Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My wife and I have been trying for the last few months to decide whether to move to a NJ suburb and if so which town. We keep going back and forth, but we'd really like to make a decision!
Background - We are 38 and 37. We currently live in Weehawken and both work mid-town, me around Rockefeller Center, and her around Park Avenue and 49th Street. Our work hours are somewhere between 8am and 7pm. We love living around a city. We also have kids (son and daughter, both under 2 years), so we need to think about all those factors. We are thinking about moving next spring and finding a house in NJ that has excellent schools and is a reasonable commute to the city. The list of important factors are as follows: great school, decent taxes for NJ, good home for the price, safety, surrounded by persons with similar beliefs (as we are both Catholic, and are raising our children as such), and to try to be in a town where "keeping up with the Jones's" is a daily requirement.
We've narrowed it down to Chatham B. Chatham Twp, Summit, Millburn and Glen Ridge. We have limited our budget to max $700k for a house that is at least 3 bedroom, 2 bath. If you are familiar with these areas, I'd love to get some advice about which town you would choose and why. Thanks!
Thank you taxes, are important, but will pay, as long as the school system and town community, in general, can justify them. Additionally, the statement was meant to be an indication, that we are "down to earth" people, who don't want to be, or more importantly, our children being dismayed by excess and too much indulgence.
Thank you taxes, are important, but will pay, as long as the school system and town community, in general, can justify them. Additionally, the statement was meant to be an indication, that we are "down to earth" people, who don't want to be, or more importantly, our children being dismayed by excess and too much indulgence.
so I think you meant to say not "be in a town where keeping up with the Jones's is a daily requirement".
I'll give my 2 cents. I think that Millburn is very "keeping up with the Jonse's" I am probably jaded since my friends that live there are sort of on the lower end of the wealth scale in the town( granted that still puts them in the top .01% income bracket) and they are all about the "right" car or the "right" fashion, etc. and telling everyone about what they have and why its important.( I'm sure you know the type). Anyway, since I don't live there it is the only experience I have so take it with a grain of salt. On the other hand I have several friends in Chtham and go there often. I really like it there. Nice town, wealthy but just has a nice feel to it. It would be my pick.
I would REALLY check out New Providence(Union County). The town right next to Summit. Excellent schools... It got #4 or #5 of Top Schools of 2010 in NJ Monthly- (That's If you value the rankings in this magazine)...Great friendly community(great town pool), healthy commute to NYC and within your budget. I also think it has the less "Keeping up with the Jones" out of all the other towns you have mentioned.
Thank you taxes, are important, but will pay, as long as the school system and town community, in general, can justify them. Additionally, the statement was meant to be an indication, that we are "down to earth" people, who don't want to be, or more importantly, our children being dismayed by excess and too much indulgence.
I love GR and would live there in a heartbeat if money was no object, but the taxes are truly backbreaking and I'm not sure I can justify living there over the Chathams or Summit. The schools and community are not exponentially better.
For instance...MLS: 2806390 on market for $799K - taxes nearly $22K.
I figured you made a typo in your "keeping up with the Jones' " statement, but wasn't sure, you wouldn't be the first on the forum who admitted they wanted to keep up.
Millburn and Chatham are VERY much keep-up-with-the-Joneses kinds of towns. The schools in both are excellent. The schools in NP are rated almost as well though, and it is a more down-to-earth friendly town. There is a great community pool there and a smaller pool club, and you are near Summit for downtown. And there is other commerce along Springfield Ave. Train is only one stop further than Summit.
I love GR and would live there in a heartbeat if money was no object, but the taxes are truly backbreaking and I'm not sure I can justify living there over the Chathams or Summit. The schools and community are not exponentially better.
For instance...MLS: 2806390 on market for $799K - taxes nearly $22K.
I figured you made a typo in your "keeping up with the Jones' " statement, but wasn't sure, you wouldn't be the first on the forum who admitted they wanted to keep up.
you are so right, taxes in Glen Ridge are MIND BLOWING, Montclair's best sections are actually cheaper!!
Thank you, and yes that is correct. Sorry for any confusion. Any thoughts on Summit or GR?
when i was looking, i loved Glen Ridge, just can't afford it yet. Great schools, nice cute town, all the streets seem amicable when we were browsing. I haven't hung out in Millburn enough yet to give an opinion there, but it looks nice and has a cute main street. Chatham, i've always liked it when i was in and around that are visiting friends.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
