Lauren and her family were ready for something new, and they found it in Fair Lawn
“We loved living In Hoboken,” says Lauren Zucker. “The center of life was Church Square Park — the restaurants, farmers market, dog parks, the library, and the playground. To be able to get to a playground and meet other parents with young families and still be socially distanced, it was so special.”
Even so, she adds, once they welcomed their first child, they knew they wanted to trade city life for suburbia.
“When Lauren reached out, they were ready to start exploring,” says Suburban Jungle Strategist Robin Hoberman. “They wanted a great community, more space, walkability, and easy commutes to both northern New Jersey and the city. We jumped right in.”
Given their timing — during peak COVID-19 — the family began caravan-style town tours, following their Suburban Jungle agent Erica through different communities. As they toured, Erica would talk through different neighborhoods, amenities, and popular go-tos, ensuring Lauren and her family got a good sense of each area. Quickly, the family narrowed their search down to two towns, including Fair Lawn.
“We had been there before Robin suggested it — and before we toured it,” Lauren says. “To be honest, we didn’t think it was the right fit when it first came up. In our experience, we hadn’t seen those quiet residential streets with beautiful backyards. We didn’t think there was a walkable downtown. But then we toured and our perspective really changed.”
After that experience, they dug into Fair Lawn even more.
“We didn’t realize what living in Fair Lawn was really like,” Lauren says. “It’s a spread-out town with a lot of different pockets — and there were areas of the town that really did check all of our boxes.”
Living in Fair Lawn (and loving it!)
Lauren and her family moved to Fair Lawn in August 2021 — and it’s been a smooth transition from urban to suburban. They’ve also been surprised by how quickly they’ve adjusted to driving life.
“I thought I needed to be within walking distance to different amenities,” Lauren says. “But I find myself jumping in the car and going wherever I need to go. It’s so easy.”
Lauren says she’s also started exploring adjacent communities — and that these neighboring towns have become part of her extended community.
“We’re close to so many towns. It’s easy to head to Ridgewood and Glen Rock to go out for dinner or to head to a park or event,” she adds. “We feel like we’re residents of all three towns.”
The family also loves the extra space.
“We were making it work in Hoboken,” Lauren says. “We weren’t bursting at the seams. But we didn’t realize how much easier life would be with more space. Now we have different play areas and zones or can go from the backyard to the front. It’s so easy to keep everyone entertained.”
Now living in Fair Lawn, Lauren encourages other families to get started — even though the market can feel extra competitive right now.
“We never felt pressured to make an offer or ‘choose’ a town,” she says. “There was no pressure to compromise on what we wanted or to just pack up and move because the market is like it is right now. Everything was on our schedule. Robin and Erica genuinely wanted us to find what we were looking for so we’d be happy — that was it.”
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