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I saw the sticky note that is kept and here are the answers to the questions so that we can have some ideas of where to stay in New Jersey:
Where are you coming from? Columbia, Missouri
Why are you moving? New Job
Where will you be working ? Newark downtown
Will you buy or rent? Rent for a year or two and then buy a house
What is your budget ? $1000 to $1500 for rent. Can go to $2000 for rent
What kind of place are you looking for ? preferably 2 bedroom apartment or a 1 bedroom apartment
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? spouse will move in after another year
Do you need/want good public schools? I will need good public schools
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
Here are the 3 things:
1. First and most important priority is safety
2. Diverse population, maybe some artsy places to visit in the evenings
3. families with young children
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
1. I would like to buy a house in a year or two with new construction
2. Safety is pretty important to me
3. Maybe it can be a area that will have avenues of outdoor activity
One thing i would like to add is, it would be great as long as there are public transit available pretty near.
Towns with access to public transportation and rentals that you can afford and within a reasonable distance to Newark include (but are not limited to) Maplewood/South Orange, Millburn, Summit, New Providence, Madison, Chatham, Westfield, and Cranford. Also, Kenilworth, Roselle Park and Springfield may fit the bill
These all are safe areas to live. Some of these populations are more diverse than others; for example, Maplewood/South Orange, Roselle Park, Summit and Cranford may offer a bit more diversity. When it comes to outdoor activity, what do you mean? Are you interested in parks and/or a walkable downtown? If so, then most of these towns would fit you pretty well in that regard. Finally, you can find young families in all of these towns.
When it comes to schools, most of these towns have great schools. Springfield, Kenilworth, Maplewood/South Orange, and Roselle Park have good schools, though not "great."
However, if you are looking to buy in the town where you are renting, it may be a little tough. I encourage you to not base a town where you will rent based on where you may want to buy. Once you live here and start renting, you will know for sure which are will fit your family best. Also, although these towns have rentals you can afford, the price range for homes to buy vary greatly -- Millburn, for example, is very expensive, and Maplewood has crazy property taxes. Also, you may not find what you're looking for in some of the other towns when it comes time to buy.
All in all, when you look for a rental, don't base your decision about whether or not you will want to buy there in a couple of years. All of these towns are near each other -- you will be able to very easily drive through other towns to see what best fits you. The beauty of a rental is that you aren't locked down for very long in one place and you can move when the lease is up.
You may also want to look at train and/or bus schedules at www.njtransit.com
Note that Newark's station is called Penn Station & the station in New York City (Manhattan) is also called Penn Station. So, don't let that confuse you.
You may also want to look at train and/or bus schedules at www.njtransit.com
Note that Newark's station is called Penn Station & the station in New York City (Manhattan) is also called Penn Station. So, don't let that confuse you.
and there's another train station in Newark (Newark-Broad Street) that some lines go through instead of Newark Penn.
also, you will likely have to end up expanding beyond new construction when you look to buy -- relatively limited with places that meet your other criteria
and there's another train station in Newark (Newark-Broad Street) that some lines go through instead of Newark Penn.
also, you will likely have to end up expanding beyond new construction when you look to buy -- relatively limited with places that meet your other criteria
Good reminder. I always forget about Broad St. because my train doesn't go through that stop.
The towns recommended so far are good. I'd throw Montclair into the mix too. It should be easy to find a nice rental there. When you look to buy you may check out neighboring towns like Verona or Glen Ridge, both of which probably have very little rental inventory, but have excellent schools and nice homes. "New construction" isn't very common around these parts, unless you're into condos. If you can live with "newly renovated" you'll have more options.
Stay in MO. I'd move to KC if I was you. Much cheaper and much better QOL. You will be surprised how little you get for your money here. Just giving some realness.
Unless the OP wants to go down to south New Jersey.
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