New Jersey Magazine has announced the Best Places to Live 2010. How did they come up with the ratings?
Researchers at Monmouth University’s Polling Institute considered eight categories best representing the quality of life in New Jersey’s 566 municipalities: population growth, home values, property taxes, land development, employment, crime rate, school performance, and proximity to services.
To level the playing field, household income was not considered, and home values were measured by the rate of increase or decrease over three years rather than by current prices. To compare land development, towns with relatively slower growth and more open space were rated more favorably. Towns with lower unemployment and crime rates also scored higher, as did those close to more hospitals.
So how did Baristaville rate? Here is the list of Essex County towns….
3 – Caldwell Township Essex
9 – Verona Township Essex
10 – North Caldwell Borough Essex
25 – Roseland Borough Essex
38 – Glen Ridge Borough Essex
44 – Essex Fells Township Essex
47 – Cedar Grove Township Essex
60 – West Caldwell Township Essex
62 – Millburn Township Essex
87 – Nutley Township Essex
96 – Livingston Township Essex
99 – Maplewood Township Essex
156 – Montclair Township Essex
236 – Belleville Township Essex
250 – West Orange Township Essex
290 – Fairfield Borough Essex
351 – Bloomfield Township Essex
388 – South Orange Village Essex
525 – Orange, City of Essex
544 – Newark City Essex
546 – East Orange City Essex
560 -Irvington Township Essex
Caldwell, Verona and North Caldwell made the top ten. Pretty impressive. Glen Ridge did pretty well with a ranking of 38, but Montclair’s number isn’t anything to be proud of: 156. I wonder how all the New Yorkers moving to Montclair to raise their families feel about this.
Not really so hard to understand why.
Majority (read: mostly) white affluent communities will ALWAYS do well with the criteria used.
That Montclair, with its “diversity” (read: large black population) is not in the “top” here is not much of a shock or hard to figure. Likewise, being “low” on this list with its criteria is nothing NOT be proud of.
Moreover, NYC families will continue to want to live in a diverse, progressive community– something neither Caldwell (91% white), Verona (93% white), North Caldwell (80% white), nor Glen Ridge (89% white) can claim.
But Montclair (60% white), Maplewood (60% white) and South Orange (60% white), have always and will always attract folks who want racial (and income) diversity.
(These numbers are from the US Census’ American Factfinder website.)
“I wonder how all the New Yorkers moving to Montclair to raise their families feel about this.”
Unconcerned by the list and unimpressed with the methodology, maybe?
Let’s look at a few other interesting rankings:
143 – Tenafly
154 – Westfield
160 – Hillsdale
179 – Alpine
184 – Haworth
192 – Mountain Lakes
216 – Montvale
354 – Princeton Borough (yes, I know, it’s not Princeton Township, but still)
Anyway, the overall list gets a big shrug of the shoulders from this former New Yorker.
I actually find this other big NJ story to be much more interesting / revealing. I wonder if the perennially invoked ‘excellence’ of Glen Ridge schools versus Montclair schools might be partly explained by the findings in this article.
Exactly. Many of us would only live in Montclair (or a very similar place) and nowhere else in New Jersey. The criteria used for this also fail to include other critical factors for making Montclair attractive such as having six train stations with service to NY and Hoboken (including weekend service now). The criteria also do not seem to rank cultural access such as a museum and a variety of movie offerings, and nightlife and restaurants.
NJ has always been a VERY segregated state. Really. Few towns have anything but a large majority of a single race/ethnic group.
So the Times article was nothing new when I read it yesterday (old news to the prof 😉
For most communities, there is a DIRECT correlation between income and student success.
It’s been said that if you want the best for your kids, make sure both parents have advanced degrees.
If you do that, chances are very good that you kid will excel.
Poor kids don’t do well in school. Rich kids do.
So Newark at 25k per kid will never top Verona. Never. Until the family structure and poverty is attacked.
First, how come this is under Barista Kids?
Second, based on the methodology, this is really just a financial survey about the best towns for home investments. The criteria and weighting create a bias towards return on investment in determining quality of life. In this regard, it seems fairly accurate in ranking present day Montclair. It is misleading to characterize this as a quality of life survey.
Third, as to how segregated NJ is, well, you just have to look at the fact there are 566 towns in the state. If you slice and dice any population this way, you will find homogeneity/segregation.
Montclair is more diverse than ever, but the school system overall is still within the same quality band (rankings) for the last 40 years.
Fourth, Montclair gets it fair share of New Yorkers because it is a good starter town for new suburbanites – proximity to NYC with all the extra bedrooms. However, within 5-8 yrs, most move a little further away because the status & “urban feel” is less important, jobs growth is distributed around the region (vs NYC) and, maximizing dollar value is a top priority.
These lists are subjective and annoying.
When I first moved to NJ I lived in Mahwah in Bergen County. It was a nice town with mostly well off people but I hated it. It was boring and had no diversity.
After 2 years I moved to Montclair and have realized it is one of the few places in NJ I can live and be happy.
I, for one, was happy living in Montclair until I saw this list. I am now planning a move to #1 Bedminster Township where I can be assured of the “best life” possible. For those of you who care about your families, I suggest you do the same. Forthwith.
I’ll bite 5th ward, tell me where you got this information from:
“However, within 5-8 yrs, most move a little further away because the status & “urban feel” is less important, jobs growth is distributed around the region (vs NYC) and, maximizing dollar value is a top priority.”
Not sure about your comment on segregation, which then moves to statement about schools…
Glen Ridge provides a lot to your diverse and friendly to everybody (not) Montclair.
Montclair by the numbers is very diverse, but at the same time is quite segregated.
I wonder if they could calculate the amount of money that Glen Ridge spends in Montclair. You’d miss us if we took our cash and spent it elsewhere.
Can you break down Montclairs diversity by ward?
Aflarfin, What kind of silly, impossible and just plain dumb comment is this: “You’d miss us if we took our cash and spent it elsewhere…”
As if you control all of Glen Ridge and can send up a bat or smoke signals to get the citizenry to do what you wish….
C’mon.
And are you really trying to compare the diversity in Montclair with that of Glen Ridge?
Sure you pick any area or street that might not be, but THE TOWN is what I’m discussing.
I leave all the “break down” work to you.
RE & market research surveys. Granted, the “status is less important” is a my editorial based on subjective inferences and I retract.
However, some of the most interesting data available to me is by zip code. For instance, in 07042, 50% of households are comprised of never-marrieds (31%), separated/divorced (14%) and widowed (5%).
Years in residence is based on pure address changes (4 for 07042 & 5 for 07043), generously adjusted for trade-ups and eliminating non-family households.
My point on segregation was not articulated well. I should have just asked you how you arrived at your view NJ is VERY segregated or what is your point of reference?
My point on school system – again not articulated well – was that rather wait for a sea change in family structure and poverty, the education system needs to adapt to present realities. We are spending 25% of our budget for special ed. I believe BOE can find an in-house alternative that provides te same level of education for $20MM. Redirect the savings to other programs to raise learning.
It sucks to be Bloomfield, according to the survey. I like Bloomfield…and I really like Caldwell. Caldwell has some really nice old houses. Parts of Caldwell are very soothing to drive through. A good downtowm, too.
No. I was not sayin GR is more diverse. I am saying that a large portion of Montclairs diversity is a shim sham.
I also never had any dream or thought that the fine folks of GR would stop shopping in MOntclair. Although, I will send out a smoke signal and see what the natives have to say. But there is often times unflatering representations about GR, and we spend a fine amout of money stimulating the local Montclair economy. Money that comes from hard working, often duel income, famalies who sacrafice to live where they do. It would be interesting to know how much GR pays into Montclair, for services rendered.
We tend to spend more in Bloomfield now. Although Raymonds, and Blu will always be favorites, but getting there is fewer and far between. Bloomfield has a much better vibe sometimes. A lot of the local good natured type of business has left (forced out) of Montclair.
5th Ward, re: why is this on Barista KIDS – because the Baristas don’t want the fact that their precious Montclair ranked a lowly 156 to be front-page news! So…they hid it in the kids’ section.
Though I do give them a pat on the back for not disparaging Bloomfield for once, though I have a feeling it had something to do with rocks and glass houses or pots calling kettles black…
I agree with all who love Bloomfield. A great town.
But Aflarfin, please explain how Montclair’s diversity is a sham? Granted like most, our diversity is not always house by house, but with our schools- I fail to see how anyone (let alone someone defending GR) can call Montclair’s diversity a sham.
But, as I always do, I will listen.
Oh, and as for your thought that “there is often times unflatering representations about GR…”
Hate to tell you Aflarfin, but most of it comes from the rape case, which, sadly, the town brought on itself….. (Sorry to bring up the “unmentionable past” but let’s not act like GR is this bastion of innocents to which evil doers put down.)
I wrote a whole response and when I was proofreading it, it was lost.
I will not spend the time to redo the whole post, but Ill give you a few highlights.
The famous rape case happened 20+ years ago.
Its a shame one who lives in a greenhouse is throwing stones at a house with a single window. I’ll put up our fine residents and police blotter against that of Monclairs any day Partna.
It is my opinion from personal experience, and just my opinion, (although others I talk too share this belief, but I’m not talking for them.) that Montclair, SO, and Maplewood have a segregated diversity. It’s not really the nirvana that everybody speaks of. Just based on hard numbers, yes those towns are diverse, but like I said its a bit of a sham.
GR, is a nice place to raise a family. Especially with all the old wasps moving and or dying off, all are welcome, Black, White, Asian, Latino, Jews, Gays ect ect ect, all are welcome, and the town demos are changing. Is it at the speed that all would want, probably not, but the town is changing for the better.
With the taxes of Bloomfield and Montclair getting much closer to GR, If your looking for good schools, home resale value, and services GR can’t be beat. While we do have our issues, The town governments of our neighbors have much more of an issue with integrity and fiscal responsibility.
Aflarfin, did you really just use “Partna”?
Please.
And why the puffery about your great town? It’s great, no one said it wasn’t filled with nice folks.
BUT it is NOT diverse. You can “welcome” all you want, but it’s a majority white community. For some, this is not an issue. Fine.
For others, it is.
As for the rape case, it’s not that crimes of the sort don’t happen in other places, it’s that it DID happen in a town that supposedly has everything. And didn’t some work to keep it quiet?
Some community.
Wait. It was 20 years ago. So——
But please, enjoy your little hamlet. I don’t care one bit because I don’t live there, nor would I.
Prof/Aflarfin – can you agree GR & Montclair have the same quality Fire service?
This is starting to remind me of the medal counts during these Olympics. Instead of the Super G Combined, we could have the schools/property tax combined. Gold to GR. Bloomfield wins the 4 man diversity bobsled. Montclair wins the Council Downhill.
My goodness, this is rather silly! The fine residents of Glen Ridge versus the citizen of Montclair. It’s like the Sharks and the Jets! (I guess GR would be the Jets, though, being everybody is white. Kidding.)
Neither town is perfect and both are quite nice. All I can say is that my daughter, who is young, has friends of all different colors because she attends a public school in Mtc. It doesn’t feel like a “sham” to me right now.
Sorry.
But when folks make dumb statements about Montclair, I call them out.
Yes, we have the same Fire dept, and GR pays Montclair for this service. WE also have our own volunteer EMT people and when we needed a new ambulance, they went door to door, and were able to secure funding for said rig.
I never said that GR is as diverse as Montclair, nor the greatest ever. Additionally, the stigma that people give to GR, is why this type of back and forth happens.
I did and will stick too the fact that there is segregated diversity in Montclair, SO, and Maplewood.
When stupid people call out a town for an incident that happened 20 years ago, I too call them out. Especially when a good portion of those people are not even around anymore.
And seriously dude, the crap that happens behind the scenes in the town of Montclair puts to shame the coverup of the one incident in GR. You should be embarressed to even mention or compare integrity when it comes to local govnt.
Might I add, its also up to the parents to teach their kids about diversity. Just living in Montclair, doesnt make you a diverse person, or friendly to all colors or orientations.
Now I’ve called you dude and partna!
Sounds like a Borough with Township envy. S.O. is just a Village, so they really don’t count.
I also think you should take this “outside” to Baristanet. BaristaKids is no place for dude & partna.
Ah, ok GUY.
Keep on a teachin’ your kids “about” diversity.
But when the asks why you chose a homogeneous town, you tell ’em DIVERSITY’S FOR THEM, HONEY, NOT US. WE STICK WITH OUR KIND.
But fell better because we taught you “about” them (and their dirty ways….)
Wow.
Dude, you know nothing about me, my friends, my neighbors, or my family or what or how I teach my kids.
Your attitude speaks volumes about you, and your thoughts about “divesity” and people of all backgrounds.
“them” and “their dirty ways” came from your mouth and nothing from what I said. You read your own racism into things guy.
I too am happy you dont live in GR.
MAN, I forgot to add: beady little eyes. THEY all have ’em.
Listen BRO, I’m just funin’ here not calling you a racist, my comment was in jest. Please don’t think for a moment I would consider calling you a name like that.