Would you want to move to a place called Slooterdam? Believe it or not, that was the original name for the lovely Fair Lawn, New Jersey, way back in the 18th century. Fortunately, a New York businessman built his estate there in 1865, naming it “Fair Lawn.” Lucky for you, the town had the good sense to adopt that name as well.
Today the estate no longer exists
Would you want to move to a place called Slooterdam? Believe it or not, that was the original name for the lovely Fair Lawn, New Jersey, way back in the 18th century. Fortunately, a New York businessman built his estate there in 1865, naming it “Fair Lawn.” Lucky for you, the town had the good sense to adopt that name as well.
Today the estate no longer exists. Fair Lawn is an affluent suburb of New York City in the highly desirable Bergen County.
Before you come to Fair Lawn, you’ll need to check the old bank account and make sure you have enough money since it's not the cheapest place in the world. Even with that, though, it’s much cheaper than New York City, and you get much more square footage thrown into the bargain.
I'll need HOW much? Most landlords and property management companies want tenants whose monthly incomes are at least two to three times greater than the monthly rent, so you’ll want to keep this figure in mind when you’re looking at the apartments and houses that are available for rent. It’s also important to have a good credit rating, solid job history and excellent references from previous places you’ve rented. If any part of your credit history or references are less than stellar, you might want to try to line up someone to vouch for you as a co-signer or plan on coming up with extra deposits.
Speaking of deposits, how much you’ll need depends on what kind of property you’re renting. If you’re renting an apartment, it’s often easier to get by with a smaller deposit if the complex has move-in specials. But if you’re renting a house, it’s common to need first and last months’ rent before moving in.
You'll pay for pets If you have beloved pets, you may not have to leave them behind, but this is also likely to require more effort and money before finding the right place. Not all property management companies allow pets, but some do. The ones that do accept pets often require veterinarian records, additional security deposits (which are often non-refundable) and additional monthly rent.
If you need to find a house or apartment for rent that allows pets or that has three or more bedrooms, you should start looking for the right place as early as possible. In general, one-bedroom apartments are the easiest properties to find for rent. Three-bedroom apartments tend to have lower turnover. Be prepared for the possibility of a waiting list.
Getting around town Fair Lawn is a suburb of New York, and has almost everything you could want. Many people choose to take advantage of public transportation options to go back and forth between New York. Fair Lawn has access on the New Jersey Transit Bergen County Line, at the Radburn and Broadway Train Stations. New Jersey transit bus routes also go into midtown Manhattan at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Residing in Radburn Some who want to avoid cars go even further and check out life in Radburn, within a planned community that lies completely within the boundaries of Fair Lawn. Radburn was designed in 1929 and includes 149 acres. The community is a model for car-free living, with a community center, hiking trails, parks, sporting grounds and a library that can be accessed completely by foot.
