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He would be going into Newark, Hoboken, Monmouth are a few big ones but in reality he would be calling on every hospital and surgery center. Since his work revolves around OR time he leaves early 5-530am and comes home as early as 2-3pm
My husband is from outside of Buffalo, NY so he likes a bit more rural feel but still a strong since of community. We like to lots of outside activities with our kids. I am a native san diegan so I know I'll have big adjustments.
We currently live in a condo in an middle to upper class neighborhood. Our schools here are pretty awful....we live near a "good" school and it's kindergarden class has 45 students so I am very conscience about schools but have the opinion it matter more on parent involvement and home life etc....
Thank you for providing us with additional info! It really helps. First thing you should know, is that rush hour around here begins at 5 am, it is not unusual for backups and delays to begin before 6 am. The afternoon rush generally begins in the 2:30 to 3 range and lasts until after 7. Remember over 250,000 people who live in NJ, even as far west as Warren and Sussex Co commute into the city. Many companies have embraced flexible work hours in an attempt to deal with the horrible congestion/commutes here in NNJ. The commute time into Hoboken, Weehawken, Jersey City will take you over an hour, and it is going to get much worse as very soon they are shutting down a major artery to the area, the Pulaski Skyway, for much needed repairs for 2 yrs. If your hubby has to go to sites in the New Brunswick area you are looking at 1.5 hours plus each way due to traffic. (going from the NW part of the state.) The commute from Mt. Olive/Flanders to Monmouth will take you over 2 hours, more like 2.5.
I suggest you look further east, to eastern Morris Co, if hubby has to cover places near the city. Cedar Knolls, Whippany, Morris Plains, Florham Park, Randolph, Chester to name but a few where you'll find what you indicate you are looking for with homes within your budget. (provided you are not looking for a Mc Mansion) You'll probably want to avoid Essex Co due to high taxes (as in take a stiff drink before you look at those figures!) Speaking of taxes, take a look at them soon, as you may have to adjust your housing budget due to the fact that NJ "enjoys" the pleasure of having the highest property tax rates in the nation. It is very common in NJ to see 400K homes with property taxes over 10k a year. Though Morris Co usually has lower taxes than say Essex, Union, or Bergen Co. You also need to be careful in looking at towns because some that are full of homes in your price range have flooding issues (Wayne, Denville, Parsippany, Pompton Lakes, Cranford etc to name just a few)
The good news is that you will find the schools here in Jersey are so much better than what you've been used to in Cali. in fact NJ ranks at or near the top in public schools in the nation. Most kindergarten's in Morris Co are ~20 or less per class.
KoalaNJ
Last edited by KoalaNJ; 03-21-2014 at 05:56 PM..
Reason: add additional info
About 10 years ago Hackettstown was in Money magazines top 100 small towns. But that was 10 years ago. Since then there has been a large influx of Colombian people. What that did was fill the town with uneducated, low-skill workers. This brought down the public schools, caused more crime in the area, and really didn't bring in anything positive. No offense to Colombians, but that's just the facts. Sorry to say you don't see many Colombians in this area as scientists, doctors, lawyers, or teachers.
It's still a nice area, much better than many small towns around the country. It's still very safe, has enough small businesses and shopping for ones needs, and is close to major commuting roads.
I would live in the Hackettstown area if I worked around there, wanted cheaper housing and didn't care about the schools.
There are better options around, but better usually means housing and taxes will be more expensive.
About 10 years ago Hackettstown was in Money magazines top 100 small towns. But that was 10 years ago. Since then there has been a large influx of Colombian people. What that did was fill the town with uneducated, low-skill workers. This brought down the public schools, caused more crime in the area, and really didn't bring in anything positive. No offense to Colombians, but that's just the facts. Sorry to say you don't see many Colombians in this area as scientists, doctors, lawyers, or teachers.
It's still a nice area, much better than many small towns around the country. It's still very safe, has enough small businesses and shopping for ones needs, and is close to major commuting roads.
I would live in the Hackettstown area if I worked around there, wanted cheaper housing and didn't care about the schools.
There are better options around, but better usually means housing and taxes will be more expensive.
actually, they have helped the hackettstown area. what once were vacant homes and businesses are now filled with colombian migrants and businesses. would you rather hackettstown be filled with vacant homes? whereas many children of hackettstown natives are leaving, colombians are coming in, which helps hackettstown. fyi, hackettstown is a blue-collar community, and has never been one filled with "scientists, doctors, lawyers, or teachers", no matter what race.
actually, they have helped the hackettstown area. what once were vacant homes and businesses are now filled with colombian migrants and businesses. would you rather hackettstown be filled with vacant homes? whereas many children of hackettstown natives are leaving, colombians are coming in, which helps hackettstown. fyi, hackettstown is a blue-collar community, and has never been one filled with "scientists, doctors, lawyers, or teachers", no matter what race.
THIS. Sometimes towns in NJ develop a stigma because they aren't very white collar, but that doesn't make them particularly unsafe. Hackettstown even have some decent restaurants, and the surrounding countryside is some of the most beautiful in the state.
actually, they have helped the hackettstown area. what once were vacant homes and businesses are now filled with colombian migrants and businesses. would you rather hackettstown be filled with vacant homes? whereas many children of hackettstown natives are leaving, colombians are coming in, which helps hackettstown. fyi, hackettstown is a blue-collar community, and has never been one filled with "scientists, doctors, lawyers, or teachers", no matter what race.
I think the Colombians would be better off in Union City or North Bergen with their fellow Cubans.
And Columbians have what, exactly in common with Cubans, other than language?
That's grammatically incorrect. You should have asked, "Other than language, what exactly do Columbians have in common with Cubans?"
Last edited by johnfrisco; 03-23-2014 at 06:52 PM..
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