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发帖数: 4451 | 1 At Home In: Bergen County
Thursday, September 20, 2012
BY JENNIFER PINTO SPECIAL TO OPEN HOUSE Wire Service
Located in the northeastern corner of the state, Bergen County boasts close
access to various parts of New York City. Boroughs such as Fort Lee and
Englewood Cliffs are only minutes from the George Washington Bridge, while
the towns of Rutherford and Lyndhurst have closer access to Manhattan via
the Lincoln Tunnel.
Bergen County features a mix of townships and boroughs, as well as a few
cities, such as Garfield, Englewood and Hackensack, which is the county seat
. The county includes several higher education institutions, including
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Ramapo and Felician colleges and Bergen
County College, as well as five major hospitals.
Public transportation around the county - but especially into New York City
- is readily available by bus or train. Major arteries such as routes 4, 17
and 46; interstates 80, 95 and 287; and the Garden State Parkway and the New
Jersey Turnpike cut through the county at various points, making commuting
easy.
During the fall, residents can enjoy music festivals or street fairs held in
parks and downtown areas. And for traditional fall fun, residents can pick
their own apples and pumpkins at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, which also
offers hay rides and features a corn maze. Various towns throughout Bergen
also keep their farmers markets open through October.
HIGHS AND LOWS OF AFFORDABILITY
Bergen County features a wide mix of towns that range in size and
affordability. Towns also vary in their ambiance, with some offering more of
a city-feel with high-rise condos and larger populations, and others
maintaining more of a small-town atmosphere with a makeup of mostly single-
family homes and a quaint
"Bergen County often is described as the 'Suburbs of New York,'" said Eileen
O'Driscoll, president of the Eastern Bergen County Board of Realtors (
EBCBOR). "Many folks, while working in New York, like to raise their
families in an independent dwelling with a back yard and a short enough
commute that doesn't keep them on the road all day. Others, who like the
city life ... choose condo- and apartment-style living in those towns
closest to the city."
According to a ranking by "Forbes," Bergen County features one of the most
expensive zip codes in the nation: 07620, which is the Borough of Alpine,
where the median home price is around $4.3 million.
Additionally, the Borough of Paramus with its many storefronts and malls
generates more in retail sales than any other zip code in the country.
Because of all the commercial property, Paramus residents face lower
property taxes compared to neighboring communities. The median price in this
borough is $525,000, and the average property tax is about
"Home buying in Bergen County offers many options to buyers of different
wallet sizes, ranging from several million dollars in Alpine and Upper
Saddle River, for example, to homes as low as $150,000 in Bergenfield,
Bogota, Englewood and Lodi," O'Driscoll said. "Of course, all of this
depends on the home's size, condition, and whether it may or may not be in a
flood
CONVENIENT COMMUTING
Popular towns for commuters who need to go into the city include Fort Lee,
Cliffside Park and Edgewater, said Diane Thurber-Wamsley, president elect of
the
"These towns offer good schools, upscale-amenity condo and co-op buildings,
and door-to-door bus service to Manhattan in usually an hour or less," she
Fort Lee has a median sales price of $480,750, while Cliffside Park and
Edgewater have median prices of $387,500 and $371,000, respectively.
Towns farther from the Gold Coast also can boast convenient commutes thanks
to their proximity to highways and public transportation options. Westwood,
with a median sales price of $373,000, has a train that runs through its
bustling downtown, while towns farther northwest, like Mahwah and Allendale,
are near major roadways that feed into other convenient routes. Mahwah's
median sales price is $450,000, and Allendale's is $539,900.
"Some other noteworthy aspects of our region are the great county parks,"
Thurber-Wamsley said. "Overpeck Park, which stretches between Leonia,
Palisades Park and Ridgefield Park, has just completed a multi-million
dollar renovation and expansion. The Van Saun County Park offers great open
space for picnic/barbeque gatherings as well as a zoo and carousel."
CLOSE TO THE ACTION
Towns farther south in the county also provide a great place for first-time
buyers to purchase a home.
North Arlington and Lyndhurst, for example, feature affordable houses, good
schools, and wonderful recreational programs, said Jarlynn Hyde, president
of the Meadowlands Board of Realtors.
North Arlington has a median sales price of $245,000 while Lyndhurst is at $
315,000.
Hyde said both North Arlington and Lyndhurst feature a variety of housing
options, such as apartments and condominiums, along with large residential
areas that appeal to families.
"This area is experiencing growing neighborhoods, with the overflow coming
from Hoboken and Jersey City," she explained. "People are moving out of
those areas to places that are close to transportation but affordable. We're
very centrally located with access to a lot of things, yet we're not in the
middle of the hustle and bustle of the busy city."
Residents in southern Bergen County are close to the Meadowlands sports
complex and Meadowlands conservation area. Newark Liberty International
Airport also is within a half-hour drive of the towns in this
"There are a lot of young people who love the hustle and bustle of the city.
They like the convenience of walking out their door and to a restaurant,"
Hyde said. "However, once they start to settle in for a family, they're
looking for the suburbs; they want to be close to city life, yet they want
the possibilities that this area offers for families."
ABOUT TOWN IN BERGEN COUNTY
Population905,116, including:• White: 650,703• Asian: 131,329&#
8226; Black: 52,473• Hispanic or Latino of Any Race: 145,281Homes and
Households• Homeownership Rate, 2006-2010: 67.5 percent• Median
Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units, 2006-2010: $482,300• Households
, 2006-2010: 333,874• Median Household Income, 2006-2010: $81,
708Points of Interest• Van Saun County Park• BergenPAC•
Palisades Interstate Park• Meadowlands Sports Complex• Campgaw
Mountain ReservationFall Events• Mahwah Day and Fireworks, Sept. 22,
Commodore Perry Field• War of Outposts, Oct. 13-14, Historic New
Bridge Landing, River Edge• The Zoo Boo, Bergen County Zoological Park
(Paramus), end of OctoberHistory• Bergen County was formed in 1683.
Real Estate | Residential | P*********t
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