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If you take the train from Union County you'll be on the Raritan Valley Line. Do you still need to change trains in Newark to get into Penn Station? That would be a deal breaker for me.
Yes, you do need to change trains. That's something the OP might need to consider.
If you take the train from Union County you'll be on the Raritan Valley Line. Do you still need to change trains in Newark to get into Penn Station? That would be a deal breaker for me.
Sometimes. There are direct trains that run after about 10 AM until about 4 or so. I transfer to PATH in Newark, so it's certainly not a deal breaker for me. Since NJT invested over a quarter billion dollars in locomotives specifically designed to allow a one-seat ride there's no doubt that they are solidly behind making it happen for rush hour in the future.
It's a deal breaker for a lot of people, but that's why housing prices are more affordable. For anyone not going into Penn Station every day, either transferring to PATH or taking the express bus to Port Authority, it works out to be a benefit in cost savings.
Thanks JerseyGirl415 - I enjoyed reading your other posts on Cranford threads. In addition to the house there's also the properties that we would depend on (schools, shops, etc) that would be prone to flooding as well. As a first time NJ home buyer it seems like a lot to worry about given it seems above average storms are getting more frequent :-(
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymoney
We moved to Cranford about a year and a half ago and love it. We picked a little place on the south side about a five minute walk from downtown that was outside the flood zone. Schools, stores, the support spaces are not prone to flooding as they were built on the higher ground or further from the river in the first place. It's only just the housing near the river that's a big problem.
Again, just check the flood zone before you even look at a house, I saw a lot on the web that I liked that were just too close for comfort that I didn't want to get attached to, but when it came time to shop we still found 6 houses to visit that were in our limited budget and outside the flood zone. You can totally find a place here with your budget, you just have to be smart about it and not fall in love with one of the amazing Victorians that are in a slight dip next to the river. I'd say flooding is mentioned prominently because it's literally the only problem with the town.
Yeah, like jaymoney says, the flooding problem is confined largely to homes and especially concentrated on one side of the town. Two schools flooded in Irene (by far our worst storm probably ever), Brookside and the High School. Brookside had to be completely renovated but the high school flooding was minor so it was pumped out and given a good cleaning. Otherwise, no Cranford schools to my knowledge have ever flooded before, and my mom grew up in Cranford as well so I know a pretty long history of the town.
Some businesses downtown flooded in Irene but again - unprecedented. I understand your concern with increasing severe storms lately, but Sandy didn't affect us (flood-wise) one bit and Irene was already almost 4 years ago. Since, we haven't seen flooding on even a slightly bad caliber. None at all, really. The river overflows a lot, maybe will creep into a few basements or garages, but catastrophic flooding occurs only every so often. Again - the concern is overexaggetated on this forum IMO. People will steer people totally away from Cranford because "it floods." Like jaymoney also said, flooding is really our only problem here so it is probably why so many focus on it.
This quote bugged me when I read it in the other (original) thread:
- "All I can say about Scotch Plains is that it is the buffer between Westfield and Plainfield."
I moved to SP about a year ago... Its a FANTASTIC town. In no way do I see it as a 'buffer' for Westfield. Geographically, yes--it sits between Westfield and Plainfield. But its not like n'er-do-wells wander in to SP causing trouble on a regular basis or anything like that. SP is VERY safe. Just as safe as Westfield, Im sure.
The advice (I gave) earlier holds: houses by the power lines seem to be discounted--and you will likely face that on resale.
Houses near the Plainfield border are the same.
I think, in terms of schools, Westfield may rank higher, but SP/F schools seem terrific to me. The band just won a national competition (to me, a district that invests that much in the arts is a good yardstick beyond a 'greatschools' rating)
Anyway, good luck, OP! These are all terrific towns.
This quote bugged me when I read it in the other (original) thread:
- "All I can say about Scotch Plains is that it is the buffer between Westfield and Plainfield."
I moved to SP about a year ago... Its a FANTASTIC town. In no way do I see it as a 'buffer' for Westfield. Geographically, yes--it sits between Westfield and Plainfield. But its not like n'er-do-wells wander in to SP causing trouble on a regular basis or anything like that. SP is VERY safe. Just as safe as Westfield, Im sure.
Isn't it actually Fanwood that is the "buffer" between Scotch Plains and Plainfield? I thought home prices in Fanwood were generally lower than SP.
Isn't it actually Fanwood that is the "buffer" between Scotch Plains and Plainfield? I thought home prices in Fanwood were generally lower than SP.
They were talking about Scotch Plains being the buffer between Plainfield and Westfield. Also, Fanwood's prices are lower than certain areas of Scotch Plains (the southern section), and some are the same (the northern section).
They were talking about Scotch Plains being the buffer between Plainfield and Westfield. Also, Fanwood's prices are lower than certain areas of Scotch Plains (the southern section), and some are the same (the northern section).
Right, but my point is, isn't it actually Fanwood that borders Plainfield, or do both Fanwood and SP border Plainfield?
This quote bugged me when I read it in the other (original) thread:
- "All I can say about Scotch Plains is that it is the buffer between Westfield and Plainfield."
I moved to SP about a year ago... Its a FANTASTIC town. In no way do I see it as a 'buffer' for Westfield. Geographically, yes--it sits between Westfield and Plainfield. But its not like n'er-do-wells wander in to SP causing trouble on a regular basis or anything like that. SP is VERY safe. Just as safe as Westfield, Im sure.
The advice (I gave) earlier holds: houses by the power lines seem to be discounted--and you will likely face that on resale.
Houses near the Plainfield border are the same.
I think, in terms of schools, Westfield may rank higher, but SP/F schools seem terrific to me. The band just won a national competition (to me, a district that invests that much in the arts is a good yardstick beyond a 'greatschools' rating)
Anyway, good luck, OP! These are all terrific towns.
Thanks! This helps. I've got Zillow searches across the different towns and will be planning on making open house tours.
Yes, you do need to change trains. That's something the OP might need to consider.
From either Cranford, Westfield or SP -
I did know about the Newark transfer and although not ideal, not a dealbreaker either.
I might consider the bus instead because by midtown, I meant by Grand Central so a nice brisk walk from Port Authority is not bad either (avoid a NYC metrocard :-)) and in fact what several of my co-workers do (from various towns).
I would think the bus to be less reliable than the train (accidents, tunnel, traffic, etc) but any insight would be good.
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Like jaymoney also said, flooding is really our only problem here so it is probably why so many focus on it.
