I think fix-it-up’s issue is having to spend so much for a kid to feel in, and the impression that the gashmiyus emphasis in E”Y (or lack of it) would be a breath of fresh air.
Moving to E”Y with kids of a certain age is very very complicated. You can probably google JO articles, I think one written by Rabbi Kuber, and a Mishpacha article by Rabbi Berkowitz. (IIRC in the latter article Rabbi Berkowitz stressed not fighting city hall and toeing the line.) I don’t want to belabor this because of “ureh b’tuv Yerushalayim.” I don’t know if the same applies to Lakewood, but certainly basic laws of shmiras halashon bashing any group of Jews applies.
So a)tread carefully and b)consider out of town.