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Hi,
We are moving from India to NJ for work with 2 kids aged 11 and 9. Having got all basic info in existing threads which I am grateful of, we still have the silly personalized and customized ones lingering. Hope the residents can help.
My job will be such that I donot have to go to office everyday. On an average it will be 10-12 days a month that I will have to travel to Edison/Exchange Place/NYC. Spouse is a teacher and would join work in something related as we settle down. Not planning to buy car atleast for first 6 months. We will make around 150K currently. We donot want to compromise with schools and an environment of opportunities in Music, Art and likes for the kids. Need to know
-> Where to stay in NJ for vibrant community, mid luxury living, top notch schools(mid and elementary), safe neighborhood ?
-> If I want to overlook Edison/WW/South Brunswick and likes in an attempt to uphold the skewed south Asian diversity patterns , where else should I look for?
-> I am not able to find any available apartments(as we are scared living in standalone houses) in ShortHills/Millburn through internet sites. Princeton has options, but would it be too far?
-> Does Chatham streets give you the eerie feeling of being a SA among the whites ? Would it be preferable to Princeton?
->If I land in NJ with whole family on a fine day, would it be feasible to manage an apartment in a chosen area and all other related furnishing and settling down in 2 weeks? How much is the brokerage to be paid for finalizing an apartment.
There is no way you can manage with school going kids and activities, in the suburbs without a car. You are better off changing that premise.
Otherwise you are limited to NE corridor train line towns, and even that will be challenging but can be done. You'll have to look into availability of school bus from the specific apartment. There was another recent thread here about walkable towns, check it out.
Places like Chatham, yes South Asians are a minority, but there is nothing eerie about it.
Mostly because everything is further apart you might want to reconsider the car before six months. Grocery stores, schools, doctors, train stations, it's difficult in NJ to get a place that has these essentials within a mile of each other. And then you need to carry the groceries back. Add in the fact that one of your kids suddenly does a sport or some after school program and it's going to get tough to get everyone around when you need to.
We live within walking distance of our schools and the train station but live in a town without a grocery store. Getting to the doctor is a car ride away and, should something ever happen that I need to get to an ER for, that's 15 minutes away by car.
You say you don't want to compromise with the schools and opportunities, but forcing yourself to be within walking distance of everything is a pretty big compromise. There are a lot of places you don't need a car, but outside New York City the US really isn't one of them.
If you don't want to compromise on music and art for the kids, I would suggest a town with easy access to nyc where you can take classes at Julliard or one of the world class museums or art schools. Nothing located in NJ will compare in terms of quality of instruction. Look in Tenafly/Cresskill area and you will find other families to carpool in to the city with for extra curricula activities. There are apartment options in these towns or house rentals. Many rentals turn over now (June) when the school year is up. Large international (affluent) population that is fairly transient.
You should be able to get to midtown in a half an hour after school or on a Saturday morning. Excellent schools through the entire "Northern Valley". The big downfall of this area is that there is no train in to NYC, but if that is not an issue for you work, it would probably be the best place to live.
I agree with the other posters you must have a car.
Probably because we never stayed in one and then the silliest thing is that we have seen all sort of incidents happening in standalone homes in movies/ TV
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodyum
If you don't want to compromise on music and art for the kids, I would suggest a town with easy access to nyc where you can take classes at Julliard or one of the world class museums or art schools. Nothing located in NJ will compare in terms of quality of instruction. Look in Tenafly/Cresskill area and you will find other families to carpool in to the city with for extra curricula activities.
I agree with the other posters you must have a car.
Great. Thanks. Will look at Tenafly too as it seems to have some good schools.
Probably because we never stayed in one and then the silliest thing is that we have seen all sort of incidents happening in standalone homes in movies/ TV
Well, be sure not to watch The Sopranos then. Don't base your life on entertainment or you'll never get in an elevator, let alone an airplane.
I was always much more afraid of dumb neighbors who left candles burning or something on the stove that was out of my control more than any standalone house. Should my neighbor do something ridiculous it's only going to affect their place, not mine. Once you stop sharing walls with people you get used to it pretty quickly.
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, where else should I look for?
