For Dani or other PS''ers living in Northern NJ

[blushingbride]

Hi All - I wanted to get people''s opinions on living in NJ and which counties they prefer to settle down in. DH and I are looking to buy a home in the near future and have considered in NJ for serveral reason - mainly because it''s close to NYC and our families.

We are going back and forth about what county would be most suitable for us and are looking for a place which will get us into the city less than an hour by train. We know people who live in Maplewood, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Red Bank/Rumson, etc. We also know people that grew up in Bergen County which is supposed to be nice too.

I''d appreciate hearing what areas you live in and your opinions on commuting to NYC, school districts, etc.

Thanks!!!

 

[CrownJewel]

Hey BB,
My brother and his family just moved to Englewood in Bergen County, which is right across the GW Bridge. I took a bus from their apt (I think it''s called Town Centre Apartments) last weekend which took 20 minutes, in traffic, to get to the GW Bridge Station-178th street. From there, you can get the C train. The area where his apt has a lot of restaurants and shops, and it''s close to a few parks. He''s a doctor at Cornell and he drives into Manhattan every day (30-45 minutes). I don''t know what the school system is like.

Montclair in Essex County is also nice - a diverse and lively town with a Midtown Direct train to Manhattan. I think the train ride is about 30 minutes. There are also a lot of restaurants and shops in Montclair. Unfortunately, I don''t know anything about the school system. (Can you tell I am no where near ready to have kids?)

A friend of FI''s was looking into Livingston in Essex County (it''s the next town over from where I grew up. I think it''s a very quiet, sedate, typical suburban town.) and Princeton Junction in Mercer County. In Livingston, I think the primary way of getting into the city is via bus (about 45minutes to 1 hour). I think there''s a train that takes about 1 hour from Princeton Junction. I worked with a doctor whose husband commuted every day to NYC.

I guess I am not much help. I can tell you, as a former NJ-NY commuter myself, try to keep the commute as short as possible and try to live in a town where you can take a train rather than a bus.

 

[cdt1101]

blushingbride - we currently live in Hudson county, but I''ve lived all over the state of NJ. From my experience, Monmouth county has the most to offer and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Red Bank/Rumson. I used to live a few miles from rumson before moving to Hudson county. The only real disadvantage to monmouth county is that it''s not exactly close to the city. There is however boats/ferries to get you there pretty quickly. And it''s the ideal way to go, although most expensive.

Bergen county is also nice, but i''m not as familiar w/ that area. have you considered summit/short hills area? I believe those are Morris country....very nice area. But again, not exactly close to the city, but the commute is doable.

my fiance works in the city and there is no question hudson county is the best for commuting into NY. But long term we do not see ourselves in this area. We will probably be moving to morris county (as most of our friends and family are there), but not sure exactly yet.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[blushingbride]

Thanks CrownJewel and Cdt! We definitely would want to take the train from wherever we are. Considering I''m a Philly girl at heart, I''m more familiar with South Jersey and completely clueless when it comes to North Jersey!

I have friends who live in Rumson and that town is gorgeous! It is far from the city and although I would love to take the ferry, it is expensive!

We are thinking Union, Morris and Bergen counties right now - any other suggestions or opinions would be great! Considering that we currently live in the city and have an easy commute, we''d like to keep our commute time low BUT still have a decent size house and property.

Decisions, decisions!!

 

[CrownJewel]

BB,
I used to work as an intern architect after college, and we did a lot of houses in Summit, Springfield and Westfield in Union County. Those are great towns. Beautiful homes, big town centers for shopping and dining.

In Bergen County, Ridgewood (or was it Ridgefield) is the only one I know for sure is another great town.

Morris County is full of big giant gorgeous homes (Mendham!!!). I believe Mountain Lakes is home to a great school system. East Hanover I am very familiar with because there are a lot of stores that I go to in that town, but I'm not sure that there is a train to NYC from there. East Hanover is close to Florham Park and both are just eh. Ooooh Morristown is lots of fun...a very lively town with a train to NYC right in the center. I am assuming that since you are a city girl, you prefer "lively...more like a city" over "super quiet and calm suburbia"??? We also did a lot of homes in Chatham which was a very nice town. Madison is also very nice although Drew University is there (it's not necessarily a "college town" but I'm sure there is a large radius around the campus that is going to be very college-y).

Another county to look into is Essex County. Millburn is a great town...Train to NYC is about 40 minutes. Great school system. Montclair is another lively town with an easy NYC commute.

 

[scarlet16]

I actually grew up and Bergen County (and Morris County for a few years) and when we start having kids would LOVE to move back. I think it really depends on a few things: 1) your budget, 2) whether this is going to be a starter home, 3) commuting issues, 4) are you interested in the school system.

I think as far as commuting, Bergen is your best bet. Also, Bergen tends to have more of a "homey" feel for some reason (maybe that''s just my bias). You are also NOT really going to have a problem with school systems in Bergen; I think generally they rank very high nationally. Here''s the NJ DOE report cards. http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/menu/03.html

A few of the bigger towns with train stations are Fair Lawn and Ridgewood. The commute from those two is definitely less than an hour. The problem with Bergen is a lot of towns can get very pricey. Ridgewood is FANTASTIC, with a great school system, and a cute little main street/shopping area. The downside of course is taxes are very high.

I grew up in Franklin Lakes, and know that town, Wyckoff and Oakland very well if you decide to look in that area.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 11/28/2007 4:41:39 PM
Author: scarlet16
I actually grew up and Bergen County (and Morris County for a few years) and when we start having kids would LOVE to move back. I think it really depends on a few things: 1) your budget, 2) whether this is going to be a starter home, 3) commuting issues, 4) are you interested in the school system.

I think as far as commuting, Bergen is your best bet. Also, Bergen tends to have more of a ''homey'' feel for some reason (maybe that''s just my bias). You are also NOT really going to have a problem with school systems in Bergen; I think generally they rank very high nationally. Here''s the NJ DOE report cards. http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/menu/03.html

A few of the bigger towns with train stations are Fair Lawn and Ridgewood. The commute from those two is definitely less than an hour. The problem with Bergen is a lot of towns can get very pricey. Ridgewood is FANTASTIC, with a great school system, and a cute little main street/shopping area. The downside of course is taxes are very high.

I grew up in Franklin Lakes, and know that town, Wyckoff and Oakland very well if you decide to look in that area.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Thanks Scarlet - this was great info! My BIL''s mother is from Ridgewood and raved about it! I''m curious to know what you think about some of the towns in Union County?

 

[curlygirl]

bb, I grew up in Bergen County and LOVE it. We are city dwellers now but once the baby is ready for school (and hopefully there will be another one!), we definitely want to move back. I grew up in Woodcliff Lake. It is just lovely. About 40 minutes outside the city, easy commute by train or bus. School system is great (I went to Pascack Hills HS which is regional--Montvale and Hillsdale use that HS too), very nice, upscale little town. My parents still live in the house that I grew up in so I'm lucky that I get to go there all the time. It's a wonderful place to settle down and have a family.

DH grew up in Englewood. It's very nice andsuper close to the city. That whole area is great: Alpine, Dumont, Closter. But $$$$$!!

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Ridgewood and would probably look to move there when the time is right. It is definitely pricey but it's such a great area. Awesome school system, adorable town with great shops, very easy transportation into the city. It has a really quaint feeling because there are lots of old, charming homes.

I guess I'm partial to Bergen County but Montclair is also another wonderful town with easy access to the city. Once again, not cheap but I don't think anywhere in the NYC metropolitan area is!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I don''t know a ton about Jersey and her counties, but I think my future Band SIL live in Northern NJ. They''re in Bridgewater. It''s B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L there. It reminds me of NH (except for the McMansions).

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 11/28/2007 4:51:57 PM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 11/28/2007 4:41:39 PM

Author: scarlet16

I actually grew up and Bergen County (and Morris County for a few years) and when we start having kids would LOVE to move back. I think it really depends on a few things: 1) your budget, 2) whether this is going to be a starter home, 3) commuting issues, 4) are you interested in the school system.


I think as far as commuting, Bergen is your best bet. Also, Bergen tends to have more of ''homey'' feel for some reason (maybe that''s just my bias). You are also NOT really going to have a problem with school systems in Bergen; I think generally they rank very high nationally. Here''s the NJ DOE report cards. http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/menu/03.html


A few of the bigger towns with train stations are Fair Lawn and Ridgewood. The commute from those two is definitely less than an hour. The problem with Bergen is a lot of towns can get very pricey. Ridgewood is FANTASTIC, with a great school system, and a cute little main street/shopping area. The downside of course is taxes are very high.


I grew up in Franklin Lakes, and know that town, Wyckoff and Oakland very well if you decide to look in that area.


Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Thanks Scarlet - this was great info! My BIL''s mother is from Ridgewood and raved about it! I''m curious to know what you think about some of the towns in Union County?

I wish I could help with that but I''m not really that familiar with Union County. I think the only city I know there Elizabeth, which is where the Newark Airport is (and the huge Ikea). Wikipedia has some good page descriptions of the various counties too!

 

[dani13]

Hi BB!!!

Ohh, how exciting that you guys are thinking of coming to NJ...can you say PS get-together? LOL!!!

Anyway, I would LOVE to help you out in anyway I can....lets see....I grew up in Morris County (Denville) which is a lovely town, has a midtown direct train that will get you into NYC in an hr, and is truly a great town to raise children in. My parents still live there and they love it.....DH and I bought a condo about 1/2 hr from where my parents live. We live in Somerset county, and we can still get into the city in under an hr if there is no traffic....Other towns that I would consider in Morris cty include..Chatham, Chester, Florham Park, Long Hill Twp, Madison, Mendham, Montville, Mountain Lakes (very pricey!), Randolph, and Morristown (very nice, hip town, but schools are not that great)....

There are so many great places to live around here, I dont know where to start! Like previous posters said, Essex county is great (Montclair, Caldwell, Livingston (where I work), Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Millburn, South Orange......all areas with great downtowns and very close to the city. But prices/taxes are very high. Union county is great too - towns such as Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Fanwood, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Summit, and my absolute *fave* Westfield!!! DH and I just love it there, but it is very pricey as well! Also, if you are interested in Somerset county (just outside of Union cty) at all its really nice too....areas like Bedminster, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Peapack Gladstone, Warren, Watchung...all really gorgeous and again, within an hr of NYC....Plenty of my neighbors are commuters (young, yuppie-ish types). I can tell you, I lived in Montclair for 2 years in my *early* 20's, and its a great place to live, but its very crowded, there is alot of traffic all the time in that area, and now that we live out here where people have large properties, there are gorgeous farms/homes/ estates, I can tell you, we prefer this so much more- just totally not as busy. When it comes time to buy a home, I am pretty sure we want to stay around here (Bedminster/Basking Ridge/Bernardsville)- all great areas to raise children in, wonderful schools, and lower taxes than you will find in Essex and Bergen county for sure. Speaking of Bergen, I dont know that much except that DH's brother and SIL live there...its nice, but I still prefer where we live for sure!!!

Now that I have written a novel.....defnitely get yourselves a good realtor who is open to anything and is patient. Ohh...I am so exicted for you! Let me know how everything goes!!! Have you already started looking at all? Fill me in!!!!

 

[janinegirly]

we''re looking in that area too--but it''s starting to get confusing.

for us our priorities are:

*less than an hour commute to NYC
*nice town center--but not too sterile (since we''re used to the City)
*lower taxes, nice school district (oxymoron, I know! I guess just not crazy high taxes).
*not too overcrowded (the few times we''ve driven around a couple of towns, the roads are PACKED with shoppers. again, kind of a culture shock after living in the City and walking everywhere).

so it''s tough when you don''t have a connection (family) to a specific town/area. But i love reading all the feedback from everyone! There are SO many towns, but I think the one I keep hearing over and over is Ridgewood.still it''s hard to keep track.

Keep the feedback coming and BB, let us know if you check out any of these places!

 

[curlygirl]

Just wanted to mention one thing about Bergen County which can be a pro to some but a con to others. Bergen County still follows the "blue laws" meaning that stores are CLOSED on Sundays!! It was never a big deal to me because that''s how I grew up but it might be a turn off to people who aren''t used to that. It definitely alleviates the traffic situation on Sundays but the highways and malls in Paramus are a nightmare on Saturdays!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 11/29/2007 11:32:35 AM
Author: curlygirl
Just wanted to mention one thing about Bergen County which can be a pro to some but a con to others. Bergen County still follows the ''blue laws'' meaning that stores are CLOSED on Sundays!! It was never a big deal to me because that''s how I grew up but it might be a turn off to people who aren''t used to that. It definitely alleviates the traffic situation on Sundays but the highways and malls in Paramus are a nightmare on Saturdays!

Curly-
I was just thinking about this! I think its a pro too. The main reason for the blue laws is specifically because of the WONDERFUL malls. On maybe a 5 mile stretch, there are 3 major shopping malls, and an uncountable number of strip malls (but with retail shops like Best Buy, etc.).

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 11/29/2007 9:59:14 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 11/28/2007 4:51:57 PM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 11/28/2007 4:41:39 PM

Author: scarlet16

I actually grew up and Bergen County (and Morris County for a few years) and when we start having kids would LOVE to move back. I think it really depends on a few things: 1) your budget, 2) whether this is going to be a starter home, 3) commuting issues, 4) are you interested in the school system.


I think as far as commuting, Bergen is your best bet. Also, Bergen tends to have more of ''homey'' feel for some reason (maybe that''s just my bias). You are also NOT really going to have a problem with school systems in Bergen; I think generally they rank very high nationally. Here''s the NJ DOE report cards. http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/menu/03.html


A few of the bigger towns with train stations are Fair Lawn and Ridgewood. The commute from those two is definitely less than an hour. The problem with Bergen is a lot of towns can get very pricey. Ridgewood is FANTASTIC, with a great school system, and a cute little main street/shopping area. The downside of course is taxes are very high.


I grew up in Franklin Lakes, and know that town, Wyckoff and Oakland very well if you decide to look in that area.


Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Thanks Scarlet - this was great info! My BIL''s mother is from Ridgewood and raved about it! I''m curious to know what you think about some of the towns in Union County?

I wish I could help with that but I''m not really that familiar with Union County. I think the only city I know there Elizabeth, which is where the Newark Airport is (and the huge Ikea). Wikipedia has some good page descriptions of the various counties too!

OK, thanks! Yeah, definitely don''t want to live near the big IKEA in Elizabeth.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 11/29/2007 10:43:39 AM
Author: janinegirly
we''re looking in that area too--but it''s starting to get confusing.

for us our priorities are:

*less than an hour commute to NYC
*nice town center--but not too sterile (since we''re used to the City)
*lower taxes, nice school district (oxymoron, I know! I guess just not crazy high taxes).
*not too overcrowded (the few times we''ve driven around a couple of towns, the roads are PACKED with shoppers. again, kind of a culture shock after living in the City and walking everywhere).

so it''s tough when you don''t have a connection (family) to a specific town/area. But i love reading all the feedback from everyone! There are SO many towns, but I think the one I keep hearing over and over is Ridgewood.still it''s hard to keep track.

Keep the feedback coming and BB, let us know if you check out any of these places!

Gosh I know Janinegirly! I''m originally from PA and now live in New York so, you''d think I''d be somewhat familar with NJ - but like I said earlier, I''m more familiar with South Jersey and Monmouth County. I think we are going to start driving around the area this weekend so, I''ll keep you posted on what we find. I believe we are going to hit up Union County first.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 11/29/2007 10:21:59 AM
Author: Dani
Hi BB!!!

Ohh, how exciting that you guys are thinking of coming to NJ...can you say PS get-together? LOL!!!

Anyway, I would LOVE to help you out in anyway I can....lets see....I grew up in Morris County (Denville) which is a lovely town, has a midtown direct train that will get you into NYC in an hr, and is truly a great town to raise children in. My parents still live there and they love it.....DH and I bought a condo about 1/2 hr from where my parents live. We live in Somerset county, and we can still get into the city in under an hr if there is no traffic....Other towns that I would consider in Morris cty include..Chatham, Chester, Florham Park, Long Hill Twp, Madison, Mendham, Montville, Mountain Lakes (very pricey!), Randolph, and Morristown (very nice, hip town, but schools are not that great)....

There are so many great places to live around here, I dont know where to start! Like previous posters said, Essex county is great (Montclair, Caldwell, Livingston (where I work), Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Millburn, South Orange......all areas with great downtowns and very close to the city. But prices/taxes are very high. Union county is great too - towns such as Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Fanwood, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Summit, and my absolute *fave* Westfield!!! DH and I just love it there, but it is very pricey as well! Also, if you are interested in Somerset county (just outside of Union cty) at all its really nice too....areas like Bedminster, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Peapack Gladstone, Warren, Watchung...all really gorgeous and again, within an hr of NYC....Plenty of my neighbors are commuters (young, yuppie-ish types). I can tell you, I lived in Montclair for 2 years in my *early* 20''s, and its a great place to live, but its very crowded, there is alot of traffic all the time in that area, and now that we live out here where people have large properties, there are gorgeous farms/homes/ estates, I can tell you, we prefer this so much more- just totally not as busy. When it comes time to buy a home, I am pretty sure we want to stay around here (Bedminster/Basking Ridge/Bernardsville)- all great areas to raise children in, wonderful schools, and lower taxes than you will find in Essex and Bergen county for sure. Speaking of Bergen, I dont know that much except that DH''s brother and SIL live there...its nice, but I still prefer where we live for sure!!!

Now that I have written a novel.....defnitely get yourselves a good realtor who is open to anything and is patient. Ohh...I am so exicted for you! Let me know how everything goes!!! Have you already started looking at all? Fill me in!!!!

I know!! Too funny - we should definitley have a NY Metro GTG if anything!

So, it sounds like right now Morris, Bergen, Essex, Union and Somerset seem to be the best of Northern NJ. It really is a lot to do research on! Which counties would have the shortest train commute for working, etc?

Also, I love the idea of large property and nice homes, farms, etc. That kind of reminds me of where I''m from in PA. Would you definitley say Somerset is the best place to find that? I will definitely add it to the top of my list then!

You''ve been a HUGE help. Now I have to take all this knowledge and talk it over with my DH. We probably won''t buy anything for at least another year since we are still saving, but it''s a start right???

 

[dani13]

Date: 11/29/2007 3:40:01 PM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 11/29/2007 10:21:59 AM

Author: Dani

Hi BB!!!


Ohh, how exciting that you guys are thinking of coming to NJ...can you say PS get-together? LOL!!!


Anyway, I would LOVE to help you out in anyway I can....lets see....I grew up in Morris County (Denville) which is a lovely town, has a midtown direct train that will get you into NYC in an hr, and is truly a great town to raise children in. My parents still live there and they love it.....DH and I bought a condo about 1/2 hr from where my parents live. We live in Somerset county, and we can still get into the city in under an hr if there is no traffic....Other towns that I would consider in Morris cty include..Chatham, Chester, Florham Park, Long Hill Twp, Madison, Mendham, Montville, Mountain Lakes (very pricey!), Randolph, and Morristown (very nice, hip town, but schools are not that great)....


There are so many great places to live around here, I dont know where to start! Like previous posters said, Essex county is great (Montclair, Caldwell, Livingston (where I work), Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Millburn, South Orange......all areas with great downtowns and very close to the city. But prices/taxes are very high. Union county is great too - towns such as Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Fanwood, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Summit, and my absolute *fave* Westfield!!! DH and I just love it there, but it is very pricey as well! Also, if you are interested in Somerset county (just outside of Union cty) at all its really nice too....areas like Bedminster, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Peapack Gladstone, Warren, Watchung...all really gorgeous and again, within an hr of NYC....Plenty of my neighbors are commuters (young, yuppie-ish types). I can tell you, I lived in Montclair for 2 years in my *early* 20's, and its a great place to live, but its very crowded, there is alot of traffic all the time in that area, and now that we live out here where people have large properties, there are gorgeous farms/homes/ estates, I can tell you, we prefer this so much more- just totally not as busy. When it comes time to buy a home, I am pretty sure we want to stay around here (Bedminster/Basking Ridge/Bernardsville)- all great areas to raise children in, wonderful schools, and lower taxes than you will find in Essex and Bergen county for sure. Speaking of Bergen, I dont know that much except that DH's brother and SIL live there...its nice, but I still prefer where we live for sure!!!


Now that I have written a novel.....defnitely get yourselves a good realtor who is open to anything and is patient. Ohh...I am so exicted for you! Let me know how everything goes!!! Have you already started looking at all? Fill me in!!!!

I know!! Too funny - we should definitley have a NY Metro GTG if anything!

So, it sounds like right now Morris, Bergen, Essex, Union and Somerset seem to be the best of Northern NJ. It really is a lot to do research on! Which counties would have the shortest train commute for working, etc?


Also, I love the idea of large property and nice homes, farms, etc. That kind of reminds me of where I'm from in PA. Would you definitley say Somerset is the best place to find that? I will definitely add it to the top of my list then!


You've been a HUGE help. Now I have to take all this knowledge and talk it over with my DH. We probably won't buy anything for at least another year since we are still saving, but it's a start right???

Shortest commute via train is going to be Essex and Bergen for sure. Those counties are very close to NYC.....When it comes to larger properties/farms/ etc. best bet are the areas I mentioned in Somerset (look at Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Far Hills, Peapack Gladstone-really cute). Those areas are a little bit further out and considered more central-ish NJ, but to me its worth it (but then again, I dont work in NYC)...If there is no traffic, I can still get into lower Manhattan (driving) within an hr. If I take the train from Peapack-Gladstone or Far Hills, the ride is a bit longer (about an hr and 20 mins). But, it really is so pretty here...I think you would really like it!

eta: we should seriously consider a NYC metro GTG!! Maybe we should start a thread in DH?? That would be so fun!!!!

 

[blushingbride]

...one last question for you - if we were to live in the Somerset area, which train stop/line would we catch to get into the city?

 

[golden]

Hey girls!

I am actually a realtor in Bergen County and grew up there- Upper Saddle River and then Fort Lee. I currently live in Essex County (Livingston) and have done business out here as well, so I am very familiar with the towns this way and in Bergen County.
Many towns have trains, but you will pay more for a train town. There are also several towns that are next to train towns and close to rt280, rt78, garden state parkway and the turnpike.
It may be a good idea to look at listings in several towns (train and no train) to see what you get for the money.

If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them!

Where do you live currently?

 

[dani13]

Date: 11/30/2007 8:52:17 AM
Author: blushingbride
...one last question for you - if we were to live in the Somerset area, which train stop/line would we catch to get into the city?

I think *most* of the towns around here have trains into NYC.....Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack- Gladstone...I would have to double check what other towns do, but I know those 3 definitely do since we take the train occasionally into the city and have left from all of those stations before...

 

[golden]

This will take you to the site with all the train lines-

http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TrainSchedulesTo

It also depends where you work in NYC, you may have to transfer in Harrison to get on the path.

 

[blushingbride]

OK, so DH and I explored Jersey this past week and drove to Somerset County, Westfield, Bernardsville, Chatam, Morristown, Mendham, Berkeley Heights, Scotch Plains and Maplewood.

We LOVED Westfield, Bernardsville, Chatam and Menham - we also really liked Franklin Township in Somerset. But, I think our favorite out of all them was Westfield - although very pricey.

This weekend we are going to visit Ridgewood and Princeton - anyone have any words of advice for the Princeton area???

 

[janinegirly]

hi bb!

i''m so impressed that you guys hit all those towns! DH and I talk about it a lot, but never actually get in a car and look around already!

what is it that you specifically liked about the towns you listed? have you considered morris county?

can''t wait to hear your impressions of ridgewood and princeton next week! thanks for sharing!

 

[dani13]

OMG, BB, you were like right by me this weekend!!!

Agree with you re: Westfield- DH and I *LOVE* it there too- it has the most fabulous downtown EVER. Unfotunately though, the prices of homes there are insane!! If you really like that area, check out Cranford/Fanwood/Scotch Plains, as they are towns that surround Westfield so you would still be very close, but the homes and taxes are less....

We have been down to Princeton a few times, really nice area too. Its also very pricey but the main downtown area is pretty, the college campus is right there, there are also plenty of stores, restaurants, etc., but IMHO, its too far of a commute if one or both of you need to be in NYC everyday.....Just something to think about....its worth a day trip though just to see it!!!!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 12/3/2007 10:38:26 AM
Author: Dani
OMG, BB, you were like right by me this weekend!!!


Agree with you re: Westfield- DH and I *LOVE* it there too- it has the most fabulous downtown EVER. Unfotunately though, the prices of homes there are insane!! If you really like that area, check out Cranford/Fanwood/Scotch Plains, as they are towns that surround Westfield so you would still be very close, but the homes and taxes are less....


We have been down to Princeton a few times, really nice area too. Its also very pricey but the main downtown area is pretty, the college campus is right there, there are also plenty of stores, restaurants, etc., but IMHO, its too far of a commute if one or both of you need to be in NYC everyday.....Just something to think about....its worth a day trip though just to see it!!!!

I have to agree with Dani. Princeton is BEAUTIFUL, but it is a seriously long commute if you''re going to the City every day! I think its easily 1.5 hours by train each way.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 12/3/2007 11:55:10 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 12/3/2007 10:38:26 AM
Author: Dani
OMG, BB, you were like right by me this weekend!!!


Agree with you re: Westfield- DH and I *LOVE* it there too- it has the most fabulous downtown EVER. Unfotunately though, the prices of homes there are insane!! If you really like that area, check out Cranford/Fanwood/Scotch Plains, as they are towns that surround Westfield so you would still be very close, but the homes and taxes are less....


We have been down to Princeton a few times, really nice area too. Its also very pricey but the main downtown area is pretty, the college campus is right there, there are also plenty of stores, restaurants, etc., but IMHO, its too far of a commute if one or both of you need to be in NYC everyday.....Just something to think about....its worth a day trip though just to see it!!!!

I have to agree with Dani. Princeton is BEAUTIFUL, but it is a seriously long commute if you''re going to the City every day! I think its easily 1.5 hours by train each way.

Hmmmm...I looked at the train schedule and there are express trains which can get you to the city in hour. I guess we''d have to revolve our scheduels around the express. I work with someone who lives in Yardley, PA (Bucks County) and commutes to our office everyday. He drives to Hamilton, NJ which turns express after the next stop which is Princeton. He said it takes him an hour on the train and really isn''t bothered by it.

DH and I want a decent size property and nice home (preferable a newer home in an developement). Although, Westfield is opposite of that - it has older homes on tree-lined streets instead of developements, but the streets are quiet and the homes are gorgeous!

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 12/3/2007 10:35:51 AM
Author: janinegirly
hi bb!

i''m so impressed that you guys hit all those towns! DH and I talk about it a lot, but never actually get in a car and look around already!

what is it that you specifically liked about the towns you listed? have you considered morris county?

can''t wait to hear your impressions of ridgewood and princeton next week! thanks for sharing!

Hi Janinegirly - we liked the size of some of the properties in those areas. We also liked that they seemed a bit more secluded, but still about 10 min. drive from a town or busy intersection. So really, we just liked the look of the various properties. What exactly are you looking for in a place?

 

[janinegirly]

well right now we''re focused on what kind of town rather than property.

but for property we''d like something that is new or has been renovated (or has potential). i don''t like the cookie cutter kind of houses, but i do like some seclusion and space (land). by seculsion i don''t mean off in the woods, but just not houses that are built right up next to each other.
I like proxmity to town too, and a town that is vibrant. and like you, short commute is key. meaning the train ride s/b 45mns or less. 1hr is absolute tops, b/c you have to factor in getting to train and to work (door to door).

 

[golden]

If you like Westfield, you should also check out Millburn and Short Hills, there are 2 trains, one in Millburn and one in Short Hills, they have a downtown just like Westfield. So you have an idea of where Millburn is, it borders Maplewood, which you said you drive through and liked. Other train towns are Berkley Heights and New Providence, both of which are close to Chatham, which you said you liked. Were you in Chatham Township or Chatham Borough? Chatham Township has bigger lots, Chatham Borough is where the train is and down town shops.