HFA 2002-2003 Survey Results:

We collected 87 replies to the HFA survey, which represented about one third of our total membership base at the time. The results have given us a good idea of who are members are and what they want from the HFA. The following is some of the data we have received. Additional results will be included in future HFA newsletters.

Are you a Hoboken Family Alliance (HFA) Member?
Of the 87 replies, 84 were members (96.5%)

Do you attend HFA Events? /how many a month
78% of our members say they attend HFA events, the average frequency is one event per month.

Do you ever plan events for the HFA?
19% say they plan events for HFA (17 persons)

Are you satisfied with the amount of events on the monthly calendar?
79% say YES, 13% say NO, 8% gave no answer

If no, what events would you like to see coordinated?
Weekend events and evening play dates for moms who work during the week (12 responses)
Events for dads (5 responses)
More (older) kid events (4 responses)
Parent Activities (2 responses)
Cold weather activities (2 responses)
Trips to city
More mom/mom activities, other than Mom's Night Out
Parenting courses

What is the most useful service provided by the Hoboken Family Alliance? (Multiple choice)
Newsletter (57%)
Baby Activities (29%)
Community Involvement (12%)
Parent Activities (less than 1%)
Other (less than 1%)

FAMILY INFO

How many children are in your family?
1 (74%); 2 (24%); 3 (2%)

Ages of Children
1 & Under (36%); 13-22 Months (26%); 2Y (12%); 4Y (12%); 4Y (4%); 5Y (5%) Over 5 (4%)

What are the ages of the parents in your household? (Average age of all parents: 35.2 Years)
Parent 1: Under 30 (5%); 30-39 (81%); 40 or over (14%); Average age 34.8 years
Parent 2 Under 30 (6%); 30-39 (79%); 40 or over (17%); Average age 35.6 years

Are you a single parent?
3.5% said yes

Are you a two-income family? (Do both parents work?)
46% said yes, 54% said no

Do you have a home-based business or career?
13% said Yes

What type of childcare do you use most?
Stay at home Mom (28%)
Part time babysitter or nanny (28%)
Full time babysitter or nanny (17%)
Daycare (10%)
Parent, Grandparent or other relative (7%)
Stay at home Dad (2%)
Share with other parents (less than 1%)
Au Pair (0%)

How would you rate the quality of the childcare you use?
Almost everyone rated their childcare as excellent or very good, the conclusion here is that if you had bad childcare you would probably change it very quickly.

How much do you pay per hour for childcare?
$10 was the average for a full time babysitter
$10-$11 for part time babysitters
$6.50 for daycare

How many hours weekly do you use childcare?
Daycare average was 26.3 hours per week
Full time babysitters average 42 HPW
Part time babysitters average 17 HPW

HOBOKEN INFO

Are you currently a Hoboken resident?
93% of members are residents of Hoboken

How many years have you lived in Hoboken?
None (10%); 0-1 Y (11%); 1-2 Y (15%); 3-4 (16%); 5-9 years (33%); 10 or more (23%)
The average member has lived here 6.2 years

Do you plan on staying in Hoboken long-term? (More than five years)
Yes (47%)
No (53%)

If you are not planning to stay in Hoboken, what would be your reason for leaving?
Schools (38%)
Housing (more space/yard) (32%)
Cheaper housing (12%)
Transfer (11%)
Move to be closer to family (4%)
Parks (1%)
Lifestyle Change (1%)

If you leave Hoboken, what cities would you consider moving to?
Mix of Northern New Jersey towns, Top choices were Montclair, Maplewood, South Orange, Morris County... communities that are considered to have sophisticated urban sensibilities but with good schools.

Do you own or rent your home?
78% own, 22% rent

What best describes the type of home you live in? (Multiple choice)
Condo/Coop (38%)
Townhouse (26%)
Apartment (23%)
Other (13%)

How many bedrooms do you have?
2 (56%)
3 (27%)
4 (12%)

Are you planning on purchasing a residence in Hoboken?
Yes (9%) half of these already own places, probably meaning they are planning to upgrade in town.
No (48%) half already own, meaning about 25% would sell and move.
No Answer (43%) All already own, which could be interpreted as that they are not sure about moving or staying.

What part of town do you live in?
(Uptown and Downtown is divided by 7th St., East and West is divided by Willow Ave.)
Uptown East (42%)
Downtown West (20%)
Downtown East (17%)
Uptown West (8%)
Nearly half of our members reside in the Uptown East quadrant, about one quarter of the city. This is also reflected in the park usage (below)

What city park do you use the most? (Multiple Choice)
Elysian (39%) average park rating: 6.9
Columbus (21%) average park rating: 9.1
Church Sq. (20%) average park rating: 5.2
Pier A (11%) average park rating: 7.4
None (6%)
Other (6%) average park rating: 4
Sinatra (2%)
4th Street (2%) average park rating: 5
Madison (1%)

Who is your pediatrician and where are they located?
26 % of our members use Hoboken Pediatrics (Dr.s Klos and Oko)
The rest mostly use doctors outside of Hoboken.

What schools do your children attend, or plan to attend? (Multiple Choice)
Stevens (17%)
Calabro (14%)
Hoboken Charter (14%)
Kaplan (14%)
Wallace (9%)
All Saints (8%)
Other (8%)
Elysian (6%)
Hudson School (6%)
46% are planning to use private schools; 43% are planning to use public schools (including charter schools)

Which restaurants do you feel are the most child-friendly?
Top 12 restaurants:
1. Johnny Rockets
2. Ted & Jo's
3. Mile Square
4. Grimaldi's
5. Tutta Pasta
6. Lady Jane's
7. Zack's
8. Pita Grill
9. Qudoba
10. Amandas
11. Benny Tudinos
12. Precious

If you have any comments or feedback on these survey results, send them to Steve Walkowiak: swalk@hobokenfamily.com