Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i dont really know enough about any other place to give a final answer. i would definitely look towards a warmer climate. the carolinas would be a place id look at. id also be looking for a lower cost of living, particularly when it comes to taxes.
NJ was a great place to live and raise children but now it is just a bedroom community for people working in higher paying jobs in NYC.
Nothing wrong for those people but the working class in NJ are left out because all their jobs whent South or just went away.
Having been born, raised and worked my entire life in NJ I have no complaints but it is not the NJ where we grew up and it is no longer a working middle class state.
Nice place to visit but no longer could I live there.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (near Jacksonville). We go there twice a year to vist the in-laws and we absolutley love it (we have a 9 month old). Schools are top notch in that particular district (on par with some of the best schools in Bergen county).
Home prices range from $300k to $5m+ (beach front). A $500k -$600k home there would easily be $1m+ in Bergen county and the property taxes are $3k - $4k for a $500k home plus as most of you know, no state income taxes.
Thinking 5 -7 more years in NJ and we're out. Slightly off-topic but I stopped contributing to my Roth 401k this year and switched back to traditional 401k. Doesn't make sense to pay NJ state taxes on my Roth 401k deductions if I'm eventually moving to a non-state income tax state like FL.
Good questions, jaymoney. I was thinking of evaluating states purely on what they had to offer, sans job requirements. So I guess look at it as if your current job could transfer with you.
Oh, no question then I'd buy a boat and make the kids see the world. If I had to be land based I'd consider Maine but probably end up in Massachusetts for the schools and the quick access to upper NE states.
But if I could take my job with me I just wouldn't live anywhere, there are too many interesting places to see than to choose to drive to the Piggly Wiggly once a week or whatever.
Having lived in Boston, I would give a high marke for "quaint New England Town" one of my favorites being Marlblehead, about 40 min. North of Boston, right on the coast. The winters are brutal.. if you can handle them. Boston as a city is great, and not nearly as crowded as NYC (or Bergen Co. for that matter.. it's a shock to drive through their rush hour and compare! It's a breeze. The New England towns are very similar to Bergen County NJ, older homes..
California Coast.. amazing! I love Seal Beach area.. just 45 min. S. of Los Angeles. LA traffic is horrible.. truly. The high ways are just awful.. as long as you didn't have to travel them, you'd be fine in a coastal town. and you'd not be too far from action.. just a drive away. Kinda expensive tho..
Shenandoah Valley is pretty too. I went to school in So. Va and had friends from there whom I've visited. The attitude of Virginians is very different than the attitude and VIBE of NJ people. Just keep that in mind that you would be venturing into a whole new lifestyle. The people are very kind, down to earth and friendly.
You'll find a lot of transients in California (from all over). New England may have more natives if I had to guess... same with VA. I say VISIT first.. then consider RENTING for a few months, year before buying. Good luck.
NJ was a great place to live and raise children but now it is just a bedroom community for people working in higher paying jobs in NYC.
Nothing wrong for those people but the working class in NJ are left out because all their jobs whent South or just went away.
Having been born, raised and worked my entire life in NJ I have no complaints but it is not the NJ where we grew up and it is no longer a working middle class state.
Nice place to visit but no longer could I live there.
I live here now and hate it. I am not a native, but my husband grew up here. Our taxes are incredible. and our school isn't so great. so, it's very challenging.. i want to move! how's NC?
I would do Park City, UT or somewhere in Pennsylvania or possibly California.
That's if i didn't care about living near family and friends. I'm ok with raising my family in NJ though.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
agree.. NJ isn't what it once was!
