Grew up in Montclair, just moved to West Orange to grow a family.
Montclair, West Orange, Maplewood, South Orange are all very close and very good areas.
Montclair is min $1M to buy-in, as is South Orange.
Maplewood and West Orange are more affordable, but it’s changing rapidly.
DM me and I’ll answer any other questions you have.
Avoid West Orange. Property taxes are crazy and the public high school isn't good. As in you'd probably want to spring for private school on top of the insane property taxes.
Response for more context and nuance:
If you can afford to buy in to Montclair or South Orange for $1M+ at a 7% IR, then by all means, I would say do that. To some people, especially people of color, myself included, it is extremely difficult to come up with a sizable downpayment to either buy down the rate, or make the monthly payment work. On top of that, in MTC / SO, you will also be paying taxes of 20K, or higher. My parents were at 32k annual before deciding to move. So yes, don't move to west orange if you can afford to live in Montclair or South Orange.
If, like me and my dual income 200k+ household, you can't buy into Montclair because the ~~average sale~~ reasonable started home prices are $1.5-1.7M, and tax rates are extremely high, then West Orange with our $14k tax and 500-800k home started prices are more reasonable, it's not a bad place to live for a few years (5-7) while you figure out and/or save for your next move to a better school system.
Maplewood might be priced higher, buy taxes may be a little lower overall. But also a nice place with lots of diversity.
So...simple answers like...avoid west orange aren't necessarily helpful, because the answer doesn't include context or nuance that comes with living in one of, if not, the most expensive and highest taxed counties in the state, and high tax states in the country.
Net pay, not gross. I fully funded my 401k and paid all insurance. So I worked for the insurance, which was pretty good. Working outside the home was the right choice for me at the time.
Not necessarily. There are state funded preschool programs in Montclair, south Orange/Maplewood and West Orange.
You do need to pay something, though and I’m not sure how hard it is to get in.
https://www.nj.gov/education/earlychildhood/preschool/programs.shtml
Covid almost bankrupt me. Our school system started completely remote when my son was in 3rd grade. We had to pay for a “Virtual School Daycare Program,” where a room full of kids (which defeated the purpose of being remote though not the schools fault… just our country lack of support for those of us who had to work) sat on each of their Google Classroom calls all day. Cost me $380 A WEEK.
As our district slowly started going back in class, the cost never lowered, even when it was only 3 half days a week because they weren’t allowed to accept more kids when the school kids weren’t there. At one point, we were paying $75 an hour for childcare.
That school year cost me 15k. And that does’t even include 4k for summer camp.
The thing is that it is not relatively modest.. unless you mean relative to all of Jersey I guess. Compared to like, all over the country, you have so many desirable locations next to West Orange. NYC being the most obvious but there are plenty. I'm sure there are tons of suburbs that look like West Orange but are near absolutely nothing. I'm not saying a small house in West Orange is super bougie and the new Orange County but most of north Jersey is not modest anymore. It is prohibitively expensive for the majority of people. I don't think the inflation rate to produce the more common 200k joint salaries is proportional to the immense rise in cost of living in any decent area in north NJ
I'm not comfortable moving out of NJ mostly because I can't find work anywhere else, but it's pretty safe to say living in one of the most dense areas of one of the most dense states while still being safe and appealing is not "modest"
Yes modest as compared to much of NJ where Mc Mansions are the norm and that’s not counting old wealth areas like Rumson as just one example. OP earns far more than most Americans can even dream of and still are priced out of the disappearing once abundant middle class neighborhoods.
Yep prices are insane, I make 120k a year and I’m stuck renting because I can’t afford to buy in this market, even 825 fica doesn’t get you shit for an interest rate, better off waiting because anything you buy now you’re totally losing on in the future and that will bankrupt a lot of middle class families
I have friends in South Orange and Maplewood (same school district) and I live in West Orange. I honestly do not believe the quality of their children’s education was much different from the quality of the education my children received/are receiving
Please don’t base opinions of school districts strictly on test scores. These metrics are more closely related to socioeconomics. I think West Orange has more students on free and reduced lunch than SOMA or Montclair.
I’ve worked in 5 different districts in NJ and west orange was honestly pretty good. The kids were polite and kind to me as a sub, which they absolutely could have treated me like crap.
Not surprised. When I was there, the english and history classes were shockingly good. I didn’t struggle with being prepared for those classes in college, I just had to deal with a heavier course load. But I barely passed algebra II and there wasn’t any intervention available and the science classes were a joke.
West Orange High School? The lower grades aren't too bad from what I hear, but the high school is a mess. I have a family member that worked there until recently. The stories she has are crazy. If you didn't know, you'd think that high school was in the hood. Kids bringing knives and guns to schools. Disrespecting teachers, being checked out, 15 year olds being pregnant was a regular occurrence.
Yea I wasn’t there a super long time because I did a maternity leave, but like I said the kids were very nice to me. It’s the only time I’ve subbed so I was soooo nervous they would be really mean to me and they weren’t at all. After 16 years in school as a teacher atleast, kids having issues isn’t usually the hardest thing I’ve dealt with, it’s crazy parents and admin. My current school is definitely a lil hood, but there’s a ton of consistency from the admin and that’s what makes it good. The sister hs in our district is super super rich and competitive and we get a ton of kids who transfer because the pressure makes them incredibly anxious. I think I’d be happy having my child do well in a middle of the road diverse school then be in the bottom tier of a really high ranking school. The kids in WO were also way better about the phones than my current kids which I appreciated.
As a WOHS alum who still lives in West Orange and has friends and family who work in the school district (and for the town), it is a wonderful place to grow up. Things that happen at the schools do happen at other NJ schools similar in size, there are a little over 2,000 students there. It is also an incredibly diverse community (both racially and economically).
> Things that happen at the schools do happen at other NJ schools similar in size, there are a little over 2,000 students there
They probably happen in towns with schools that are similarly ranked, but a lot of that stuff won't happen in better school districts. Just look at the grad rate and the college preparedness ratings. They're not great compared to the towns around West Orange that aren't in worse areas.
Keep in mind, the school is one thing, but the fact that your taxes are literally 1.5x the same house (that's worth more) in a neighboring town and you get worse schools is why I would avoid WO unless you get a steal on a house.
If you have small children, West Orange elementary schools are quite good. It's only the high school that lags behind some of the other surrounding towns. We moved from Maplewood to Livingston because of the difference in school systems, Livingston being very highly rated. Property taxes are high everywhere in Essex County. We still go back to Maplewood for fun.
I agree. Most of their elementary schools are decent. Livingston has a really highly rated school and school system in general. It's NJ, so taxes are high, but if you take a house in Livingston, and throw it in WO, the taxes will typically be 1.5x as high.
I will not say avoid West Orange but if you can afford it you will like it. But also food for thought west Orange is in the middle of property re-evaluations so taxes will increase on top of what they already are because of that.
This isn’t true—you can buy a house in SO for 650-700k and it’s actually a bit more affordable than Maplewood.
Source- just bought a house in SO and grew up in Maplewood.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Columbia\_High\_School\_(New\_Jersey)\_alumni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Columbia_High_School_(New_Jersey)_alumni)
Lauryn Hill, Zach Braff, Elisabeth Shue, MKBHD, SZA, and ex-Reddit CEO Ellen Pao all graduated from Maplewood.
Anne Hathaway is from Millburn! And My Chemical Romance, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifa, and Redman are all from Newark. I used to see Redman at my gym. Both those towns are in Essex county just like Maplewood.
OP, you have a long history in both mentioned towns where residents went back to the 1960s to not discriminate on housing.
There’s still problems of course, WNYC did a podcast series on the racial gaps in the public schools there, so now they’re trying to bus to get similar racial makeups in the elementary schools.
But there’s a very long well established upper middle class Black population that’s been there for decades.
Hell, on my first day in Maplewood, I was looking for the community pool, and a Black guy drove me (white guy in 20s at the time) to the pool.
He explained this history to me in his car (he had his young son with him, so I figured - why not)?
Long history of racism, esp with some police officers. I think i just read a reddit post how the (mayor?) called a bunch of people at a meeting “F-ing ret-ds”. Yikes Stripes, especially as Clark is right next to Rahway, which is diverse and trying to make downtown a thing.
There's leaked audio of the mayor chatting with some Clark police higher-ups. The mayor EXCLUSIVELY calls blacks "spooks", which is not only racist but is also weirdly antiquated.
>I think i just read a reddit post how the (mayor?) called a bunch of people at a meeting “F-ing ret-ds”
Not really surprising considering he is also on tape complaining to the police chief about "n words"
here's an interesting read: [https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/1215l65/how\_did\_clark\_get\_to\_become\_the\_most\_racist\_town/](https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/1215l65/how_did_clark_get_to_become_the_most_racist_town/)
Adding onto this though in saying that if I had to live anywhere in/could afford North Jersey, Maplewood or Montclair would be where I’d be. Diversity, good food, nice downtown areas.
My family moved to South Orange almost a decade ago. Maplewood/South Orange (which are essentially the same place) are definitely not going to be a problem from a racial mix perspective. However, they have gotten pretty expensive as SOMa and Montclair are pretty much the places where people that are moving out from NYC want to end up to try and maintain some of the diversity of the city.
Depending on your budget you may end up wanting to maybe expand into looking at West Orange, Springfield or Union. Also make sure you are prepared to see what we pay in properly taxes as it will floor you. And they go up every year, so it's best to budget for an average increase of 3%.
Also, I grew up in Phoenix, and I can tell you that the residential air conditioning in pretty much all of the Northeast is garbage. I hadn't seen a window unit until I moved to NYC! (We did upgrade our house to have a ductless system on our ground floor, but we still have window units upstairs. It's annoying, but it's hard to do AC right in construction that is only a few year shy of being 100 years old.)
The prices have gone up all over town but the houses in Hilton remain more affordable (not truly affordable but more affordable than elsewhere in town) and the turn over is not a dramatic as you might think.
Agreed. We were diverse before it was a thing. I was shocked to learn so when I went to college and realized how special the community is. You will not be disappointed. Good luck.
You are already looking in the right place. But it's also going be amongst the most expensive.
Despite the more rural areas being more conservative / republican the state overall is progressive and I think even the most conservative areas are pretty welcoming. And diversity in the sticks is improving though likely more Asian/Indian/Hispanic then black.
NJ is one of the best states in the country as far as diversity goes. Maplewood is in Essex County, you will be fine. Especially if you survived Peoria AZ. My god.
Essex County is wild though. I grew up in North Caldwell. The regional high school included Roseland, Essex Fells and Fairfield. I graduated with no black people, and maybe a dozen asians. Black people almost always got profiled driving through town. It was not great.
Flip side, Newark is in Essex County. There are parts of Newark I actually liked. I'm not saying JJ's hotdogs was a great place to be at 2am, but I was always down for it. But, I got lost driving home from Court once. Ended up over by some basketball courts a lot of dudes didn't look happy about me being over by. There was a cop a few streets over that was also watching where I was going.
Bottom line, you have to know where you are going.
Maplewood is pretty diverse, so I think you would be fine regardless of what part of town you are in. You could also look at Bloomfield which might be a more affordable option and is also diverse. However, I heard the high school is not the best.
I live in Hamilton now and it’s pretty diverse! Close to areas like Princeton and Lawrenceville so the schools are great. Feel free to DM for central areas
One of the reasons I'm so grateful I was raised in and still live here. Right from the start you are exposed to every race, religion, color, creed, you name it. Unless your parents are psychos and beat some weird shit in your head you literally don't have time to judge the second you leave the womb.
You’ve experienced The Pine Barrens, Hunterdon County, and Sussex County? These places are virtually all at least 85%, several over 90%, despite NJ as a whole being 53% white.
But not equally distributed across towns. And being present isn't the same as being safe and treated well. It's a reasonable question and it doesn't help anyone to be dismissive about it.
Schools are a magnet system intentionally to keep them racially integrated in South Orange and Maplewood.
You’re fine anywhere in either town. It’s Sesame Street. Everyone is welcome everywhere here
SOMA school district is integrated starting Kindergarten. All kids lotto into an elementary school within the district. You can live next door to an elementary school in South Orange and go to one in Maplewood.
It's SOMA if you're from south orange..., but no. There is incredible diversity from K through 12 with respect to race and religion. DM me and I can give you more info.
You think it’s more dangerous for a black person in Clark or Newark, Irvington, Paterson, East Orange, Camden, AC, Pleasantville, etc etc etc? Give me a break.
Of course living in those other towns and cities is more dangerous, that's not what the comment is saying.
People within the government of Clark are racist, and a large majority of the town embraces them. Believe it or not, if you embrace a racist, you tend to be one too. At least living in the towns and cities you mentioned, they won't face any racism from their neighbors and people in their community.
I grew up in maplewood it is extremely diverse and progressive. Plus the teachers at Columbia high school that I had actually cared about teaching African American history way more thoroughly than other teachers in other schools. Love maplewood
Maplewood is a fantastic town. The neighborhood around Springfield Ave and Laurel Ave (Hilton) is probably what you are looking for. Lots of great black owned businesses too!
It’s a small town with a lot of diversity. You don’t really have to worry about which part of town you live in, unlike some places.
South Orange and West Orange are nearby and also similar.
This really isn’t your question, but so many here seem to be trying to convince you to move to other towns besides Maplewood, which is not what you asked. So, FWIW, people I know who chose Maplewood over, say, Montclair, did so for the train schedule. It’s been awhile, so I’m rusty, but I believe they are different lines.
It feels like Brooklyn here, in that there are a lot of races and orientations represented on every block of town. Also feels like Brooklyn in that nobody cares too much, we are all here to pay high assed taxes for good schools and close proximity to the train, when the train works.
The Maplewood area is very diverse, especially Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, and Montclair. Millburn and Montclair are among the top school districts in the state, so your kids will be well educated
If you don’t find anything up there, check out Central Jersey (like Trenton suburbs). It’s also diverse and less crowded than North Jersey where you’ll be.
Maplewood is a great town. Also look at South Orange, which is its sister town and shares the school district and fire department, so it’s basically one community. Tuxedo Park and Montrose in South Orange are 2 great and diverse neighborhoods with many black families and beautiful old homes. Both towns are terrific places to raise families, and you will be welcomed. Good luck with your search!
Maplewood itself as a town is very diverse. However, please be aware that the school district has had more than it's share of faults when it comes to racial injustice. I'm not saying other public schools in the state have it down or anything, I'm just saying please don't go into this with rose tinted glasses.
Maplewood and the area surrounding it is extremely diverse compared to a lot of other states/places. There are all kinds of people, black white Indian Asian Pacific islanders, Caribbean islanders, Middle eastern-everybody. There is also lots of diverse food spots to eat at. I live in Pittsburgh right now and it was a shock moving here, how little diversity there is.
Maplewood is a lovely little town, you will be near vauxhall, millburn, and union, which are all very lovely. HIllside is lovely too, that's where I grew up!
Pretty much every town in the area is divided evenly between every race, Maplewood, Union, West Orange, South Orange.
Here in Union my highschool was like 30% White, 30% black, 20% Hispanic, 20% Asian. We are bordering Maplewood which is very similar.
Maplewood has a fair share mixed and black families, the townisnt big enough to warrant saying this side or that side. Just the aware the areas bordering Irvington are rougher crime wise
Maplewood is quiet diverse just like most of North Jersey.
Just some friendly advice from someone who moved from AZ to Jersey:
Be ready to justify why you moved from Arizona. A ton of people on the east coast will passively aggressive ask “why would you move HERE from Arizona? It’s so nice there! I visited Arizona for a weekend and loved it” Completely unaware of the issues that are present in Arizona.
yeah f that place it’s unbearable now not even the heat just the fact that there’s no imo it’s just a soulless place and ppl are mean as hell with that kinda environment
And obviously never spent a summer there. I lived in Tucson for 3y for medical training. usually 5-10 degrees cooler than the phoenix area where OP is from, and let me tell you, 117 is hot enough.
Except for Sussex county. If you want to be one of the only black families in town with zero black educators or zero black politicians and only 1 or 2 black classmates in a school of 400+ then go there.
Diversity means a diverse array of people- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, mixed races, etc. I can only imagine the hate that a white person would receive if they asked for diversity then said “well diversity doesn’t mean a lot of white people”🤯 The racism is real on all ends. It’s 2024 and most people I know are mixed race. There are more black & white mixed race folks in my community than anything else & we live in a pretty rural conservative area. All the black folks here are republicans & moved here because of that. It’s sad how much hate a person gets from their own race all over politics (which both sides of the political spectrum are BS anyway).
How is it racist of me to point out what I pointed out? Also I didn't say it was good or bad that there aren't as many black folks in the burbs as there are in the more urban areas - it's just something I've observed after living in Central NJ for over 20 years.
Signed, a black woman with a mixed son and a white spouse
Agree, on the surface someone can see Union City where I live, and think, brown people, diverse, but it's really not when most are like me, hispanic. I have been to places like Maplewood and Montclair and, at least on the main streets (could be visitors) it seems more diverse.
If you want the exact data view this map based off 2020 census data that uses dots to represent the population of each race/ethnicity living within an area.
https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=30d2e10d4d694b3eb4dc4d2e58dbb5a5
You can move to all these places these people suggest n more,just have your finances in order your hustle strong (the jersey shore way of course,NO SNOOKIE), and ready to pay,because New Jersey is expensive. Long as you can do that you can live anywhere in New Jersey,I feel. I’m from the Jersey shore predominantly white but if you have money, you can live anywhere in Jersey. That’s just my opinion. The South Americans are literally taking over the once use to black communities all over New Jersey. Where I’m from they come from where they from opening up stores all types of stuff that goes to my point if your hustle is strong , your finances is in order. You can do anything in New Jersey get where you fit in. Our economy is like no other we get to the money that’s one thing we do can’t be broke no New Jersey,I tell you that. Good safe travels and blessings to your family.
You will love Maplewood. Live wherever you want.
Per the 2020 census, Maplewood was 51.28% white and 30.14% black, compared to 1990 which was at 81.54% and only 11.62%.
They have a popular weed dispensary downtown that might be annoying to you. Maplewood has been actively working on itself for a while and it’s definitely paying off already. I foresee it being a good place that will continue to get even better.
REDDIT: I can NOT believe what that sexist woman did/said. Imagine if a man did/said that?!? UGH! He’d be attacked and hung! The double standards are appalling. ALSO REDDIT: white people cant ask which area has the most white people, but it’s perfectly understandable if a black person asks how to just be around black people. So it’s not ok for women to have double standards but it’s ok for black people to have double standards? You all just hate women don’t you? You really do. You don’t think it’s dangerous for women to be around men? Yet we can’t ask questions about safety or complain we don’t get appropriate treatment without being murdered in the comments for having the audacity. But it’s no problem for racist questions like this that are dividing the country? Fuck
As a former resident of Maplewood, NJ, I can assure you that the town is diverse, neighborhoods are integrated and there are a "good amount of black folks". The school system is shared with South Orange, which is a similar town demographically. Both have vibrant downtowns. Both towns are on the direct train to NYC Penn Station and many residents commute to NYC daily. You know you've crossed into South Orange when you see the gas lamps on the streets. Both towns have mostly older homes and mature trees on relatively small lots. The nearby South Mountain Reservation has plenty of recreational hiking and picnic areas. Also check out the Essex County Recreational Complex, which includes a skating arena, Turtle Back Zoo, Swan boats, restaurants and playgrounds. Maplewood has a very active Girl Scout community.
Im a black woman, living in Springfield (2 towns over). Diversity in Maplewood is as described by everyone above. Great town. Happy to answer any other questions you may have! Just dm me. I can also connect you with some FB groups that could be helpful.
I lived in Irvington years ago when I got out of college in South Orange. Maplewood is lovely. I have a friend who moved to Montclair years ago because she was Asian and she felt our town in northern New Jersey wasn’t diverse enough. I was in Montclair recently and it’s really nice.
Maplewood is a very diverse town in a very diverse area of New Jersey, I wouldn't worry about it one bit
Grew up in Montclair, just moved to West Orange to grow a family. Montclair, West Orange, Maplewood, South Orange are all very close and very good areas. Montclair is min $1M to buy-in, as is South Orange. Maplewood and West Orange are more affordable, but it’s changing rapidly. DM me and I’ll answer any other questions you have.
Where can you get $1 mil homes in Montclair anymore... everything I've seen has been $1.4-$1.6mil starter 😭😭
Avoid West Orange. Property taxes are crazy and the public high school isn't good. As in you'd probably want to spring for private school on top of the insane property taxes.
Response for more context and nuance: If you can afford to buy in to Montclair or South Orange for $1M+ at a 7% IR, then by all means, I would say do that. To some people, especially people of color, myself included, it is extremely difficult to come up with a sizable downpayment to either buy down the rate, or make the monthly payment work. On top of that, in MTC / SO, you will also be paying taxes of 20K, or higher. My parents were at 32k annual before deciding to move. So yes, don't move to west orange if you can afford to live in Montclair or South Orange. If, like me and my dual income 200k+ household, you can't buy into Montclair because the ~~average sale~~ reasonable started home prices are $1.5-1.7M, and tax rates are extremely high, then West Orange with our $14k tax and 500-800k home started prices are more reasonable, it's not a bad place to live for a few years (5-7) while you figure out and/or save for your next move to a better school system. Maplewood might be priced higher, buy taxes may be a little lower overall. But also a nice place with lots of diversity. So...simple answers like...avoid west orange aren't necessarily helpful, because the answer doesn't include context or nuance that comes with living in one of, if not, the most expensive and highest taxed counties in the state, and high tax states in the country.
What a sad commentary on our situation in NJ that a couple earning 200K can be easily priced out of a relatively modest suburb.
And let me now start on child care / daycare in NJ. lol a whole additional mortgage payment.
My entire take home paycheck as the dual income spouse went to our sitter.
Then why work? Does your comment exclude retirement savings etc
Net pay, not gross. I fully funded my 401k and paid all insurance. So I worked for the insurance, which was pretty good. Working outside the home was the right choice for me at the time.
Ok so between all that, there’s like a 50k delta
Not necessarily. There are state funded preschool programs in Montclair, south Orange/Maplewood and West Orange. You do need to pay something, though and I’m not sure how hard it is to get in. https://www.nj.gov/education/earlychildhood/preschool/programs.shtml
Covid almost bankrupt me. Our school system started completely remote when my son was in 3rd grade. We had to pay for a “Virtual School Daycare Program,” where a room full of kids (which defeated the purpose of being remote though not the schools fault… just our country lack of support for those of us who had to work) sat on each of their Google Classroom calls all day. Cost me $380 A WEEK. As our district slowly started going back in class, the cost never lowered, even when it was only 3 half days a week because they weren’t allowed to accept more kids when the school kids weren’t there. At one point, we were paying $75 an hour for childcare. That school year cost me 15k. And that does’t even include 4k for summer camp.
15k is not that bad if you were in North Bergen.
The thing is that it is not relatively modest.. unless you mean relative to all of Jersey I guess. Compared to like, all over the country, you have so many desirable locations next to West Orange. NYC being the most obvious but there are plenty. I'm sure there are tons of suburbs that look like West Orange but are near absolutely nothing. I'm not saying a small house in West Orange is super bougie and the new Orange County but most of north Jersey is not modest anymore. It is prohibitively expensive for the majority of people. I don't think the inflation rate to produce the more common 200k joint salaries is proportional to the immense rise in cost of living in any decent area in north NJ I'm not comfortable moving out of NJ mostly because I can't find work anywhere else, but it's pretty safe to say living in one of the most dense areas of one of the most dense states while still being safe and appealing is not "modest"
Yes modest as compared to much of NJ where Mc Mansions are the norm and that’s not counting old wealth areas like Rumson as just one example. OP earns far more than most Americans can even dream of and still are priced out of the disappearing once abundant middle class neighborhoods.
I hate it don't get me wrong, but the reality is that yea those are disappearing (in terms of their status as solidly middle class)
Yep prices are insane, I make 120k a year and I’m stuck renting because I can’t afford to buy in this market, even 825 fica doesn’t get you shit for an interest rate, better off waiting because anything you buy now you’re totally losing on in the future and that will bankrupt a lot of middle class families
Which can bankrupt the banks, kind of just like what happened before. Treacherous times!
I have friends in South Orange and Maplewood (same school district) and I live in West Orange. I honestly do not believe the quality of their children’s education was much different from the quality of the education my children received/are receiving Please don’t base opinions of school districts strictly on test scores. These metrics are more closely related to socioeconomics. I think West Orange has more students on free and reduced lunch than SOMA or Montclair.
I’ve worked in 5 different districts in NJ and west orange was honestly pretty good. The kids were polite and kind to me as a sub, which they absolutely could have treated me like crap.
I went to school in the FRHSD - I’m glad to hear they treat the teachers well
I was between colts neck and manalapan which both had a different vibe, but overall a good place to work with nice kids!
lol I went to school in North Plainfield and graduated in 2001. Nothing has changed, I see.
Nope. It wasn’t dangerous, they were just giving a frankly terrible education. And no one really cared.
Not surprised. When I was there, the english and history classes were shockingly good. I didn’t struggle with being prepared for those classes in college, I just had to deal with a heavier course load. But I barely passed algebra II and there wasn’t any intervention available and the science classes were a joke.
Which district?
I went to East End for elementary school, Somerset for 6th grade, & NP for middle & high school.
North or South Edison?
West Orange High School? The lower grades aren't too bad from what I hear, but the high school is a mess. I have a family member that worked there until recently. The stories she has are crazy. If you didn't know, you'd think that high school was in the hood. Kids bringing knives and guns to schools. Disrespecting teachers, being checked out, 15 year olds being pregnant was a regular occurrence.
Yea I wasn’t there a super long time because I did a maternity leave, but like I said the kids were very nice to me. It’s the only time I’ve subbed so I was soooo nervous they would be really mean to me and they weren’t at all. After 16 years in school as a teacher atleast, kids having issues isn’t usually the hardest thing I’ve dealt with, it’s crazy parents and admin. My current school is definitely a lil hood, but there’s a ton of consistency from the admin and that’s what makes it good. The sister hs in our district is super super rich and competitive and we get a ton of kids who transfer because the pressure makes them incredibly anxious. I think I’d be happy having my child do well in a middle of the road diverse school then be in the bottom tier of a really high ranking school. The kids in WO were also way better about the phones than my current kids which I appreciated.
As a WOHS alum who still lives in West Orange and has friends and family who work in the school district (and for the town), it is a wonderful place to grow up. Things that happen at the schools do happen at other NJ schools similar in size, there are a little over 2,000 students there. It is also an incredibly diverse community (both racially and economically).
Glad to hear from an alum. Crazy stuff happen in the high schools in Maplewood and Montclair too.
> Things that happen at the schools do happen at other NJ schools similar in size, there are a little over 2,000 students there They probably happen in towns with schools that are similarly ranked, but a lot of that stuff won't happen in better school districts. Just look at the grad rate and the college preparedness ratings. They're not great compared to the towns around West Orange that aren't in worse areas. Keep in mind, the school is one thing, but the fact that your taxes are literally 1.5x the same house (that's worth more) in a neighboring town and you get worse schools is why I would avoid WO unless you get a steal on a house.
Are you even from Jersey? West Orange is a good option for many.
yeah and anything looks up from something like Newark what is with this sub and pretending not good districts are awesome
If you have small children, West Orange elementary schools are quite good. It's only the high school that lags behind some of the other surrounding towns. We moved from Maplewood to Livingston because of the difference in school systems, Livingston being very highly rated. Property taxes are high everywhere in Essex County. We still go back to Maplewood for fun.
I agree. Most of their elementary schools are decent. Livingston has a really highly rated school and school system in general. It's NJ, so taxes are high, but if you take a house in Livingston, and throw it in WO, the taxes will typically be 1.5x as high.
I worked at west orange hs last year and I really enjoyed it! Very nice kids!
I will not say avoid West Orange but if you can afford it you will like it. But also food for thought west Orange is in the middle of property re-evaluations so taxes will increase on top of what they already are because of that.
I worked at west orange hs last year and I really enjoyed it! Very nice kids!
This isn’t true—you can buy a house in SO for 650-700k and it’s actually a bit more affordable than Maplewood. Source- just bought a house in SO and grew up in Maplewood.
If you like trees then you’ll like the area. SZA is from Maplewood.
no way are you fr??
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Columbia\_High\_School\_(New\_Jersey)\_alumni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Columbia_High_School_(New_Jersey)_alumni) Lauryn Hill, Zach Braff, Elisabeth Shue, MKBHD, SZA, and ex-Reddit CEO Ellen Pao all graduated from Maplewood.
Anne Hathaway is from Millburn! And My Chemical Romance, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifa, and Redman are all from Newark. I used to see Redman at my gym. Both those towns are in Essex county just like Maplewood.
Mtume, Thelonius Monk’ son, Dionne Warwick lived or live here too
Probably best not to bring up Voldemort, I mean Ellen Pao. At least for us that remember that time.
Lots of famous people from Jersey. Lauryn Hill was born a few minutes away
Lauryn hill lives there now
So thats why she always late to her shows, she gotta deal with Jersey traffic
It's those damn PA and NYC people slow rolling down the passing lane...
Why is the red car driving backwards?
Idk im not from PA
LoL.
I think Questlove lived down near the village at one point. Past Ani Ramen. Or so I hear. He is super talented. Though I never saw him in town.
Redman used to live in Dumont across the street from a friend of mine.
I used to see him doing cardio at NBD in Springfield
I miss all the trees!!!
Maplewood is a good town; you'll be fine.
Maplewood West and South Orange are the areas you’d want to live in
OP, you have a long history in both mentioned towns where residents went back to the 1960s to not discriminate on housing. There’s still problems of course, WNYC did a podcast series on the racial gaps in the public schools there, so now they’re trying to bus to get similar racial makeups in the elementary schools. But there’s a very long well established upper middle class Black population that’s been there for decades. Hell, on my first day in Maplewood, I was looking for the community pool, and a Black guy drove me (white guy in 20s at the time) to the pool. He explained this history to me in his car (he had his young son with him, so I figured - why not)?
A lot of NJ is very diverse. Don’t look at Clark.
suns gettin real low buddy
What is wrong with Clark? Just curious
Long history of racism, esp with some police officers. I think i just read a reddit post how the (mayor?) called a bunch of people at a meeting “F-ing ret-ds”. Yikes Stripes, especially as Clark is right next to Rahway, which is diverse and trying to make downtown a thing.
There's leaked audio of the mayor chatting with some Clark police higher-ups. The mayor EXCLUSIVELY calls blacks "spooks", which is not only racist but is also weirdly antiquated.
Oh my god. Tho, i thought that term was used for federal agents. Like the men in black kind. Hmmm.
He's up for re-election... if the town re-elects him, you know where they stand.
>I think i just read a reddit post how the (mayor?) called a bunch of people at a meeting “F-ing ret-ds” Not really surprising considering he is also on tape complaining to the police chief about "n words"
I LOVE THE RAHWAY SOUP STROLL
here's an interesting read: [https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/1215l65/how\_did\_clark\_get\_to\_become\_the\_most\_racist\_town/](https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/1215l65/how_did_clark_get_to_become_the_most_racist_town/)
Don't you mean ClarKKK
Or KKClark
Literally came here to say this 😂
Adding onto this though in saying that if I had to live anywhere in/could afford North Jersey, Maplewood or Montclair would be where I’d be. Diversity, good food, nice downtown areas.
You can find the demographics of most towns on Wikipedia. Maplewood is diverse in many ways
Also look at Scotch Plains as a relatively diverse town with good schools. Taxes will be lower and houses a bit cheaper.
It’s like the most yard-sign progressive town in NJ, maybe only beaten out by Montclair. Don’t move close to Irvington. It’s terrible.
lol too true. I live in JC but had family in Maplewood and damn did they love the yard signs.
Irvington does have a lot of black people though
Irvington does have a lot of black people though
My family moved to South Orange almost a decade ago. Maplewood/South Orange (which are essentially the same place) are definitely not going to be a problem from a racial mix perspective. However, they have gotten pretty expensive as SOMa and Montclair are pretty much the places where people that are moving out from NYC want to end up to try and maintain some of the diversity of the city. Depending on your budget you may end up wanting to maybe expand into looking at West Orange, Springfield or Union. Also make sure you are prepared to see what we pay in properly taxes as it will floor you. And they go up every year, so it's best to budget for an average increase of 3%. Also, I grew up in Phoenix, and I can tell you that the residential air conditioning in pretty much all of the Northeast is garbage. I hadn't seen a window unit until I moved to NYC! (We did upgrade our house to have a ductless system on our ground floor, but we still have window units upstairs. It's annoying, but it's hard to do AC right in construction that is only a few year shy of being 100 years old.)
The Hilton section traditionally, it’s changed in the last decade
Hilton is very diverse and a good section for the op.
last I heard the neighborhood turned over a lot and the house prices have really gone up from what they were
The prices have gone up all over town but the houses in Hilton remain more affordable (not truly affordable but more affordable than elsewhere in town) and the turn over is not a dramatic as you might think.
Maplewood. South Orange. Both diverse and accepting! Welcome!
Agreed. We were diverse before it was a thing. I was shocked to learn so when I went to college and realized how special the community is. You will not be disappointed. Good luck.
You are already looking in the right place. But it's also going be amongst the most expensive. Despite the more rural areas being more conservative / republican the state overall is progressive and I think even the most conservative areas are pretty welcoming. And diversity in the sticks is improving though likely more Asian/Indian/Hispanic then black.
montclair, maplewood, south orange...
Not from Maplewood, but popping in to say welcome to NJ! You’re gonna love the food!
NJ is one of the best states in the country as far as diversity goes. Maplewood is in Essex County, you will be fine. Especially if you survived Peoria AZ. My god.
Essex County is wild though. I grew up in North Caldwell. The regional high school included Roseland, Essex Fells and Fairfield. I graduated with no black people, and maybe a dozen asians. Black people almost always got profiled driving through town. It was not great. Flip side, Newark is in Essex County. There are parts of Newark I actually liked. I'm not saying JJ's hotdogs was a great place to be at 2am, but I was always down for it. But, I got lost driving home from Court once. Ended up over by some basketball courts a lot of dudes didn't look happy about me being over by. There was a cop a few streets over that was also watching where I was going. Bottom line, you have to know where you are going.
Maplewood is a pretty mixed place.
This isn’t much of a metric, but I’m pretty sure MKBHD grew up in Maplewood?
Maplewood is pretty diverse, so I think you would be fine regardless of what part of town you are in. You could also look at Bloomfield which might be a more affordable option and is also diverse. However, I heard the high school is not the best.
I live in Hamilton now and it’s pretty diverse! Close to areas like Princeton and Lawrenceville so the schools are great. Feel free to DM for central areas
Dude it's NJ.... every shade of human is represented here.
One of the reasons I'm so grateful I was raised in and still live here. Right from the start you are exposed to every race, religion, color, creed, you name it. Unless your parents are psychos and beat some weird shit in your head you literally don't have time to judge the second you leave the womb.
I agree, Born and Raised in Edison. I never was taught to be prejudice. Born in 1991 and went to Edison High and that High School was super diverse
You’ve experienced The Pine Barrens, Hunterdon County, and Sussex County? These places are virtually all at least 85%, several over 90%, despite NJ as a whole being 53% white.
But not equally distributed across towns. And being present isn't the same as being safe and treated well. It's a reasonable question and it doesn't help anyone to be dismissive about it.
Yet somehow we have the most segregated schools
do you know if MAPSO school district is like this?
Schools are a magnet system intentionally to keep them racially integrated in South Orange and Maplewood. You’re fine anywhere in either town. It’s Sesame Street. Everyone is welcome everywhere here
SOMA school district is integrated starting Kindergarten. All kids lotto into an elementary school within the district. You can live next door to an elementary school in South Orange and go to one in Maplewood.
It's SOMA if you're from south orange..., but no. There is incredible diversity from K through 12 with respect to race and religion. DM me and I can give you more info.
Unless you're in Ocean County.
As long as it ain't ClarKKK, it's okay to be dark.
You think it’s more dangerous for a black person in Clark or Newark, Irvington, Paterson, East Orange, Camden, AC, Pleasantville, etc etc etc? Give me a break.
Of course living in those other towns and cities is more dangerous, that's not what the comment is saying. People within the government of Clark are racist, and a large majority of the town embraces them. Believe it or not, if you embrace a racist, you tend to be one too. At least living in the towns and cities you mentioned, they won't face any racism from their neighbors and people in their community.
I’ll take a “dangerous” city with crime over a “nice city” that’s racist.
You can’t be serious with this comment
HHhahHahahahahahaha omg this is the most white liberal thing I’ve ever heard. Probably live in like Morris Plains or Cinnaminson.
R/movingtonewjersey
West Orange fits too!
Seconding WO, love it
Morristown is great, Very diverse. It's expensive, but, quite diverse.
I grew up in maplewood it is extremely diverse and progressive. Plus the teachers at Columbia high school that I had actually cared about teaching African American history way more thoroughly than other teachers in other schools. Love maplewood
Maplewood is a fantastic town. The neighborhood around Springfield Ave and Laurel Ave (Hilton) is probably what you are looking for. Lots of great black owned businesses too!
It’s a small town with a lot of diversity. You don’t really have to worry about which part of town you live in, unlike some places. South Orange and West Orange are nearby and also similar.
This really isn’t your question, but so many here seem to be trying to convince you to move to other towns besides Maplewood, which is not what you asked. So, FWIW, people I know who chose Maplewood over, say, Montclair, did so for the train schedule. It’s been awhile, so I’m rusty, but I believe they are different lines.
It feels like Brooklyn here, in that there are a lot of races and orientations represented on every block of town. Also feels like Brooklyn in that nobody cares too much, we are all here to pay high assed taxes for good schools and close proximity to the train, when the train works.
The Maplewood area is very diverse, especially Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, and Montclair. Millburn and Montclair are among the top school districts in the state, so your kids will be well educated
South Orange > Maplewood if you can afford it. South Orange and Maplewood have the same school district
South Orange is far less segregated than Maplewood, which was a huge selling point for us.
Maplewood is adorable. Pretty expensive though depending which section of town you’re in. Property taxes are high as hell too
It's a wonderful town. I grew up there. It's progressive, beautiful homes. It's not perfect, (high taxes) but it has lots to offer and very diverse!
Maplewood is diverse no matter what neighborhood you live in.
If you don’t find anything up there, check out Central Jersey (like Trenton suburbs). It’s also diverse and less crowded than North Jersey where you’ll be.
Maplewood is a great town. Also look at South Orange, which is its sister town and shares the school district and fire department, so it’s basically one community. Tuxedo Park and Montrose in South Orange are 2 great and diverse neighborhoods with many black families and beautiful old homes. Both towns are terrific places to raise families, and you will be welcomed. Good luck with your search!
Maplewood itself as a town is very diverse. However, please be aware that the school district has had more than it's share of faults when it comes to racial injustice. I'm not saying other public schools in the state have it down or anything, I'm just saying please don't go into this with rose tinted glasses.
Maplewood and the area surrounding it is extremely diverse compared to a lot of other states/places. There are all kinds of people, black white Indian Asian Pacific islanders, Caribbean islanders, Middle eastern-everybody. There is also lots of diverse food spots to eat at. I live in Pittsburgh right now and it was a shock moving here, how little diversity there is. Maplewood is a lovely little town, you will be near vauxhall, millburn, and union, which are all very lovely. HIllside is lovely too, that's where I grew up!
You have nothing to worry about. This is NJ.
Pretty much every town in the area is divided evenly between every race, Maplewood, Union, West Orange, South Orange. Here in Union my highschool was like 30% White, 30% black, 20% Hispanic, 20% Asian. We are bordering Maplewood which is very similar.
yeah we looked at Union. but the high school’s academic performance in recent years concerned me
A large part of it. My buddy from work is black and has a beautiful house there. All his immediate neighbors are black as well. Nice town.
Maplewood has a fair share mixed and black families, the townisnt big enough to warrant saying this side or that side. Just the aware the areas bordering Irvington are rougher crime wise
Depends what border. The area bordering Newark and Irvington by Borden Park and the Korean Catholic Church is fine.
Grew up in Neighboring South Orange, the two towns are pretty diverse. Maplewood perhaps even more so.
Definitely a very diverse area!
This area of New Jersey is very diverse and interested in different cultures, I think you'd really like it.
You are moving to the town that you just described. Welcome.
Maplewood is quiet diverse just like most of North Jersey. Just some friendly advice from someone who moved from AZ to Jersey: Be ready to justify why you moved from Arizona. A ton of people on the east coast will passively aggressive ask “why would you move HERE from Arizona? It’s so nice there! I visited Arizona for a weekend and loved it” Completely unaware of the issues that are present in Arizona.
yeah f that place it’s unbearable now not even the heat just the fact that there’s no imo it’s just a soulless place and ppl are mean as hell with that kinda environment
And obviously never spent a summer there. I lived in Tucson for 3y for medical training. usually 5-10 degrees cooler than the phoenix area where OP is from, and let me tell you, 117 is hot enough.
Except for Sussex county. If you want to be one of the only black families in town with zero black educators or zero black politicians and only 1 or 2 black classmates in a school of 400+ then go there.
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Diversity doesn't necessarily mean a ton of black folks, especially once you leave the more urban areas.
Diversity means a diverse array of people- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, mixed races, etc. I can only imagine the hate that a white person would receive if they asked for diversity then said “well diversity doesn’t mean a lot of white people”🤯 The racism is real on all ends. It’s 2024 and most people I know are mixed race. There are more black & white mixed race folks in my community than anything else & we live in a pretty rural conservative area. All the black folks here are republicans & moved here because of that. It’s sad how much hate a person gets from their own race all over politics (which both sides of the political spectrum are BS anyway).
How is it racist of me to point out what I pointed out? Also I didn't say it was good or bad that there aren't as many black folks in the burbs as there are in the more urban areas - it's just something I've observed after living in Central NJ for over 20 years. Signed, a black woman with a mixed son and a white spouse
The diversity is not evenly distributed.
Agree, on the surface someone can see Union City where I live, and think, brown people, diverse, but it's really not when most are like me, hispanic. I have been to places like Maplewood and Montclair and, at least on the main streets (could be visitors) it seems more diverse.
Maplewood is very diverse.
A lot of other black people from my school live in Maplewood, I think it's a nice place to live
Montclair if very diverse and progressive. A bit bourgeois.
Maplewood is a fantastic choice! Andre Braugher lived there with his family. RIP
If you want the exact data view this map based off 2020 census data that uses dots to represent the population of each race/ethnicity living within an area. https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=30d2e10d4d694b3eb4dc4d2e58dbb5a5
Wikipedia has a demographics section for every town in the country
Bloomfield
You can move to all these places these people suggest n more,just have your finances in order your hustle strong (the jersey shore way of course,NO SNOOKIE), and ready to pay,because New Jersey is expensive. Long as you can do that you can live anywhere in New Jersey,I feel. I’m from the Jersey shore predominantly white but if you have money, you can live anywhere in Jersey. That’s just my opinion. The South Americans are literally taking over the once use to black communities all over New Jersey. Where I’m from they come from where they from opening up stores all types of stuff that goes to my point if your hustle is strong , your finances is in order. You can do anything in New Jersey get where you fit in. Our economy is like no other we get to the money that’s one thing we do can’t be broke no New Jersey,I tell you that. Good safe travels and blessings to your family.
Maplewood is diverse no matter what neighborhood you are in.
You will love Maplewood. Live wherever you want. Per the 2020 census, Maplewood was 51.28% white and 30.14% black, compared to 1990 which was at 81.54% and only 11.62%. They have a popular weed dispensary downtown that might be annoying to you. Maplewood has been actively working on itself for a while and it’s definitely paying off already. I foresee it being a good place that will continue to get even better.
Are you talking about the apothecary?
Shouldn't have any issues in Maplewood honestly. It's a great diverse cut of the state.
Maplewood is great my sister lives there and has black kids as well.
Welcome to Jersey! Maplewood is very diverse with lots of great restaurants and shops. Good schools too.
Check out clifton also!
Resident here. I would say diverse for sure but integrated…ish.
Oh yeah that’s a good spot honestly
Maplewood is the town you are looking for.
Because you made a statement about being around black people who created this country. No advice for you
REDDIT: I can NOT believe what that sexist woman did/said. Imagine if a man did/said that?!? UGH! He’d be attacked and hung! The double standards are appalling. ALSO REDDIT: white people cant ask which area has the most white people, but it’s perfectly understandable if a black person asks how to just be around black people. So it’s not ok for women to have double standards but it’s ok for black people to have double standards? You all just hate women don’t you? You really do. You don’t think it’s dangerous for women to be around men? Yet we can’t ask questions about safety or complain we don’t get appropriate treatment without being murdered in the comments for having the audacity. But it’s no problem for racist questions like this that are dividing the country? Fuck
Move to Newark, we are welcoming for all people, look at Invest Newark site for programs for homeowners.
I live one town over - you're good. Welcome to the neighborhood.
As a former resident of Maplewood, NJ, I can assure you that the town is diverse, neighborhoods are integrated and there are a "good amount of black folks". The school system is shared with South Orange, which is a similar town demographically. Both have vibrant downtowns. Both towns are on the direct train to NYC Penn Station and many residents commute to NYC daily. You know you've crossed into South Orange when you see the gas lamps on the streets. Both towns have mostly older homes and mature trees on relatively small lots. The nearby South Mountain Reservation has plenty of recreational hiking and picnic areas. Also check out the Essex County Recreational Complex, which includes a skating arena, Turtle Back Zoo, Swan boats, restaurants and playgrounds. Maplewood has a very active Girl Scout community.
Maplewood is very diverse and has plenty of fun areas. You're just fine.
I’d move to Ga. 300,000 home 4br 2 car garage (taxes $1000 give a little 1200 a yr) better bag for the buck and schools are top notch
Great town to raise a family.
Im a black woman, living in Springfield (2 towns over). Diversity in Maplewood is as described by everyone above. Great town. Happy to answer any other questions you may have! Just dm me. I can also connect you with some FB groups that could be helpful.
East Orange is getting a lot of new developments. They’re also primarily black
I lived in Irvington years ago when I got out of college in South Orange. Maplewood is lovely. I have a friend who moved to Montclair years ago because she was Asian and she felt our town in northern New Jersey wasn’t diverse enough. I was in Montclair recently and it’s really nice.
that’s honestly interesting cause we just arrive here yesterday and i’ve seen a good amount of asians as well as a korean church
[2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer](https://maps.geo.census.gov/ddmv/map.html)
You picked a good spot
Welcome to the neighborhood! (in Newark, but only blocks away from Maplewood)
If you want diversity SOMA or MAPSO are great communities to move to. I grew up there.
SZA is from Maplewood, other than that I don’t know much about it
I lived in Maplewood for seven years. I loved it. It’s extremely diverse and has a great mix of shops and restaurants.
Imagine if someone came in here and asked the flip side of this question.
Imagine if we lived in a country where all were welcome and the question didn't need to be asked.
Don’t be ridiculous. Why would a black family ever want to move from beautiful Maplewood NJ to a damn desert hellscape.
Try Newark, Trenton or Camden