Wood-Ridge, NJ Apartment Renter's Guide

Frankie Muniz, best known for playing Malcolm on the popular sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, was born and raised in Wood-Ridge. A kid genius just like his character, Muniz attended Bugg Elementary in Wood-Ridge, where the cute-as-a-bug, future actor/race car driver was doing fourth-grade schoolwork in first grade.

Wood-Ridge is a small borough in the "Garden State" of New Jersey in Bergen County. It's in the New York-Northern New Jersey- Long Island Metro Area (translation: Wood-Ridge is a hop, skip, and a jump to NYC). At only 1.10 square miles in size, this borough is closely connected with its neighbors -- namely, boroughs such as East Rutherford and Hasbrouck Heights.

We don't have to be as smart as Malcolm or Frankie to know that with just over a single square mile of total land space in Wood-Ridge, we'll have to include adjacent boroughs in any search for apartments here. Apartment sizes are mainly one to three bedrooms with, three- to four-bedroom single-family homes also on Wood-Ridge's rental market. Townhouses and multiple family houses are other types of property for rent here. The usual suspects -- i.e. credit history, employment proof, and damage deposit -- are needed to rent successfully here.

However, starting to prepare to move to Wood-Ridge as soon as possible is the most important thing to do for a few reasons:

Cost The cost of living here can be substantially higher than the national average and renters only make up about a fifth of the housing market. Ouch! Did that hurt? Sorry, but with Manhattan only a short commute by car, train or bus, you pay for that convenience without having to fork over super high NYC rental rates. That little give and take is more than worth it to most Wood-Ridge folks!

Size

Generally speaking, the rental apartment sizes in New Jersey tend to be at least a little larger than NYC apartments and there are also 3-4 bedroom single family homes for rent in the Wood-Ridge area. So, this adds up to a nice, wide selection of unit sizes -- with one big difference: Studios! Studios aren't very plentiful here, so you'll have to really look to find one, or maybe instead, decide to rent a smaller one-bedroom apartment in the Wood-Ridge area.

Question: Can a borough of just over one square mile even have neighborhoods? Short Answer: No!

But, there are key areas in Wood-Ridge sectioned off by major roadways:

Moonachie Avenue: Especially in the areas off of Hackensack Street and also off of Highway 17, there are low-rise apartment buildings on Moonachie (Moon over Moonachie?) -- mainly brick, with one to three-bedroom rental units.

Valley Boulevard: The area around Valley Boulevard, Hackensack Street, and 10th Street has some two-bedroom apartments for rent. Some of these buildings feature balconies and underground parking. When you're in this area, stop by Basile Pizzeria for NY style pizza in NJ (thinner crust, lots of toppings!). Alternatively, try the yummy barbecued wings and ribs at Buffalo's Chicken Shack (the name alone makes it worth the trip!).

Hackensack Street and Holbrook Road: If your home-hunting goal is an apt for rent in a multifamily house, this location may be ideal for your search. You'll also find apartment buildings here with one- to three-bedroom rentals.

Highway 17 and Highway 34: The areas surrounding Highways 17 and 34 have a large mix of shops including food markets, delis and grocery stores. Also try Terrace Avenue for more shops and services.

For stores galore, you could always drive, or hop on a bus or train, to NYC for a day of shopping. A wide range of transportation options are used by many folks in Wood-Ridge. Depending where you find your Wood-Ridge area home, you may be able to walk to Woodland Park. This is a popular place to be in nice weather as it has sports fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas. As you settle into life in Wood-Ridge, be sure to attend the borough's Annual Memorial Day Parade at the end of May, and may you have a great life in this great area!