I say this is because Ridgewood is unique in that it is one of the few affluent towns where residents still get to know their neighbors and really feel a sense of community.  Many other affluent towns are filled with huge McMansions set on large lots where you barely see your neighbors – much less get to know them.  For example, within a week of moving to Ridgewood a neighbor planned a BBQ to introduce us to other neighbors and took note of the ages of our children and made sure to invite families with children of similar ages so our kids could instantly make friends.  Our children have lots friends that are within walking distance and can “cut-through” yards to see these friends. In other towns most interactions with other children involve the complex ritual of setting up “play dates”.

2.       Ridgewood Schools are excellent.

Ridgewood High School ranks at or near the top of the state rankings every year for important benchmarks such as SAT scores, percentage of students attending 4-year colleges, etc. but perhaps more importantly the Ridgewood Schools System excels at providing a top-notch education to all types of students from the gifted to the students with learning issues and/or special needs.  Students with special needs are integrated so seamlessly into the general education population, and so many students receive extra help of some sort or another, that the students themselves don’t even make the distinction between special education students and general education students.  Students are students. Period. And that’s the way it should be.

NJ Monthly Magazine’s List of Top NJ High Schools

Ridgewood School System Website

3.       Ridgewood is a great town for New York City Commuters.

Whether driving, riding the bus or taking the train most Ridgewood residents can walk out their front door and be sitting at their desk in Manhattan in about an hour.

Ridgewood NJ Commuter’s Secret – Manhattan Door-to-Door in Less than an Hour

4.       Ridgewood’s downtown is the best in New Jersey.

Ridgewood truly has a self sufficient downtown that features everything from quaint little shops to high-end chain stores such as Anne Taylor and Lucky Jeans.  And, of course, we have a Starbucks.

5.       Ridgewood has some of the best restaurants in NJ.

Ridgewood restaurants feature everything from fine dining to sandwich shops and everything in between.   My favorites are Marcello’s  and The Office

List of Ridgewood Restuarants

6.       Ridgewood has an incredible Newcomers Club.

The Ridgewood Newcomers Club features dozens of special interest groups and clubs so that new residents not only get to meet other new Ridgewood-ites but they can also be sure to meet folks with similar interests.  This club is very active and features agroups for expats and repats, sports groups, play groups, international groups, and more.

Ridgewood Newcomers Club

7.       You will have more fun in Ridgewood.

There is so much to do in Ridgewood that you really have to pick and choose carefully what to get involved in or you will be busy 24 hours a day.  Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool is a great place to spend a summer day but if you spend the whole day there you may miss some of the great programs at The Stable or the Ridgewood Public Library.

8.       Ridgewood Real Estate.

Ridgewood features homes that run the gamut from large newly constructed homes to sprawling brick ranch homes to quaint cape cod style homes .  However, Ridgewood is best known for its charming older Colonials and Victorians – many of which feature incredible architectural details such as stained glass, built-ins, intricate woodwork, and beautiful front porches.

Click Here to See Ridgewood Homes for Sale

9.       Ridgewood is in the center of it all.

Ridgewood is just minutes from the Garden State Parkway, Route 17, Route 4, the New York State Thruway and the New Jersey Turnpike.  Ridgewood also borders Paramus which is the shopping capital of New Jersey with its many malls, outlets and shops.  Not only is Ridgewood convenient to NYC city but you can also be snow skiing at a great resort or surfing at one of New Jersey’s many beaches in less than an hour’s drive.  And don’t forget that the Meadowlands Sports Complex is less than 20 minutes away.

10.   Ridgewood is the perfect town for expats, repats and families moving out of New York City.

Because of many of the points stated above, Ridgewood is the perfect place for folks relocating from large American cities or from abroad.  Many of New Jersey’s quiet suburbs, with no neighbors in sight and no downtown to speak of, can be quite a shock for those used to the culture and excitement of a large city.  However, with its vibrant downtown, active newcomers club, great restaurants and easy access to Manhattan Ridgewood allows folks to ease into suburban life without sacrificing the things they love about city life.

If you would like additional information about Ridgewood or a guided tour or if you would like to see some of our beautiful homes please call me at 201.906.3287.

Aloysius  Donohue is Ridgewood Resident with two young children in the Ridgewood School System, an award winning REALTOR® and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist with a focus on Ridgewood real estate.  For more information on Ridgewood real estate you can contact Aloysius Donohue at 201.906.3287 or aldonohue@marrongildea.com. 

Click here for more information about Ridgewood NJ

All statements contained in this blog post are strictly the opinion of the author (Aloysius Donohue). 

Related Articles:

Ridgewood High School’s Ranking Surges in NJ Monthly’s List of Top New Jersey High Schools

Ridgewood Makes List of Top 10 NJ Housing Markets – Train Station a Big Factor

It’s Time for Savvy Buyers to Snap Up Real Estate in Ridgewood New Jersey.

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Click below to view the original article

http://activerain.com/blogsview/439952/Ridgewood-Real-Estate-Top

The Community Pass Website allows Ridgewood Residents to perform all sorts of useful tasks.  My family uses it several times per month.  We order our boys’ Ridgewood School Lunch via the community pass site, we use it to sign up for Ridgewood sports and activities and we use it to manage our Graydon Pool membership.  This invaluable site saves Ridgewood Residents countless hours and I am sure it saves tons of trees in the process.  I can’t begin to count how many forms have been elminated by this site and how much time is saved in not having to fill out forms by hand, then write a check and then address, stamp and mail the form and check in an envelope.

Below is a partial list of organizations that are part of the Village of Ridgewood Community Pass Site.

Ridgewood Soccer Association
Maroons Soccer Club
Ridgewood Lacrosse Association
Biddy Basketball
Ridgewood Baseball and Softball Association
Village Parks and Recreation
Ridgewood Summer School
Ridgewood Community School
Ridgewood Schools – Tests & Activities Fees
Graydon Pool / Tennis
Village of Ridgewood Summer Day Camp
Maple Park Turf Project
Ridgewood Elementary Lunch Program
Ridgewood School Forms
Ridgewood Municipal Fields & Facilities
Our Lady of Mount Carmel CYO Basketball

Related Stories

Ridgewood New Jersey Top Websites – The Offical Village Site

Top 10 Ridgewood NJ Websites – #5 and #6

Top 10 Ridgewood NJ Websites – The Blogs

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The Ridgewood Village Site is not your typical town site.  All town sites provide info on community events along with public notices, etc.  However, it is the extremely useful tools on this Ridgewood Site that set it apart and make it a favorite of Ridgewood Residents.  Below are just few of the things you can do on the Official Ridgewood Village Site.

Download Ridgewood Permit and Application Forms – Click Here

Find out what day the recycling goes out or when the “big curbside garbage” is picked up – Click Here

Request Ridgewood Government record – Click Here

Pay a Ridgewood Parking Ticket – Click Here

View a Calendar of Ridgewood Events -  Click Here

Look up phone numbers for key contacts at the Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments, Ridgewood Library, Town Hall, etc. – Click Here

There are far too many features and tools on this Ridgewood Website to list them all here.  So, if you are living in Ridgewood or thinking about moving here please check out the Official Ridgewood Village Site.

If you found this post helpful you may want to check out the links below:

Top 10 Ridgewood NJ Websites – #5 and #6

Top 10 Ridgewood NJ Websites – The Blogs

If you would like more information on Ridgewood Real Estate please call me at 201.906.3287 or simply leave a comment here.  I’d be very happy to provide a free home value analysis or provide advice on the types of remodeling projects that are most likely to increase the resale value of your Ridgewood home.

Ridgewood Public Schools Website - #5 on the Ridgewood Front Porch list.

The Ridgewood Public Schools site is a great resource for parents of current Ridgewood students and for folks considering a move to Ridgewood NJ  alike.  The site is pack with info on school events, curriculum, faculty and much more.

The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Site - #6 on the Ridgewood Front Porch list.

The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce website is great for Ridgewood Business Owners and even better for Ridgewood residents and folks in the surrounding area.  You can find everything you need on the Chamber Site from a list of restaurants, shops, professional services and much more.  

You can also click here for my list of trusted local businesses in the Ridgewood Area.

If you would like more information on anything related to Ridgewood NJ please leave a comment here or click here to contact me.

To view all homes currently for sale in Ridgewood NJ click here Ridgewood NJ Homes for Sale.

The Ridgewood Blog - #3 on our Top Ten List.

There are many great websites and blogs focused on Ridgewood NJ so it was hard to pick just 10.  Below are two of my favorite Ridgewood Sites.  The Ridgewood Blog and Ridgewood Views are actually blogs, not websites, but that distinction is mostly for geeks like me.

Reading these two Ridgewood Blogs keep you up to date on everything going on in Ridgewood.  They will also usually give you opposing, but equally insightful, viewpoints on every issue.  Reading The Ridgewood Blog and Ridgewood Views is like having our very own version of Point-Counterpoint or Hannity and Colmes right here in Ridgewood.

Below are a few sample links that are representative of what you can find at these excellent Ridgewood Blogs.

Ridgewood Views #4 on our Top Ten List.

Ridgewood Views

Recent post that shows the lively banter between the two Ridgewood Blogs.

The Ridgewood Parking Garage Debate.

The Ridgewood Blog

Investigative post (complete with photos) on the baseball field that is Not being built at Citizens Park.

Valley Hospital Poll.

Look for the remainder of Ridgewood’s Top Sites coming soon.

Editors Note - The Ridgewood Front Porch will not be part of this top 10 list since we are the ones creating the lists.  There just might be the suggestion of a bias had we ranked our own Blog.

Take in a live concert at the Ridgewood Kasschau Memorial Shell.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you haven’t been to an outdoor concert at “The Shell” you don’t know what you are missing.  Make sure to bring a chair and some blankets.  I would recommend the Rio Clemente Jazz Concert on July 29th. See video above. Call 201.444.1776 for more info.

Take the family for some ice cream in Ridgewood’s Downtown.

There are no shortage of great spots for ice cream here in Ridgewood.  I have a feeling if you asked most folks in town they would vote for Van Dyke’s but my favorite is Maggie Moo’s and the rest of my family agrees.  Ben And Jerry’s and Haagen-Dazs are right up there too and they are all located in Ridgewood.

Stop by the Farmer’s Market at the Ridgewood Train Station.

The farmers market is open on Sundays from June 29th to October 26 from 9am – 3pm.  It is located at the Ridgewood Train Station.  The Ridgewood Farmers Market features fresh produce, bakery items and all types of gourmet foods.  You can get more info by calling 201.445.2600.

Take a swim.

Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool is a town favorite.  It’s not your typical 5ft deep rectangular, concrete pool.  It looks like a large, natural pond and has wooden rafts anchored in various places in the pool for children to jump off and it also has a great snack shop.  It is conveniently located just a couple blocks from Ridgewood’s Downtown.Other related must reads:

Ridgewood’s Van Dyke’s Ice Cream Named Best in Bergen County

Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, in Ridgewood NJ, Named Best Pizza in Bergen County