Ramapo nears breaking point
As the ultra-religious community grows, Ramapo becomes a flash point in conflict over what it means to be suburban.
http://www.northjersey.com/longform/news/local/rockland/ramapo/2017/01/08/ramapo-ny-breaking-point/95369994/
A generation ago, there were few problems between Ramapo's small ultra-religious Jewish communities and the gentiles and other Jews who made up the bulk of the town's population.
Things have changed. As the ultra-religious community has grown, Ramapo has become a flash point in a continuing conflict over what it means to live in the suburbs. The idyllic version of leafy bedroom communities close to New York City — with groomed lawns and white picket fences — is being replaced by chaotic, high-density sprawl that many find overwhelming and unsafe. The conditions fueling that conflict are now threatening to spread beyond Ramapo’s borders.
Surrounding communities have taken notice, and they are adopting measures aimed at heading off the strife that has become the norm for their municipal neighbor. No place, it seems, wants to become “the next Ramapo.”
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