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I have lived in New York City for 25 years now, and got married few years ago and have two young children (1 and 3). We are planning on moving to New Jersey, and were recommended by friends to look into Bergen County. Our budget is between $800,000 - $1M maximum for large and beautiful home with large backyard, great public schools, lower taxes, and very safe. Having nice downtown and close to major shopping is a plus. No longer than 45 min commute to Midtown Manhattan.
We were recommended to look in Paramus, Ridgewood, River Edge, Oradell and Saddle River. Where would you recommend?
I appreciate any recommendation and tips. Thanks!!
I have lived in New York City for 25 years now, and got married few years ago and have two young children (1 and 3). We are planning on moving to New Jersey, and were recommended by friends to look into Bergen County. Our budget is between $800,000 - $1M maximum for large and beautiful home with large backyard, great public schools, lower taxes, and very safe. Having nice downtown and close to major shopping is a plus. No longer than 45 min commute to Midtown Manhattan.
We were recommended to look in Paramus, Ridgewood, River Edge, Oradell and Saddle River. Where would you recommend?
I appreciate any recommendation and tips. Thanks!!
If you work in midtown, you're better off considering Westchester. The commute to midtown from Ridgewood is ok...not great. Also, a $1.0 mm home in Ridgewood probably brings property taxes well north of $20k per year. Glen Rock, Wykoff, Allendale, Westwood are additional options. None are cheap and only a few have a "downtown". Westwood has a cute downtown. Ridgewood has the best downtown. None of these communities are going to provide a large backyard....maybe Saddle River/Upper Saddle River, but you won't be able to afford those homes.
Summit, Short Hills, Madison are also good alternatives (Morris County). Madison is one of my favorite towns. Has a train station, charming downtown and a little less dense than Ridgewood and Summit. Will be like an hour and 15 minutes to midtown (seat to seat), but most of the time will be on an express train from Madison to NY Penn.
I lived in Ridgewood and near Madison. I preferred Morris County over Bergen County.
If you work in midtown, you're better off considering Westchester. The commute to midtown from Ridgewood is ok...not great. Also, a $1.0 mm home in Ridgewood probably brings property taxes well north of $20k per year. Glen Rock, Wykoff, Allendale, Westwood are additional options. None are cheap and only a few have a "downtown". Westwood has a cute downtown. Ridgewood has the best downtown. None of these communities are going to provide a large backyard....maybe Saddle River/Upper Saddle River, but you won't be able to afford those homes.
Summit, Short Hills, Madison are also good alternatives (Morris County). Madison is one of my favorite towns. Has a train station, charming downtown and a little less dense than Ridgewood and Summit. Will be like an hour and 15 minutes to midtown (seat to seat), but most of the time will be on an express train from Madison to NY Penn.
I lived in Ridgewood and near Madison. I preferred Morris County over Bergen County.
Westchester is more expensive than Bergen County, including their shopping. I dislike paying for parking lot going to their malls, and their sales tax. Westchester still passes thru the Bronx and it was heavy traffic.
Property taxes seem high, but it's hard to escape them. I never heard of Morris County, is it closer to Midtown than Bergen County? We will be driving, and not using public transportation.
Why is Morris County better than Bergen County? Looking at the poll on other thread, Bergen County is number one and the most populous.
Westchester is more expensive than Bergen County, including their shopping. I dislike paying for parking lot going to their malls, and their sales tax. Westchester still passes thru the Bronx and it was heavy traffic.
Property taxes seem high, but it's hard to escape them. I never heard of Morris County, is it closer to Midtown than Bergen County? We will be driving, and not using public transportation.
Why is Morris County better than Bergen County? Looking at the poll on other thread, Bergen County is number one and the most populous.
I have lived in New York City for 25 years now, and got married few years ago and have two young children (1 and 3). We are planning on moving to New Jersey, and were recommended by friends to look into Bergen County. Our budget is between $800,000 - $1M maximum for large and beautiful home with large backyard, great public schools, lower taxes, and very safe. Having nice downtown and close to major shopping is a plus. No longer than 45 min commute to Midtown Manhattan.
We were recommended to look in Paramus, Ridgewood, River Edge, Oradell and Saddle River. Where would you recommend?
I appreciate any recommendation and tips. Thanks!!
An actual 45 minute commute even in transit time is going to be tough. Oradell averages over 50 minutes just in train time, not including driving to station, parking, or getting from Penn to the office. Ridgewood, same story. River edge is slightly better with 1 train that claims to do it in 40 minutes( a likely story), still when all is considered you are looking at about an hour. Paramus is a bus ride and again about an hour. Saddle River, sadly $1MM will not get you a Big, beautiful house there and it will take at least an hour to commute. None of these are drive-able in 45 minutes during rush hour.
Cresskill and Tenafly are going to be your best bets. Especially if you are going to be driving yourself.
Look into Summit, Short Hills and Milburn. They have better train access to the city than the towns in Bergen County and they check your other boxes (except the lower taxes part--no town within 45 minutes of the city is going to have that). Summit is my favorite.
Look into Summit, Short Hills and Milburn. They have better train access to the city than the towns in Bergen County and they check your other boxes (except the lower taxes part--no town within 45 minutes of the city is going to have that). Summit is my favorite.
I will not take the train or bus.. I will drive. Again, those towns are not in Bergen.
Look into Tenafly, Demarest, Haworth and Cresskill. You will be able to drive in to midtown under 45 minutes in non-rush hour traffic. All are safe and have great schools although the taxes are high.
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