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i will start a job in new brunswick later this spring and have been doing some research on nearby communities. my wife and i will probably rent in the short term, but we would like to buy a single family house within a year (350-450k range).
we have zero interest in living in suburbia, both because we don't have any kids at the moment and because we find most suburban life boring. new york is a little too much action (and beyond our means), so our mind is set on safe small-med towns with vibrant and walkable downtowns.
i have read as my threads as i could on city-data about the towns that are of interest, but i still have some questions:
1. highland park: just across from the river, relatively safe, and decent downtown. a little pricey for what you get, however. are the prices still falling? or have they stabilized?
2. metuchen: nice downtown, easy access to nyc, but i get the impression that this is totally a commuter town. are there people around during the day, or most about everyone works and socializes in manhattan?
3. cranford: ditto, are there people around on weekdays?
4. red bank: 30 minutes to new brunswick, and looks like it has an awesome downtown. ferry and train to manhattan! is this little gem pretty much dead in the winter? how is the traffic north on the gs parkway during rush hour? 30 minutes to new brunswick way too optimistic?
Why not rent in one of the New Brunswick High Rises? Spring St, Vue, Heldrich etc?
that's exactly what we will do in the short run, but we eventually want a house with a small garden and within walking distance to shops and restaurants...
You have definitely done your homework and picked out some great towns to consider. Since you will be renting initially, you can certainly wait to see your own impressions of the places, but I would say that while they are all great choices, Highland Park just edges out the others. In my opinion of course- curious to see other input.
I think you've done well too. HP gives you the best commute obviously. Red Bank would be fun and does have activity in the winter. Metuchen is nice too. They are ALL commuter towns though so "activity" during the week is really the mom crowd.
GS Pkwy can be tough during rush hour but I can't comment on drive time to NB.
which of these areas is more likely to hold its value in the next 10-20 years you think? I'm not one to treat housing as an investment, but would like to be aware of any long term trends that are apparent right now.
i guess Metuchen and Cranford will both continue to be popular given their proximity to NYC, but how about HP, and especially Red Bank?
I don't think Highland Park is even in the same leauge as the others especially Red Bank. Unfortunately Red Bank is a pain in the ass commute to New Brunswick everyday.
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FWIW, Highland Park's north side (really the west side) has a number of beautiful homes with lawns. Harrison Street, Celler, Perry, Olden and Hamlin Roads are all definite options. Personally, I would look at HP first specifically because it is proximal to New Brunswick and gives you the "hometown" feel. Prices seem to have stabilized there.
I don't think Highland Park is even in the same leauge as the others especially Red Bank. Unfortunately Red Bank is a pain in the ass commute to New Brunswick everyday.
If I were you I'd pick Metuchen.
so I guess 35 minutes is too optimistic for even non-rush hour traffic?
that's a shame really, of these four places, Red Bank seems to be the more exciting and has a surprisingly big downtown for a town of 10 thousand people. plus i really miss living by the ocean
in what ways HP is not even in the same league btw? socio-economically? or in terms of amenities?
FWIW, Highland Park's north side (really the west side) has a number of beautiful homes with lawns. Harrison Street, Celler, Perry, Olden and Hamlin Roads are all definite options. Personally, I would look at HP first specifically because it is proximal to New Brunswick and gives you the "hometown" feel. Prices seem to have stabilized there.
yes, i've already window shopped online, but compared to red bank or cranford (metuchen too, but most of the homes on sale there are beyond our budget), there seems to be very few homes for sale in that part of town. maybe that's a good sign?
being able to walk or bike to work would be terrific, but my mind's still wandering off to red bank
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