Edison / Highland Park - Can I PM you for info?

purpleink

Mon, Dec 16 2013, 10:07 am

Hi- I am interested in learning more about Highland Park/ Edison. Any imamothers out there I can contact? I am looking for a warm, simple, frum, progressive community with excellent schools (by excellent I mean that the teachers care about the students, there is a low teacher to student ratio, differentiated learning, etc). I have heard nice things about HP but want to learn more.

Thank you!

purpleink

Tue, Dec 17 2013, 11:33 am

I'm looking to learn about the schools in specific. What are the options? What are the differences between them?

I hear the community is diverse and are not judgmental. Is this accurate?

Is this a wealthy community? What is the standard of living? What is the cost of living?

What are the different shuls and what are the differences between them?

Is HP a safe area? (I went to visit Passaic and was struck by how unsafe the main areas seemed to be)

Is the modern part of the community specifically YU? (like Teaneck, Fairlawn, Wash Heights)

Thank you!

smiledr, should I still PM? I didn't realize the complexities of asking to PM others...

amother

Tue, Dec 17 2013, 11:39 am

I don't know the answers to your specific questions, but I do want to tell you what an amazing, warm community of chesed this is. The way they rally around the patients and families that are in RWJ and Children's Specialized, visiting on the hottest or coldest of days, walking long distances on Shabbos, taking shifts with patients, opening their hearts and homes to family members in need of places to stay for Shabbos. This community is a family. A beautiful family. We are forever indebted to them.

amother

Wed, Jan 01 2014, 9:23 pm

amother wrote:

What type are the different neighborhoods in HP? I don't want another Flatbush and I'm getting the feeling people in north hp are like that.
And Does anyone know of who to contact for foreclosed or short sale houses in this neighborhood?

Do you currently live in HP? Because Im from there and have no clue what you are talking about!

For houses you can try calling a real estate agent. Many people are happy with Rebecca Rivkin and Juliet krumholtz.

amother

Wed, Jan 01 2014, 10:20 pm

New amother here.

There are 3 schools. Shaarei tzion which caters to the beis yaakov crowd, RPRY (coed in the younger grades) which caters to the modern crowd, and netivot which is a Montessori school which is very small, and the hashkafa is very very modern. Im not sure what your standard is. RJJ is a boys right wing yeshiva and there is a kolel at OE (the more right wing shul).

There is a wide variety of people - from very very frum (even a few chassidish) to totally not frum. There are a lot of shuls in the area ranging from more right wing to very left wing...

There is a pizza store, Sushiana, park place - fleishig restaurant and Glatt27 for a grocery store and take out - which does have everything but is pretty pricy. Shop rite on route 18 (abt a 10-15 min drive) has pretty much everything and much cheaper.

The chabad mikva is gorgeous, clean, quiet and nicely maintained. They are always adding nice stuff. Its by appointment only. The highland park mikva opens after 9.

A decent 3 bedroom house is probably in the 300k range and an ok 4 bedroom house is in the $400k range. For a stunning 4 bed, 4 bath home, you will pay close to $600k. But taxes is very very expensive and can range from $8-$15,000 a year.

highland park homes are much older and need a lot of work done and Edison homes are a bit cheaper. However, to live in the jewish edison area, there aren't that many DECENT homes that are in really good condition at a really good price....

you can start looking online.
We are potentially thinking of buying a home but didn't look into anything seriously so didn't contact any real estate offices. Maybe they have a better luck.

amother

Wed, Jan 01 2014, 10:51 pm

I used to live there and whereas housing on the north side might be generally more costly, I wouldn't compare it at all to Flatbush. Highland Park is a nice, comfy, easy going place. Different types of people but they all still talk to one another! I'm trying to convince my married children to move back there.

amother

Wed, Jan 01 2014, 11:10 pm

Btw, the Montessori school has over 100 kids. Not sure what "very, very modern" means, but the students have a uniform, all Judaic studies teachers have to cover their hair, there is regular davening, learning, etc. (Girls are not learning Gemorah, boys are:)) The hashkafa of the parent body runs the gamut, that's true.

amother

Thu, Jan 02 2014, 9:24 pm

Im the 10:20 a mother .
The children that come out of netivot are very self confident, have great social skills and self assured. Its an excellent school.
I dont want to out myself here, so I will be vague, but im involved in an organization that involves children from all the schools so I see the different children and how they interact with their peers.
I would love to send my kids to that school but our hashkafa is much more to the right so it wouldnt work for us. Our kids will be goingbto shaarei tzion.
The school has 2-3 grades in a class.
I know that grades 4-6 is one class. Im not sure about the younger grades but the classes may be more full.