm representing you, I need to know where in Manhattan you work and how you are going to get there. Then I need to know how much time you REALLY want to spend on the road. Then we draw the line. Then I find and rate the available schools. Then we find the house. Figure out the right price. Make the offer. Deal with the home inspection issues. Close the deal.

But, you could live in Edgewater, with the Hudson River licking at your toes, and it would take you 30
minutes to get to 30th St. during the morning rush.

So I would really clarify your commuting time goals before you get the glowing reports from all the proud parents who really spend 60-90 minutes a day making that 45 minute commute.

-Marc

Millburn/Short Hills and Summit offer great school systems with NY train stops as well as easy access to Route 78. More trains are available out of Summit because it is a where the Morris/Essex and Peapack Gladstone lines meet. Resale value is very strong even in a buyers market.

Bergen County in General is known for a Good School sytem, in some towns it depends on in Which section you live, Many towns are Blue Ribbon schools and they compete with the next town and then the following year the next town is the best, known to all are towns of Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Midland Park, Demarest,Hayworth, Harrington Park, Allendale Upper Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, etc. wow there are so many and all of them Within close distance to NYC. There are reports available for these schools on NJMLS, fell free to contact me at mia@villonrealty.com for more info

Millburn/Short Hills and Mountain Lakes are among the best school districts hands down. Also extremely good are Summit, Westfield, Livingston, and Ridgewood.