Franklin Lakes, NJ area - how is it?

[NewJeffCT]

I was contacted recently by a company in Franklin Lakes, NJ... just wondering what sort of area it is - is it a good family area with good public schools? How far is it to NYC? Is there a train or similar available to get into the city? (just thinking of a job for my wife, too, in regards to NYC) The only bits I know about NJ are from the south Jersey area, which is where my ex is from.

I'm in the Hartford, CT area now and a quick check of homefair.com indicates that it is a little more expensive, but not significantly so...

(Cross posted in the Lounge)

[gman16]

1. Franklin Lakes

Upscale community,
aprrox. 25 miles from New York City (Rt. 208 to Rt. 4 to George Washington Bridge)
I know a train leaves from Fairlawn (about 10 min. drive down Rt. 208)to NYC, not sure if any leave directly from FL.
Not sure about schools.

[mcscajun]

2. It's a very nice area, but some parts are in a flood zone.

the Passaic River, doncha know. :)

NJ Transit and at least one bus company serves that community.
http://www.franklinlakesrealestate.net/Franklin_Lakes_community.htm

http://www.franklinlakes.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Lakes%2C_NJ

[hoboken123]

3. Nice

Close to NYC, straight shot down 208 to 4. Very suburban, the parts I've been to are similar to Glastonbury.

[NewJeffCT]

4. Is that Glastonbury, CT?

Glastonbury is expensive, but it's not $889,000 median home price...

[hoboken123]

7. Yeah

Similar feel. My drummer owns a two bedroom w/basement in Franklin Lakes, neighborhood's like my brother's area in Glastonbury.

Not talking price, just what the area's like.

[ramapo]

5. Very expensive

Must be B&D or Merck?

Franklin Lakes is home to the $1,000,000 handyman special. Knockdowns are common, replaced by outrageous buildings.

The schools are good but you can imagine the social scene.
The high school is a regional system, Mercedes in the student lot and such.

Look at surrounding towns, Oakland, Midland Park, Pompton Lakes & Wayne. Wyckoff is very nice but getting as expensive as F.L.

There is no train service from the immediate area. Buses to NYC are fairly convenient. You have to drive to the train but parking can be a problem unless you go to Ramsey.

Flooding is not a problem unless you buy in the floodplains of Oakland, Pompton Lakes or Wayne. If the price is too good to be true, the house gets flooded now and then.

[NewJeffCT]

6. thanks

I browsed realtor.com online and something close to our current house in the Hartford, CT area, only 20 years older, was like $1.1 million!!!

[Jersey Devil]

8. About 1 hr by car to NYC with normal weekday traffic

Very pricey area. Come a little further east in Bergen County to be a much easier commute to NYC. Other towns in area close to FL will have much cheaper home prices.

[mconvente]

9. I'm from Midland Park

Overall I like it here. We have some big houses, but nothing compared to Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff (where my grandpa lives - bought his house in the 50s for $40,000 - lol), Mahwah, Upper Saddle River, etc. Midland Park is one of the smallest towns in Bergen County (I think only Washington Township and Ho-Ho-Kus are smaller) and yet we have our own highschool, so "news" travels around fast. If you can put up with some snobby people (sure to be present in all upscale white suburbia areas) then you'll like it. School's are great, but property taxes suck - in Ridgewood (right next to MP) one woman's property taxes on an old house (but pretty big) were $33,000 for one year - crazy.