OT: Town Recommendations

[jmc11201]

So it looks like my company may be moving a few of us from Boston to New York at some point over the next year or two. I'm looking for recommendations on towns to look into. I grew up in Middletown, so I know the Monmouth County area reasonably well, but I'm open to other alternative areas if it makes sense.

A few things about our situation and what would be important:
1. Reasonable commute to Midtown.
2. Not a super congested area and a nice downtown within a reasonable distance (something as large as Red Bank but could be smaller).
3. We have a 7 month old...so good schools and reasonable property taxes.
4. Open to places outside of NJ (Long Island (feel dirty saying that), Connecticut, NY State)), but with family in NJ, all else fairly equal, NJ would get the nod.
5. Budget-wise, we have a budget that should work in most places, even if we have one of the more modest homes. I'd rather the worst house in a great area than the best house in a bad area.

Wife is from Iowa, but we currently live in Back Bay Boston and were in the Minneapolis suburbs before that. Boston has surprised us by not being too busy and when we go down to New York, my wife always comments how busy and high energy it is, so all things considered, something that doesn't feel too busy is ideal.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[HPNJRUfan]

Personally partial to Highland Park which is a small walkable town with good schools, Metuchen is also a nice town that fits the list (I feel equally dirty saying that).

Depending on exact location, level of "busy", budget, etc. there are plenty of towns that could fit your list... Somerville, Summit, etc. etc.

 

[RAC’emUp]

Chatham, Madison, Cranford, Westfield come to mind.

 

[e5fdny]

So it looks like my company may be moving a few of us from Boston to New York at some point over the next year or two. I'm looking for recommendations on towns to look into. I grew up in Middletown, so I know the Monmouth County area reasonably well, but I'm open to other alternative areas if it makes sense.

A few things about our situation and what would be important:
1. Reasonable commute to Midtown.
2. Not a super congested area and a nice downtown within a reasonable distance (something as large as Red Bank but could be smaller).
3. We have a 7 month old...so good schools and reasonable property taxes.
4. Open to places outside of NJ (Long Island (feel dirty saying that), Connecticut, NY State)), but with family in NJ, all else fairly equal, NJ would get the nod.
5. Budget-wise, we have a budget that should work in most places, even if we have one of the more modest homes. I'd rather the worst house in a great area than the best house in a bad area.

Wife is from Iowa, but we currently live in Back Bay Boston and were in the Minneapolis suburbs before that. Boston has surprised us by not being too busy and when we go down to New York, my wife always comments how busy and high energy it is, so all things considered, something that doesn't feel too busy is ideal.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Come home.

I grew up in Middletown too.

 

[MoobyCow]

Milburn fits the bill, and is a nice short commute.

Honestly there are a ton of towns that should work just fine, both in NJ & NY. Just look along the train lines. Your biggest constrains will be 'reasonable property taxes' and how long of a commute you are willing to deal with.

 

[newell138]

If I worked in NYC i would move to Atlantic Highlands or somewhere close. Hop on the Ferry for commute can't be bad.

 

[RUPete]

Not sure if the new work from home model will be adopted by your company but as others have said HP, Metuchen, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Fanwood. Maybe Montclair, but that could be more expensive.

 

[MoobyCow]

If I worked in NYC i would move to Atlantic Highlands or somewhere close. Hop on the Ferry for commute can't be bad.

Expensive, not too frequent and kind of long. If you have a job that has very consistent hours and is downtown, it's a nice option.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Milburn fits the bill, and is a nice short commute.

Honestly there are a ton of towns that should work just fine, both in NJ & NY. Just look along the train lines. Your biggest constrains will be 'reasonable property taxes' and how long of a commute you are willing to deal with.

Taxes

 

[MoobyCow]

Taxes

Millburn taxes are fairly low by NJ standards. Maplewood/South Orange are nose bleed.

 

[mdk02]

Ridgewood and Glen Rock, Bergen County Both train (with 1 transfer) and bus routes to Midtown. Excellent school systems with the real estate taxes to prove it. Ridgewood has a real downtown with a restaurant scene that is as good as many neighborhoods in Manhattan. Glen Rock smaller and a little quieter.

Glen Ridge in Essex County but commute by auto more difficult

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

MIlburn taxes are fairly low by NJ standards. Maplewood/South Orange are nose bleed.

Summit could be the highest I've read

Millburn are very high too.

Denville is a better option

 

[tom1944]

So it looks like my company may be moving a few of us from Boston to New York at some point over the next year or two. I'm looking for recommendations on towns to look into. I grew up in Middletown, so I know the Monmouth County area reasonably well, but I'm open to other alternative areas if it makes sense.

A few things about our situation and what would be important:
1. Reasonable commute to Midtown.
2. Not a super congested area and a nice downtown within a reasonable distance (something as large as Red Bank but could be smaller).
3. We have a 7 month old...so good schools and reasonable property taxes.
4. Open to places outside of NJ (Long Island (feel dirty saying that), Connecticut, NY State)), but with family in NJ, all else fairly equal, NJ would get the nod.
5. Budget-wise, we have a budget that should work in most places, even if we have one of the more modest homes. I'd rather the worst house in a great area than the best house in a bad area.

Wife is from Iowa, but we currently live in Back Bay Boston and were in the Minneapolis suburbs before that. Boston has surprised us by not being too busy and when we go down to New York, my wife always comments how busy and high energy it is, so all things considered, something that doesn't feel too busy is ideal.

Any suggestions appreciated.

You must be mistaken there is an entire thread telling us that no one is going to NYC anymore

Towns I like and am familiar with
Summit
Chatham
Westfield
Cranford
New Providence
Madison

 

[Knight Shift]

So it looks like my company may be moving a few of us from Boston to New York at some point over the next year or two. I'm looking for recommendations on towns to look into. I grew up in Middletown, so I know the Monmouth County area reasonably well, but I'm open to other alternative areas if it makes sense.

A few things about our situation and what would be important:
1. Reasonable commute to Midtown.
2. Not a super congested area and a nice downtown within a reasonable distance (something as large as Red Bank but could be smaller).
3. We have a 7 month old...so good schools and reasonable property taxes.
4. Open to places outside of NJ (Long Island (feel dirty saying that), Connecticut, NY State)), but with family in NJ, all else fairly equal, NJ would get the nod.
5. Budget-wise, we have a budget that should work in most places, even if we have one of the more modest homes. I'd rather the worst house in a great area than the best house in a bad area.

Wife is from Iowa, but we currently live in Back Bay Boston and were in the Minneapolis suburbs before that. Boston has surprised us by not being too busy and when we go down to New York, my wife always comments how busy and high energy it is, so all things considered, something that doesn't feel too busy is ideal.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Where in NYC? If downtown, Rumson, Middeltown Navesink area or elsewhere in the Middletown South district is the way to go, taking the ferry to work. Love Atlantic Highlands, but not so sure about school situation.

 

[RUevolution36]

Summit could be the highest I've read

Millburn are very high too.

Denville is a better option

Denville is twice the commute. No thanks.

 

[BLewis1968]

Depends on a lot of factors you may or not feel like sharing; ie, budget, drive vs. train or even ferry, importance of diversity, etc, etc.
But for me, I'd suggest Ridgewood (w/ smaller neighbor Glen Rock), Montclair, Maplewood, Summit, Westfield and Morristown (w/ smaller neighbor Madison). The latter pair in Morris county are further, while Summit, Montclair and Maplewood will be costly tax-wise.

If you're looking in the city and commutable to midtown, Williamsburg in Brooklyn is littered with young families, Riverdale in the Bronx and maybe even Bayside in Queens. I'm less familiar with the schools in those, but it's vital to check into because in the city you can get what's called a variance, and send your kid to a school you prefer in another neighborhood. But I moved long before I had kids, so I'm sure those still living in the city can give you more accurate details.

 

[e5fdny]

Chatham, Madison, Cranford, Westfield come to mind.

Everyone of them are nice to say. They just roll right off the tongue.

 

[jmc11201]

Not sure if the new work from home model will be adopted by your company but as others have said HP, Metuchen, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Fanwood. Maybe Montclair, but that could be more expensive.

They were pretty explicit that it's a people business and work from home not a permanent solution. If it were, I'd move to Wyoming.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Personally partial to Highland Park which is a small walkable town with good schools, Metuchen is also a nice town that fits the list (I feel equally dirty saying that).

Depending on exact location, level of "busy", budget, etc. there are plenty of towns that could fit your list... Somerville, Summit, etc. etc.

Avoid Metuchen. It's a donut town of Edison, which is an epic disaster. The state will force the merger of donut towns within the next 5-10 years.

 

[RUevolution36]

whatever the OP decides, just make sure it's not strong island.

 

[jmc11201]

Where in NYC? If downtown, Rumson, Middeltown Navesink area or elsewhere in the Middletown South district is the way to go, taking the ferry to work. Love Atlantic Highlands, but not so sure about school situation.

Graduate of Middletown South. Like the feel of Monmouth County (Middletown, Fair Haven, Rumson, Colts Neck, Marlboro) but the office is in Midtown by Times Square. So taking the train and a subway doesn't appeal too much (pretty long commute). Not sure how the boat/subway would look as a commute.

I know a bit about north of Driscoll Bridge New Jersey, but not enough to really know what are the good commutes, places the wife would like, etc.

 

[newell138]

Summit could be the highest I've read

Millburn are very high too.

Denville is a better option

I was just going to say Denville; taxes aren't that bad, housing isn't as expensive as Summit or some other towns mentioned and the train is convenient

 

[RobertG]

Graduate of Middletown South. Like the feel of Monmouth County (Middletown, Fair Haven, Rumson, Colts Neck, Marlboro) but the office is in Midtown by Times Square. So taking the train and a subway doesn't appeal too much (pretty long commute). Not sure how the boat/subway would look as a commute.

I know a bit about north of Driscoll Bridge New Jersey, but not enough to really know what are the good commutes, places the wife would like, etc.

From Atlantic Highlands about 50 min to an hour to 35th street, then it looks like a 30 min walk to Times Square. (on the ferry)

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Avoid Metuchen. It's a donut town of Edison, which is an epic disaster. The state will force the merger of donut towns within the next 5-10 years.

I can't stand Metuchen or Highland Park. Except for the Park Pub

 

[Scarlet Haze]

Warren, Berkeley Heights, New Providence all with very nice communities, very good schools and low taxes for NJ

 

[rubaseball78_rivals]

I live in Montville and used to commute to Park Ave. Depending where you work you can either take bus, train or drive. I chose to drive to the Park & Ride in North Bergen, and take bus into Port Authority from there. Its been a while but buses back then would leave every 10-15 minutes or so. I chose to do this so I didn't need to worry about catching a specific bus or train back home. Again, a while ago but traffic didn't back up until right around North Bergen area so I wasn't sitting in traffic either. Don't know what it is like today.

 

[jmc11201]

It seems like NJ housing prices aren't outrageous compared to Boston, albeit seems like taxes are a bit of an offset (in addition to higher state income taxes). Keep the towns coming...appreciate the suggestions.

 

[RUevolution36]

Graduate of Middletown South. Like the feel of Monmouth County (Middletown, Fair Haven, Rumson, Colts Neck, Marlboro) but the office is in Midtown by Times Square. So taking the train and a subway doesn't appeal too much (pretty long commute). Not sure how the boat/subway would look as a commute.

I know a bit about north of Driscoll Bridge New Jersey, but not enough to really know what are the good commutes, places the wife would like, etc.

Train/Subway is just about the only game in town, unless you take a bus into Port Authority, which is an even bigger nightmare with all the current and upcoming road construction projects.

 

[HPNJRUfan]

Avoid Metuchen. It's a donut town of Edison, which is an epic disaster. The state will force the merger of donut towns within the next 5-10 years.

"Donut towns" are an interesting NJ phenomena... While I would support the general idea of municipal consolidation in NJ, is there really any recent push by the legislature to make that happen? I know it was an idea 5-10 years ago...

The one benefit Metuchen has over HP is a train station right in the middle of town, and a 5-10 minute shorter commute compared to Edison and NB stations. Really the argument could be made that Metuchen and HP should both be forced to merge with Edison (whose leadership and decision-makers I am also not a fan of), and the same argument made for many towns in Middlesex County. The problem, at least in this area, is that criteria #2 on OP's list often only exists in these smaller towns.

 

[rubaseball78_rivals]

I commuted from NJ into NYC for most of my career. One tip: if you look at towns along train lines consider not just the length of the commute but also the frequency of service. If you miss your train by one minute you don’t want the next train to be 45-60 minutes later.

Good advice on frequency of service. Reason why I chose to drive to Park & Ride.

 

[srru86]

Chatham, Madison, Cranford, Westfield come to mind.

Lived in Westfield 15 years, commuted downtown by train. It's a you get what you pay for situation.

 

[RUnTeX]

Everyone of them are nice to say. They just roll right off the tongue.

Very English sounding, LOL

 

[NightKnight]

Greenwich, CT. Yes homes are expensive but interest rates are at historic lows. It is a beach town with a very good downtown, an excellent commute to NYC and very good schools. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/64-Richland-Rd-Greenwich-CT-06830/57306408_zpid/
This $975 is only a little more than you'd pay for the same house in a good NJ town and the taxes are only $6K with services and schools NJ can't touch. Plus your kid will make connections that can't be bought. These rich people know a few things.

 

[NickRU714]

Warren, Berkeley Heights, New Providence all with very nice communities, very good schools and low taxes for NJ

Even though Still technically Union County so taxes are generally lower.

 

[HPNJRUfan]

I can't stand Metuchen or Highland Park. Except for the Park Pub

Whys that? Tell us how you really feel...

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

How bout these towns?

Fair Lawn
Rutherford
Fairfield
Mt Arlington

 

[RUnTeX]

So it looks like my company may be moving a few of us from Boston to New York at some point over the next year or two. I'm looking for recommendations on towns to look into. I grew up in Middletown, so I know the Monmouth County area reasonably well, but I'm open to other alternative areas if it makes sense.

A few things about our situation and what would be important:
1. Reasonable commute to Midtown.
2. Not a super congested area and a nice downtown within a reasonable distance (something as large as Red Bank but could be smaller).
3. We have a 7 month old...so good schools and reasonable property taxes.
4. Open to places outside of NJ (Long Island (feel dirty saying that), Connecticut, NY State)), but with family in NJ, all else fairly equal, NJ would get the nod.
5. Budget-wise, we have a budget that should work in most places, even if we have one of the more modest homes. I'd rather the worst house in a great area than the best house in a bad area.

Wife is from Iowa, but we currently live in Back Bay Boston and were in the Minneapolis suburbs before that. Boston has surprised us by not being too busy and when we go down to New York, my wife always comments how busy and high energy it is, so all things considered, something that doesn't feel too busy is ideal.

Any suggestions appreciated.

If you and wife still like some energy as part of being in the big city, while most of NYC will feel busy relative to Boston, you might find neighborhood pockets just like you did with Back Bay. Unless however you're committed to your next move being with your young and growing child in mind and prefer a more suburban location for that reason.

Keep in mind that you may still have a few years (until school-going age for your child) to be able to hold off on a more permanent move and just rent somewhere with a reasonable commute while you explore options locally in NY/NJ metro.

 

[ClassOf02v.2]

Where in NYC? If downtown, Rumson, Middeltown Navesink area or elsewhere in the Middletown South district is the way to go, taking the ferry to work. Love Atlantic Highlands, but not so sure about school situation.

This Middletown North alum puts a pox on you!

 

[Knight Shift]

Graduate of Middletown South. Like the feel of Monmouth County (Middletown, Fair Haven, Rumson, Colts Neck, Marlboro) but the office is in Midtown by Times Square. So taking the train and a subway doesn't appeal too much (pretty long commute). Not sure how the boat/subway would look as a commute.

I know a bit about north of Driscoll Bridge New Jersey, but not enough to really know what are the good commutes, places the wife would like, etc.

Metuchen is a nice town, but beware of the polar vortex--just ask @RU848789 --he may claim to still have winter snow on the ground at this hour. :Sly:

The commute does not get much better than a direct train from Metropark in Iselin. I would also give North Edison a look in the JP Stevens High School district.

 

[tom1944]

It seems like NJ housing prices aren't outrageous compared to Boston, albeit seems like taxes are a bit of an offset (in addition to higher state income taxes). Keep the towns coming...appreciate the suggestions.

Have you posted what you want to spend on a home?