Cliffside Park - housing, transportation, people
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5/11/2007
Many of the old neighborhood is being converted to side-by-side single family homes. The prices have plateau'd but still difficult to attain even for a family just starting out with 2 working professionals. These types of homes were selling around $700k (each side or $1.4 million for both units together) last year but now have come down to about $650k each side. The neighborhood is a blue-collar working class, many 1st & 2nd generation immigrants moving into the non-renovated homes.
The main street with obsolete stores have hung on for 30 years but those that moved out - the space has high turnovers. The town recently evoked eminent domain and will convert 1.5 blocks to a 3-level new construction - first floors for retail and upper floors as luxury condos. The town is very much a mix of the old and the new in its people and housing.
Transportation is becoming much more conjested despite NJ Transit's frequent bus runs. However the neighboring town (Edgewater) just opened a new ferry terminal that runs ferry to mid-town Manhattan every 30 minutes during morning and evening rush hours. This is great news as many in Cliffside Park are professionals working in NYC but there is no mass transportation making this ferry terminal accessible and the terminal does not allow all-day parking. The Cliffside Park town just conducted a survey to see if there will be sufficient rider-ship if they offered a free town shuttle. Outcome is not yet announced.
Property tax was reassessed in 2003. There was a 40% increase. For a 2 bedroom 2 bath 1300 sq ft condo on the 21st floor with a full view of Manhattan with balcony and 2-car garage space, the property tax is 15% more than an 1800 sq ft home on 1/3 acre lot in Dumont, NJ. Compared to surrounding towns, I think Cliffside Park property tax is the highest not by a small margin.
Abhd | Cliffside Park, NJ