Recommended Towns in NJ (Monmouth County or Other) based on Commute Concerns (NYC, Jersey City, Princeton Option) (Summit: townhomes)

[rockysearch]

My husband and I are beginning our search to buy a home in New Jersey. Where to live in NJ, is the ultimate question for us? My husband works in Jersey City and I work in New York City (East Side/Midtown.) Both my husband and I grew up in Monmouth County. We would love to live there for several reasons…close to family/friends, more home for $, childcare help, jersey shore, etc. As a working mother (we have a 16 month old and hope for another child in another year or two), however, I am very concerned about a long commute. Pretty much all commutes from Monmouth County have a minimum 1 ½ hour + commute to my job, though many other NJ locations (ie. Madison, Millburn, Summit) don't look much better. Do you have any suggestions on towns living IN or OUT of Monmouth County that are reasonable commutes (1 hour to NYC midtown/east side and JC)…and, of course, offer good school systems and nice homes for $500 – 600K?

Another curve ball is that my company has an office in Princeton that I can possible transfer to. If that is the case, are Marlboro, Colts Neck or Manalapan good options for my commute? Or any other towns you would suggest that would be commutable to Princeton and Jersey City?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by rockysearch

My husband and I are beginning our search to buy a home in New Jersey. Where to live in NJ, is the ultimate question for us? My husband works in Jersey City and I work in New York City (East Side/Midtown.) Both my husband and I grew up in Monmouth County. We would love to live there for several reasons…close to family/friends, more home for $, childcare help, jersey shore, etc. As a working mother (we have a 16 month old and hope for another child in another year or two), however, I am very concerned about a long commute. Pretty much all commutes from Monmouth County have a minimum 1 ½ hour + commute to my job, though many other NJ locations (ie. Madison, Millburn, Summit) don't look much better. Do you have any suggestions on towns living IN or OUT of Monmouth County that are reasonable commutes (1 hour to NYC midtown/east side and JC)…and, of course, offer good school systems and nice homes for $500 – 600K?

Another curve ball is that my company has an office in Princeton that I can possible transfer to. If that is the case, are Marlboro, Colts Neck or Manalapan good options for my commute? Or any other towns you would suggest that would be commutable to Princeton and Jersey City?

Thanks in advance for your input.

the east side from monmouth county is a pain, you could take the ferries from AH or Highlands to e 34 st but getting to princeton from there is a pain.
manalapan and that area would be an easier drive to princeton, but a pain for the east side. So what you need to do is assess where you want to work and then pick a place to live

[JoaniB]

If you're considering Princeton you'll want to get on the wait list at the West Windsor Parking Authority (Princeton Junction station) and also the one at the WaWa the Dinky that shuttles over to PJ (That's run by the university). Even if you're not sure yet, get on the list. You have to apply pay a small fee.

It was a FOUR YEAR wait for me to get a train station parking permit at PJ--I actually forgot by then I was even on the list. Dinky was about a 2 year wait, and the connections over to PJ are bad bad bad. Unless you go at the 'usual' commuter hours.

We like the area very much though and will probably move soon after 10 years here...family reasons...Atlanta oh well.

And it's still 1 1/2 hours from home to office near Penn though even with the train. But it's easy to do, beats driving. It's the busiest station on the entire system I think, and to Manhattan it's $20 off peak RT or 11.75 one way, at rush. Pricey, yes. And parking nearly doubled last year to about $60 a month. So taking the transfer would save you about $400 a month in parking and train fare it appears.

Housing here is high but lately they're on the market a looonnnngggg time. A friend in realty said of 40 listings 27 had been on the market more than a year. Those are higher-end though I'm sure. The 'cheaper' stuff--under 700,000 say--goes pretty fast. A lot of those are townhomes, too.

Good luck!
JoaniB