Should we move to Maplewood from SFO?

Hi Maplewoodians,

My partner is being transferred from the San Francisco to the New York office, but we don't want to live in NYC (where we live in SF has more of a quiet, almost suburban/small town feel). We've heard that Maplewood may be a good choice for us. We're looking for a diverse, interactive, welcoming community for us and our elementary school aged child with decent schools. More liberal, left leaning than not, socially progressive/conscious citizens, and a safe low crime rate.

Are we looking in the right place?

Yes.

Yes.

I'd say yes.

No.

South Orange, too!!! One stop closer on NJTransit if you will be working in the City. (Plus we have a great Library!!!)

And previously recommended on the other thread, also look at South Orange, Maplewood's sister town with whom they share the school district. And it's one stop closer to NYC.

Yes And I agree with South Orange. They really are one community in many ways (including the school district). We live in South Orange but equidistant between both downtowns which has been great for us.

You described our towns, Maplewood/South Orange, perfectly!!

Yes. PM me , happy to give you some advice

Soul_29 said:

No.

Dave, can you ban Soul29?

I think it is everything you describe but I would say there is a relatively low crime rate. Maplewood is economically diverse and it borders some much less advantaged towns. I try not to leave our doors unlocked and I would not leave my car running in the driveway. So, there are certain "warts" that we deal with (including very high taxes), but for our family, they are absolutely worth it because of the small town feel and because we think it offers so much to our children (like being able to walk everywhere). Maplewood is a very special place. But it is not perfect.

jeffl said:

Soul_29 said:

No.

Dave, can you ban Soul29?

Sheep!!

And if by partner you mean you're a same-sex couple, there are tons of us here! Seriously, no one bats an eye and it's been great for our daughter to easily meet friends with other same-sex parents.

Why ban Soul29? Soul - are you serious - can I PM you?

calilo said:

Hi Maplewoodians,

Yep, or South Orange. Or Montclair. Or the river towns in Westchester County, NY. Where is your partner's office in NYC?

And no, jeffl was not serious. We permit dissent. Mostly.

Calilo, please ignore Soul29. He knows not what he writes. He's the Message Board problem child. Those of us who know him, just ignore him, as should you. You know the type. Never had any friends growing up. Attention seeking. Oppositional. Frightening, but harmless. Sort of like a spider.

Sorry for the thread drift. You'll love it here. It sounds like it's perfect for you and your partner.

Let's remember our poster is new here

@calilo, my brother's family did exactly that move (albeit to South Orange) two years ago. I know his wife, my sis-in-law, has a lot of feelings and opinions about relative benefits. I PM'ed the two of you to make the connection. Hope that helps.

Yes. Maybe that sounds silly without knowing you and your family and your specific needs, but in my personal experience, we moved to Maplewood from Brooklyn and loved every minute of our three years there. We relocated to the West coast last summer for a job, and while I enjoy our life here, the temperate weather, and the slower pace in general, I still miss Maplewood and the friends and neighbors we had there very much. It is a very special place with a wonderful sense of community, good schools, kids playing throughout the yards, neighbors chatting over the fence, a great pool for the summer, and a relatively quick (sometimes painful) commute to the city. We decided to hold on to our house and rent it out instead of sell because I knew that if we decided to move back to the East coast there was nowhere else I'd rather be and raise my family.

I think that Maplewood/So. Orange definitely fit your desires. Plus, in my opinion and to the extent of my knowledge anyway, Maplewood has one of the easiest commutes into NYC via train.

I'd also throw in some parts of West Orange as a good option, especially the Gregory area which is close to the South Orange border. I moved here last year and all the neighbors have been very kind, approachable, and friendly. I love being close to all the shops and restaurants in South Orange and very frequently spend time in Maplewood as well. Really you can't go wrong with this whole area, I've been wanting to live here since I was a teenager and it is every bit as wonderful as I had imagined. The community on these forums is also super helpful and extremely welcoming--really makes you feel like you are part of a neighborhood, not just a town full of strangers

Yes!

And see if you can get in touch with @greenetree, who is a long-time poster here that moved to the SFO area a couple of years ago. She probably has more perspective for you than most of us.

Hi @Calilo,
Sounds like we may currently live in the same place. I moved to the Bay from Maplewood (lived there for 15 years) in 2011.

The differences and similarities are not what I expected they would be. I am going to assume that by "partner" you mean same gender; definitely something to talk about. Nothing bad, but as a gay woman, I've noticed many cultural differences. Give me a holler (responding from my office in SSF).

We moved here from San Francisco 10+ yrs ago. While I miss the bay area something terrible, I do love Maplewood.

One other observation: while MOL is an incredible resource (one that I sorely miss - I *still* haven't had a decent hair cut), the MOL population is very skewed.

MOL MSO. If Maplewood & environs are a good fit for you otherwise, you will likely find daily life quite different than what you read about here.

Also keep in mind that moving anywhere is disruptive - don't expect that warm & fuzzy Maplewood will provide you with an instant community. It can facilitate meeting people, for sure. But the kinds of deep connections and friends you make that define "home" take a really long time to build. In three years, I am slowly getting there.

SO definitely has more issues - poor water quality and ridiculous board of trustees behavior among them. If we had it to do again we would have stuck to Maplewood and WO.

Our social lives improved immensely when we moved here. We have great neighborhood friends who are like a safety net to us as parents. I can't imagine raising our family anywhere else. True, it's not perfect, but we also weren't looking to insulate our kids from economic and cultural diversity. Another plus is all the creative types which offer so many opportunities for kids and families.

My wife and I are from the Bay Area. We have lived in Maplewood for 8 years, after living 5 years in Manhattan. If you want any specific info please pm.

Enjoy Maplewood.

Adele said:

Yep, or South Orange. Or Montclair. Or the river towns in Westchester County, NY. Where is your partner's office in NYC?

And no, jeffl was not serious. We permit dissent. Mostly.

One of the major differences between MSO and Montclair (now that they have Midtown Direct train service to Manhattan) is the organization of the school systems. We have schools mostly zoned by location, while they have a district-wide system of somewhat specialized/themed magnet schools.

I don't know enough to judge but would also be looking carefully at Montclair if I were a first time buyer now (BaristaNet is their equivalent of MOL, I believe). Maplewood, South Orange and Montclair are all wonderful towns that fit your description of what you are looking for.

(When we were in SF, we lived in the district downhill from UCSF...)