The Bergen County Homes Blog

   One of the really terrifc advantages of living in any Bergen County town are the varied activities available to you.  From infants to senior citizens it seems that there’s something going on every week.  Now that Major League Baseball has begun and Little League is about to get underway, it’s natural to look forward to afternoons at the ball park enjoying our National Pastime with a hot dog and a soda.

Unfortunately for adult ladies watching is the operative word.  While there are plenty of men’s softball leagues, women haven’t had the same opportunities up until now.  There’s a change coming from New Milford, NJ.

New Milford is starting a new women’s softball league this year and the requirement is that you have to be 21 years of age or older.  In fact, I don’t think it matters how much over 21 you are and, best of all for many of us, any degree of talent allowed! 

This promises to be a fun league and the schedule they have in mind is for Friday nights from June through August.  So if your sister, mom or grandmother has been looking at her other half of the family from the sidelines, she doesn’t have to any longer.  

You don’t have to own a New Milford home to join; this women’s softball league is open to everyone.  The registration fee is only $55 and you have until May 26th to register – just email NewMilfordWomensSoftball@yahoo.com to get the form.  OK Ladies, New Milford and Bergen County are saying “Batter up – let’s play ball!”

Live theater is alive and well in Bergen County.  No matter where you live from Ridgewood to Fort Lee or from Bergenfield to Mahwah, every Bergen County homeowner is within a 15 minute drive to a live local theater.

Teaneck has 2 major artistic entities - The Garage Theater Group and The Puffin Foundation.  The Garage Theater Group has been presenting live theater since 1993 and is located in the Fairleigh Dickinson University Becton Theater.  A strong focus of The Garage Theater Group is nurturing young actors.  Theater classes are offered for ages 6-18 during the school year plus there’s a summer camp.  Also offered are adult classes, individualized coaching and a dance class.

At the end of each play, the cast and director get together with the audience for an open forum discussion.  This is a uniquely special part of seeing a Garage Theater production and it’s a very enriching experience.  I’ve attended plays here which I’ve enjoyed tremendously.  It’s also quite inspiring to see how talented our young local actors are.

The next 2 productions are going to be a lot of fun and both are musicals:  Narnia from March 11-13 and Seussical from  June 3-12.  Tickets are affordable and I’m sure that both productions will sell out quickly.

If you own a Teaneck home, you’re only a hop, skip and a jump away but no matter where you live in Bergen County, the Garage Theater Group is conveniently located.  At the same time, The Garage Theater Group is a positive for Teaneck real estate.  Being able to tell Teaneck home buyers that we have live theater in town adds value to Teaneck homes.

  Trees and nature have always been important in Tenafly NJ.  When I bought my Tenafly home I was amazed to learn how important trees were to the Tenafly Planning Board.  The builder had to agree to plant fast growing maple trees along the building line in Walnut Manor, where I bought my Tenafly home, so that in only 7 years the area would have tall trees throughout.

Today Tenafly has over 400 acres of municipal parks and open space.  Preserving natural woodland is so important here that in 1972 a 4 year campaign was begun to save 194 acres on the East Hill from development.  Along with grant money were hundreds of donations from individual Tenafly residents. 

Today that 194 acre purchase is part of the total 330 acre Lost Brook Preserve that so many Tenafly residents enjoy bordering on the 52 acre Tenafly Nature Center for a spectacular nature preserve.

Following Tenafly’s tradition of preserving woodland and trees, the Tenafly Public Works Department is hosting a free tree planting this spring.  Every Tenafly homeowner can call 201-568-4134 to be put on the list of homes that will be checked out to see if there is enough room in the borough right of way to plant a tree. If there is, the Public Works Department will come back in the spring and plant a tree there for free.

When you buy a Tenafly home, you’re buying more than Tenafly real estate.  You’re buying the Tenafly lifestyle and a big part of that is respect for trees and nature.

Englewood, NJ, is a vibrant community in no small part because of the diversity of it’s population. A walk along Palisade Avenue through the Englewood business district is almost like a walk through the United Nations.  In fact, a large advantage of owning an Englewood home is the diversity of it’s people.  One of the largest enthnic groups in this area of Bergen County is the Korean community and this week’s club meeting at The Woman’s Club of Englewood featured a most special program – senior Korean women performing traditional Korean dances with Korean music including live drum music.

 The dancers were extremely graceful and seemed to glow with happiness and  pride as they performed their dances.   What was quite impressive was to learn that their average age is 67.  Many different dances were performed some of which used beautiful, brightly colored fans and one used drums which was very exciting. 

  After the program was a tea and dessert reception where the Korean dancers joined the club members which gave everyone a chance to meet one on one.  It’s not every day that you can meet the performing artists you’ve just seen.   

 The Woman’s Club of Englewood is a century old organization that is a progressive force in the Englewood community and an important philanthropic force as well granting hundreds of college scholarships over the years.   I have to say that as a guest of one of their members, I was extremely impressed by not only this special program of Korean dances but also by all the good works done by The Woman’s Club of Englewood.  Organizations such as this help to make Englewood the special place it is which only serves to make Englewood homes among the most sought after in the New York City area.

  Have a home in Bergen County?  If so, take   advantage of the coming thaw next week and get your gutters cleaned if you haven’t already.  We’ve just had a few warm days but the deep freeze is going to be with us for the week ahead but then the weather pattern’s changing and temperatures will be up for a short while.  After all, it’s still winter; snow and ice will be back soon.

Most of us don’t realize how much damage clogged gutters can do to a house.  Let’s face it – gutters aren’t the most glamorous part of anyone’s home but they’re sure one of the most important.

Gutters keep water away from your home which is critical to maintaining the structure.  When they become clogged with leaves and grit they can do tremendous damage to exterior walls, cause inside wall leaks, start foundation leaks and even help to create the perfect setting for ice dams which seriously damages your roof.  Having a gutter guard system doesn’t eliminate the need for cleaning because while these systems keep out leaves, grit can still build up.

Getting your gutters cleaned is one of the least expensive maintenance items and, if you know how, you can do this yourself.  I’m not that adventurous so I always hired someone to do it.  If you’re in Bergen County and need a recommendation, just let me know.

Take advantage of our milder temperatures next week, get your gutters cleaned and avoid thousands in repair bills.

When you are buying a home, part of the process involves a home inspection.  Home inspections are usually done in 3 sections – structural, termites and wood destroying insects and radon.  Radon is a gas that occurs when uranium and radium breaks down in the soil or in rock formations.  When this gas is released, it can build up to dangerous levels in a house.  Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer. 

Not only is it dangerous, it’s clear and odorless.  The only way to discover if the radon level in your house is unsafe is to test for it.  Home buyers rarely re-test after they’ve moved in and most people who bought their home before radon became a known issue have never tested to see if their home is safe from this dangerous gas.  The good news is that you can solve a radon problem through contacting a licensed radon mitigation contractor; this often involves a simple ventilation system in your basement.

Bergen County Executive, Kathleen Donovan, announced that there will be a limited number of free radon testing kits for Bergen County residents on a first come first served basis this month.  Just call the Bergen County Department of Health Services at 201-634-2803 or stop by Room 103A, 327 E. Ridgewood Ave in Paramus to pick up your free testing kit.  Do this today to protect yourself and your family!

This has been some January!  It seems that every week brings a new snow storm and now they’re predicting the entire month to be filled with storms.  I went to school in upstate New York and New Jersey is beginning to resemble my experience there.

What we’re used to is a snow storm of 2-3 inches and we’re getting 5-9 inches so far and now we are increasing this to 10 inches and more.  It’s really been an amazing month.

We have had so much snow, fire hydrants were nearly covered

My family is made up of a variety of religions and backgrounds which is so typical of  Bergen County and the USA in general.  We celebrate all holidays in December and welcome the coming New Year with an upbeat attitude.  While the tough times our country is going through has touched us too, I still believe in the strength of the American spirit and everything our country stands for.

Ok, I realize this may be a bit corny but to quote George C. Scott in the movie Patton – “Failure is un American.”  The heart of the American spirit is that we don’t quit and work together blending all our cultures into a stronger country.

We’ve all been through a time of enormous challenge.  While it’s not going to get better quickly, it will indeed get better, we all will prevail and the United States will remain the best place on earth.  2011 is going to be an improvement over 2010 and as a real estate agent, I am convinced we’re past the worst and are getting better every day.  The increase in buyer calls to the office, internet inquiries and traffic at open houses has been tremendous since mid November.  I’ll bet all of you a dinner on me that by the end of 2011 you’ll see that this is true.

Now I’m on to my Christmas and will talk to you again after the first.  Thanks for tuning in.  Barbara

Now that we’re past one December holiday (Hannukah) and about to land on Christmas, parents of young children have that 10 day period of vacation time looming in front of them asking “What do we do with the kids?”  With the weather bound to not cooperate for at least one point in time, why not take them to a great indoor activity?  Why not go to a local museum?   

For children from 1 to 8 there’s the New Jersey Museum for Children right in Paramus.  They’re closed on Mondays but open the rest of the week although I’d check their schedule over the 2 holiday weekends we have this month.  It’s a great place for the kids and they even do birthday parties.  Their exhibits are so much fun for children as they learn and use their imagination.  One of the reasons I like this museum is because it’s tough one focused solely on our youngest children.

For children of all ages (and adults too) there’s Liberty Science Center  in Jersey City.  It’s an easy ride down the Turnpike to Exit 14 and no more than 1 hour away from anywhere in Bergen County. It’s really a snap to get to and you have a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline from the parking lot.  Right now they have a special exhibit that runs till January 9th on the ice age and wooly mammoths that is truly awesome.

Another good idea is your local nature center.  Many have special events for the holiday vacation week as do many local libraries all aimed at children.  And, of course, across the Hudson River is New York City.

  Alpine New Jersey is well known as one of the world’s most affluent communities where magnificent estate residences are hidden in heavily wooded settings only 15 minutes from New York City.  While Alpine is certainly one of the most exclusive and highly prized locations, it also has a rich history dating back to before the American Revolutionary War.

New Alpine residents soon discover a spectacular nature preserve that hosts a boat basin and a 17oo’s pub – The Kearney House.  This 18th century establishment has a colorful past and is the scene of  many dining and other events.  Open to the public from May through October, there are also special events during the colder months.  In fact, November is a busy time at the Kearney House with “Short Stories for Long Nights” on the 21st and Thanksgiving Time on the 27th and 28th. 

Kearney House activities are so popular that they are often sold out;  it’s a good idea to plan early.  Located along the Hudson River by the Alpine Boat Basin, you are transported into another world the moment you drive down to the river.  Imagine taking your children out to a candle light dinner in this historic tavern only 10 minutes from your Alpine. home.   It’s a wonderful way to teach them about how people lived during the past.  General Cornwallis is said to have stayed there in 1776.

Listed on the National and New Jersey Historic Registers as the Blackledge-Kearney House, you can keep on top of what’s happening at Mrs. Kearney’s house through a calendar of events or by calling the Palisades Interstate Park at 201-768-1360.