Howell, Brick, Jackson (Freehold: real estate, home, neighborhoods)
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We are considering moving to NJ and were told that these communities were ones to consider. We have 3 children a high school student, a middle school student and an elementary student. I know that there are districts considered better but the housing costs in the above mentioned communities seem more reasonable than the other communities I have read about.
What are these communities like? What are the schools like? Thanks for any information you can give me!!
All three towns are very nice. Jackson is a bit more country IMO than Howell and Brick. Brick is very suburban. Brick has been recognized as the safest town in the U.S. for at least a couple of years now. Howell is lovely, with suburban areas but also some lovely parks and areas that have a rural feel. All three schools, as far as I have always heard, are reasonably good. All are near shopping and amenities. Brick is closest to the beach and easy access to the Parkway. Jackson has a Six Flags theme park and easy access to I-195. Howell has Rt. 9 running through it.
If I were in your shoes, I would spend as much time as possible in all three towns and just choose whichever one suits you best. I personally would go with Howell or Brick. Jackson always felt a little too large for me. I have lived in Brick and liked it very much, although after a year or two I lost the ability to make left turns, because at just about every intersection there is a jughandle for left turns! Oh and if you have a dog, Brick has a dog park. I've always liked Howell too, there are some truly lovely neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and I just liked the feel of it. If you go, be sure to stop at Ice Cream On 9, a terrific ice cream parlor in the northernmost section of Howell on Rt. 9. Also (obviously) be sure to check out real estate taxes - Howell is in Monmouth County whereas Brick and Jackson are in Ocean, and Monmouth tends to have higher taxes.
You really can't go wrong, whichever town you choose. All three are nice. Best of luck!
don't know about Howell. In regards to Jackson, it's changed alot since the 70s when Great Adventure was in the middle of nowhere. It's still kinda country but more "house farms" have been sprouting around.
Both Jackson and Brick are pretty spread out. Brick has good schools and as mentioned before is considered to be one of the safest towns in the country (based on wacky stats). However, there is no real downtown. You have a highway going through the middle instead. So lots of people use Pt. Pleasant as their downtown instead. So you will have to drive the kids EVERYWHERE.
Brick does NOT have good schools--terrible reps...read on
the valedictorian of Brick Memorial(supposedly the better of the 2 HS's in Brick)just wrote a letter to the editor in the local paper citing the abysmal percentage of kids that go onto a 4 year college--Brick is a working class town that as a whole does not hold education in high regard.
All three towns are very nice. Jackson is a bit more country IMO than Howell and Brick. Brick is very suburban. Brick has been recognized as the safest town in the U.S. for at least a couple of years now. Howell is lovely, with suburban areas but also some lovely parks and areas that have a rural feel. All three schools, as far as I have always heard, are reasonably good. All are near shopping and amenities. Brick is closest to the beach and easy access to the Parkway. Jackson has a Six Flags theme park and easy access to I-195. Howell has Rt. 9 running through it.
If I were in your shoes, I would spend as much time as possible in all three towns and just choose whichever one suits you best. I personally would go with Howell or Brick. Jackson always felt a little too large for me. I have lived in Brick and liked it very much, although after a year or two I lost the ability to make left turns, because at just about every intersection there is a jughandle for left turns! Oh and if you have a dog, Brick has a dog park. I've always liked Howell too, there are some truly lovely neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and I just liked the feel of it. If you go, be sure to stop at Ice Cream On 9, a terrific ice cream parlor in the northernmost section of Howell on Rt. 9. Also (obviously) be sure to check out real estate taxes - Howell is in Monmouth County whereas Brick and Jackson are in Ocean, and Monmouth tends to have higher taxes.
You really can't go wrong, whichever town you choose. All three are nice. Best of luck!
All are nice, but Howell is in the Freehold Regional HS district. Parts of Howell acually go to Colts Neck HS. . The regional HS district is excellent. Freehold Regional High School District
the valedictorian of Brick Memorial(supposedly the better of the 2 HS's in Brick)just wrote a letter to the editor in the local paper citing the abysmal percentage of kids that go onto a 4 year college--Brick is a working class town that as a whole does not hold education in high regard.
i completely disagree with this. coming from brick myself i feel a need to make a distinction. Brick Memorial is NEWER, but newer doesn't always mean better, plus "Old" Brick scores higher on standardized tests. also you failed to mention how Ocean County College, one of the best county colleges in the state is only about 10 minutes away. with the economy the way it is, and the disgusting cost of "4-year" schools, community college is a logical option for students to save money and still get a great education. Just because students choose to save money doesn't make a school bad. lighten up and stop taking your advise from a valedictorian, they usually think they above the rest of us anyway.
one more thing...if you think because you send your child to an exceptional district that scores well, your kid will not necessarily do well.
Last edited by alisonraft; 05-28-2008 at 02:37 PM..
Reason: read more post by member and got even more angry
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Brick home prices and taxes?
