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OT Scotch Plains NJ

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JMORC2003

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Dec 22, 2008
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Currently own in Cranford but looking to upgrade to something bigger. Considering Scotch Plains, Fanwood.

I have 3 small kids, oldest is entering kindergarten in Sept. so school system is important. Looking for anyone that has experience or info on the schools.

Also I know it's a big town, but any issue that it borders Plainfield? Makes me a little hesitant.

Thanks
 
Almost entirely safe. The SW part that borders Woodland Ave in Plainfield is gorgeous and is safe as you can get. That is the really nice part of Plainfield that is as nice as any neighborhood in NJ.

I would hesitate on buying near Terrill road in the NW part of town though. That's a sketchier part of Plainfield.
 
Also a Scotch Plains resident for 20 years. I live off of Martine in one of the developments. Nice town and easy access to Westfield's downtown area. Completely safe area. Also, school system is decent. My youngest is graduating high school this month and off to college so we are officially exiting the school system
 
I have friends who braved live on Sylvan lane in scotch plains. For almost 20 years. They love it there. The surrounding area is very nice
 
I moved to Scotch Plains about year and a half ago. Have a 4 year old.

Our friends down the street have 3 daughters - 2 attend McGinn Elementary School. The kids absolutely love the school and its close enough that they can walk to school if they choose. I've spoke to multiple parents about McGinn and everyone has had nothing but positive things to say about the school and the principal. In fact, many feel the principal is the main reason the school is so highly thought of.

I also heard recently that McGinn will be offering full day kindergarten as well.
 
Moved to SP in 2001 - raised my 3 kids here with oldest one entering HS this year. Wife teaches at one of the middle schools. Then "south" side is where the bigger homes are and McGinn is considered to be the best elementary school. The only negative thing I would say is the taxes are a bit high relative to other towns nearby.
 
Grew up in SP after my family moved there in '93. Went through Evergreen Elementary ('98), Park Middle ('01) and SPFHS ('05). Nice neighborhoods on both the north and south sides of town. Easy access to highways and all you need, all while being quietly suburban.
 
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Good stuff, thanks for the info. I've always heard good things about the town (fanwood included). We like Cranford a lot, but inventory in the area is tight, so opening up our options. Still want to make sure we're moving to a place where we'll be just as happy.

As far as development and construction projects, I did hear about a proposed pipeline that the town is fighting. Any info on that? Seems like every nice town has construction project looming that will ruin the community. Don't want to buy something only to have my property value plummet because there's crude oil pumping across my back yard.
 
chrisru99 said:
Come on down to New Providence you will be very happy.
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New Prov is on my short list. Don't know much about it though. Assuming it's a good place for families with community activities and stuff to do. Does it feel at all out in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking... by nj standards)?
 
JMORC2003 said:
New Prov is on my short list. Don't know much about it though. Assuming it's a good place for families with community activities and stuff to do. Does it feel at all out in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking... by nj standards)?
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It's the best that Union County has to offer IMO top notch schools close to 78 24 and 22. Train station in town group 1 school which means that sports wise your kids will prob get to play if they are not bad. I attended Elizabeth high school and the only varsity sport I got to play was soccer. Only negative to me is that the town is not very diverse but I Grew up in Elizabeth. There are about 60 homes for sale right now so take a look.
 
If you are looking to upgrade ,Scotch Plains School system is not better then Cranford and it borders a high Crime area.Look to Westfield,Berkley Height,New Providence for safer area and equal to better school then Cranford. Westfield School system the best of that area..but Taxes.....
 
BlockR said:
If you are looking to upgrade ,Scotch Plains School system is not better then Cranford and it borders a high Crime area.Look to Westfield,Berkley Height,New Providence for safer area and equal to better school then Cranford. Westfield School system the best of that area..but Taxes.....
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Thanks, great point. I should clarify what I meant by upgrade. We're looking for a slightly bigger house, with an improved layout (we've explored expanding/renovating but are very limited by our lot and the township setbacks etc)

Cranford is a great town, and is a very hot market right now. We'd love to stay, but are keeping options open if we can find a better house in a mostly equal, equal, or better town (excluding the super elite towns we can't afford at the moment).
 
Let's not get snooty, guys. I'd estimate at least 80 percent of towns in New Jersey are "good' and "safe." It's more about having a decent commute and not buying on a very busy street.

Education-wise as long as the kids apply themselves in school and the parents stay involved, they'll do fine. Do you really think the curriculum is much different in Westfield, Scotch Plains, Clark or New Providence?

Find the house you like and don't worry so much about the name of the town (outside of the obvious ones that should be avoided).
 
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JMORC2003 said:
Currently own in Cranford but looking to upgrade to something bigger. Considering Scotch Plains, Fanwood.

I have 3 small kids, oldest is entering kindergarten in Sept. so school system is important. Looking for anyone that has experience or info on the schools.

Also I know it's a big town, but any issue that it borders Plainfield? Makes me a little hesitant.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Why not Westfield?
 
D1ESEL44 said:
I moved to Scotch Plains about year and a half ago. Have a 4 year old.

Our friends down the street have 3 daughters - 2 attend McGinn Elementary School. The kids absolutely love the school and its close enough that they can walk to school if they choose. I've spoke to multiple parents about McGinn and everyone has had nothing but positive things to say about the school and the principal. In fact, many feel the principal is the main reason the school is so highly thought of.

I also heard recently that McGinn will be offering full day kindergarten as well.
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend not making a decision based on one individual principal in a school. They tend to get promoted and move on if they are that good, especially if they are on the younger side - i.e. 40 or younger.
 
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Proud NJ Sports Fan said:
SP/Fanwood is in decline, but still ok in most parts.
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Based on what? Not challenging, just curious why that might be the case (ie, have school budgets been cut the last 5 years, new construction or development, new police chief isn't as tough on crime?)
 
JMORC2003 said:
New Prov is on my short list. Don't know much about it though. Assuming it's a good place for families with community activities and stuff to do. Does it feel at all out in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking... by nj standards)?
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New Providence in the middle of nowhere? You do realize its due north of Scotch Plains and therefore closer to civilization.

Nothing against SP/F which are nice towns but NP is a great town for families. You should definitely take a close look.
 
Mayor of scotch plains is really good and has done a lot in area to make town safe and prosperous. I like that area a lot. Good public golf course in town. Ashbrook.
 
Local Shill said:
If we're being honest most of it is a d--k swinging contest.
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Maybe so and any ranking system needs to be looked at closely but per NJ Monthly's last 3 ranking lists (2010 - 2012 - 2014) NPHS was #6, #1 and #5. SPFHS was #54, #60 and #62.

SP has a nice downtown area as does NP though neither is at Westfield's level. Ash Brook is a County course so any Union County resident can get the discount card.
 
BigLou said:
New Providence in the middle of nowhere? You do realize its due north of Scotch Plains and therefore closer to civilization.

Nothing against SP/F which are nice towns but NP is a great town for families. You should definitely take a close look.
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Yes! Was waiting for you to chime in. Your love for NP shines bright on this board. It's on my list for sure (as is Westfield, as is staying put in Cranford). We drove through the other weekend and it felt a little more spread out than other towns in Union Co. Could have just been where I drove. Not that that's even a bad thing. I think I've reached a point in my life where I want to trim my tomato plants without seeing my neighbor washing dishes in his kitchen.
 
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Local Shill said:
Let's not get snooty, guys. I'd estimate at least 80 percent of towns in New Jersey are "good' and "safe." It's more about having a decent commute and not buying on a very busy street.

Education-wise as long as the kids apply themselves in school and the parents stay involved, they'll do fine. Do you really think the curriculum is much different in Westfield, Scotch Plains, Clark or New Providence?

Find the house you like and don't worry so much about the name of the town (outside of the obvious ones that should be avoided).
Click to expand...

I went to ALJ in Clark. Not sure how it is now, but I graduated in 2005, and half the school dressed like they were in a fubu commercial. Long white shirts down to their knees and jeans three sizes too big. These are middle class, suburban white kids. The environment makes a huge difference.

20051019-060911-pic-97542014.jpg
 
Rokodesh said:
I went to ALJ in Clark. Not sure how it is now, but I graduated in 2005, and half the school dressed like they were in a fubu commercial. Long white shirts down to their knees and jeans three sizes too big. These are middle class, suburban white kids. The environment makes a huge difference.

20051019-060911-pic-97542014.jpg
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Yeah, you think only kids in Clark dressed like that but in Westfield all the guys are wearing khakis and blazers?
 
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Local Shill said:
Yeah, you think only kids in Clark dressed like that but in Westfield all the guys are wearing khakis and blazers?
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In Summit they sure are.

I graduated in 2005 from Governor Livingston HS in Berkeley Heights. Grew up in BH. Now live in Mountainside. Both towns go to same HS. Mountainside IMO is by far the best package of all- schools, access to major highways (the town is on 22 across from Westfield but set back far enough for safety purposes) and taxes.
 
20+ year Scotch Plainer. 4 kids. We do everything in Westfield except pay taxes.

Highly recommend SP or Fanwood, but would suggest to stay away from the very north (near 22) and northwest side (22 and Plainfield). Look at the Parkwood section, Maple Hill section (my neighborhood near McGinn), or back neighborhoods around Cooper.
 
I'm in Westfield... and have a similar struggle to your own. We'd like a little more land too, but all the houses in our area on the "south-side" are crammed together. I hate being able to make eye-contact with our neighbors in their kitchen when I'm at our living room window. However, a bigger plot of land means a much bigger tax bill.. which I dislike much more than the lack of privacy. Think roughly $18k+ per year to start for breathing room in Westfield.

Hard to get everything you want around here without paying for it. Cranford has that community-feel like Westfield does, Mountainside has the ratables on Rt 22 and they send their students for HS so the taxes are better, but it definitely has that "woodsy" feel to it... similar to New Providence.

I think they have some local government problems over in Scotch Plains. Not long ago I remember reading in the Leader about an important bond ordinance that was voted down (twice) because of personal agendas and politics. It was to repair roads and other infrastructure items... not cool.
 
If you want them to grow up tough try Carteret or Roselle .If you want them to grow up past the age of 20 stick to your guns.☺
 
Lots of snobbery in this thread. I grew up many years ago in Mountainside and Scotch Plains schools and feel that both towns are great to raise a family.

I recently drove thru SP and was amazed at all the McMansions that have replaced the original homes from the 1960's.
 
Local Shill said:
Let's not get snooty, guys. I'd estimate at least 80 percent of towns in New Jersey are "good' and "safe." It's more about having a decent commute and not buying on a very busy street.

Education-wise as long as the kids apply themselves in school and the parents stay involved, they'll do fine. Do you really think the curriculum is much different in Westfield, Scotch Plains, Clark or New Providence?

Find the house you like and don't worry so much about the name of the town (outside of the obvious ones that should be avoided).
Click to expand...

But then the board will go dark.
 
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Local Shill said:
Let's not get snooty, guys. I'd estimate at least 80 percent of towns in New Jersey are "good' and "safe." It's more about having a decent commute and not buying on a very busy street.

Education-wise as long as the kids apply themselves in school and the parents stay involved, they'll do fine. Do you really think the curriculum is much different in Westfield, Scotch Plains, Clark or New Providence?

Find the house you like and don't worry so much about the name of the town (outside of the obvious ones that should be avoided).
Click to expand...

This is 100 percent correct . I grew up in Woodbridge . I got degrees from Rutgers and NYU. Most of my friends wound up going to good schools and got good jobs .

Everything is what you make of it . I have family in cranford , great town . The kids there that get in with the wrong crowd wind up doing worse things than in some other places . Two of my more successful friends grew up in New Brunswick and Perth amboy . They had to fight for everything they got when the world told them 'no'.

I do get it though , people want the best for their kids as far as schools and opportunity . So you have to move to the best place for your kids and hope for the best . But at the end of the day it comes down to work ethic and decision making . People can succeed and fail anywhere in any zip code .
 
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Proud NJ Sports Fan said:
Odds are not good for students who attend failing schools in bad towns
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Odds are not good but if you have parents that give a crap about you and demand that you do your part than anything is possible. I grew up in the crappiest part of my beloved Elizabeth but sports and my mom were always there and after high school when there was no money for college I spent 4 awesome years growing up in the USMC and then RU followed with two graduations from RU and the rest is history. Life is good but you have to be willing to work hard. Donate to the build fund please GO RU!!!
 
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chrisru99 said:
Odds are not good but if you have parents that give a crap about you and demand that you do your part than anything is possible. I grew up in the crappiest part of my beloved Elizabeth but sports and my mom were always there and after high school when there was no money for college I spent 4 awesome years growing up in the USMC and then RU followed with two graduations from RU and the rest is history. Life is good but you have to be willing to work hard. Donate to the build fund please GO RU!!!
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You beat the odds and that's awesome that you had strong and caring Mom.
Majority of kids in E-Town don't reach a higher education.
 
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