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Rahway is okay. Probably a better place to live if you don't have kids. Easy city access via the train, close to some other nice towns nearby for their downtowns and restaurants as well. Only about a 40 minute drive (no traffic) from the nearest beach. Rahway's downtown seems to me to be pretty nice actually, and some of the apartment complexes seem nice as well.
Rahway is okay. Probably a better place to live if you don't have kids. Easy city access via the train, close to some other nice towns nearby for their downtowns and restaurants as well. Only about a 40 minute drive (no traffic) from the nearest beach. Rahway's downtown seems to me to be pretty nice actually, and some of the apartment complexes seem nice as well.
Thanks. That beach sounds nice! I just looked it up and seen some reviews. Any areas I should steer clear of in NJ?
You're welcome. Asbury Park and Long Branch have nice beaches and boardwalk areas. But inland a bit, especially Asbury, they can get dicey. Asbury is pretty dangerous in parts. But when you're at the beach, boardwalk, and downtown (it has a nice downtown with good restaurants), you're fine. I love Asbury's Boardwalk and Long Branch has Pier Village which is nice. A nice Long Branch beach that's a little more secluded and away from all the Pier Village crowds is Seven Presidents Beach, which is part of a county park. If you want to go a little further but have a totally preserved beach area, go to Island Beach State Park in southern Ocean County. There are even specific areas of the beach where you can drive your SUV, as long as you have required supplies like a shovel and stuff like that.
Other than the cities which are pretty bad in parts, there's really nowhere to steer clear of. There are definitely areas that are nicer and I would say better and/or more attractive than others but as far as "steering clear" that would basically be Camden, basically in whole, and parts of cities like Elizabeth, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Atlantic City. But there's few good, real reasons to go hang out in the bad areas of those cities anyway. Even Camden has nicer and safer areas that draw people, like the aquarium.
The pristine beaches at Sandy Hook are actually much closer than those in Long Branch and Asbury Park. However, the "amenities" that one might want are lacking at Sandy Hook because of its park status.
The pristine beaches at Sandy Hook are actually much closer than those in Long Branch and Asbury Park. However, the "amenities" that one might want are lacking at Sandy Hook because of its park status.
Closer in distance as the crow flies yes but time getting there, not much if at all.
Closer in distance as the crow flies yes but time getting there, not much if at all.
Because getting to Sandy Hook involves 12-15 miles less driving on the GSP, as compared to those other two towns, I believe that the travel time would be less. Additionally, it is much easier to find a parking space at Sandy Hook.
Because getting to Sandy Hook involves 12-15 miles less driving on the GSP, as compared to those other two towns, I believe that the travel time would be less. Additionally, it is much easier to find a parking space at Sandy Hook.
There have been times I've been torn between going to Sandy Hook (because it seems closer) and Long Branch/Asbury and have chosen Long Branch because it's a quicker drive according to google maps. The GSP isn't the problem, the lights on 36 are what makes the drive to Sandy Hook longer than it should be. The Parkway is smooth sailing and you spend less time and distance on the local highways and roads when you go to Long Branch or Asbury. You're on 36 for a while on the way to Sandy Hook.
I don't go to Sandy Hook often, mostly because I don't think the ocean is as clean since it's basically NY Harbor but the one time I've gone in more recent years my friend and I realized we could have made it to Long Branch in the same amount of time and been on a nicer beach. Mileage wise, from my house, the two are roughly the same distance anyway.
Seven Presidents has a lot of parking, at least on weekdays which is when I usually go to the beach. I don't usually go to the beach in Long Branch right in front of Pier Village because of how crowded it gets. For the past few summers, Asbury has been my go to anyway. As of now IMO Asbury's beach and boardwalk are still very underrated.
I live in Rahway close to the center of Town. We rented in Rahway for a few years before buying a home here. If you are living that close to the river you will be fighting mosquitos when you go outside. This year will be a bad year for them since it's been a warm winter.
Rahway is very quiet at night. There is a little bit of "nightlife" in the restaurants but it's not like NYC by far. You can feel safe walking around at night, you might run into a jogger, a kid on a skateboard or someone walking a dog. Rahway is fairly dog friendly so you will see the puppy parade if you are out in the morning. People are generally nice. There are a lot of people living here who grew up here. Neighbors are helpful and holiday decorations don't go mysteriously missing.
There are some fun events the city runs like free concerts (the last one we saw was Natalie Merchant and the Smithereens), culture crawls and a zombie pub crawl thing in October.
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