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My partner just got a job in NJ and we are just beginning our planning for the move. Neither one of us has ever lived there, we don’t know anyone there, and we know NOTHING, Jon Snow. We will be making a trip in 2 weeks to look around and start to get a feel for things but we don’t even know where to begin so I was hoping for some suggestions of areas we should check out while we’re there. (Recommendations for places to eat would be welcome, too!)
Where are you coming from?
— Rural Ohio. Yes, we are prepared to die of sticker shock.
Why are you moving?
— Partner got a job in NJ
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
— Partner will be working in both Newark and New Brunswick. I don’t know for sure yet... hopefully Newark.
Will you buy or rent?
— Almost certainly renting for a year or so before buying unless I am able to get a job locked down really fast.
What is your budget ?
— Optimally ~$3K but I think this may not be super realistic? Could stretch as high as $4-4.5K if we really had to.
What kind of place are you looking for ?
At least 3 bedrooms (could do 2 if there’s a bonus room/home office), parking (garage preferred - ideally with space for 2 vehicles but I know that might be a big ask), nice kitchen. Open to anything from apartment to single family house. We will be coming from a 4 bedroom 3000 sq ft house but we’re prepared to downsize.
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ?
— Just partner and I, older kids will be coming for some weekends/holidays but not living with us full time, no pets (would like to get a dog but could delay)
Do you need/want good public schools?
— Don’t need
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
— Easy access to restaurants, bars, shopping but not necessarily right in the thick of things (prefer not to be kept up by loud music, etc), urban or denser suburban, close to major highways, doesn’t have to be the greatest neighborhood ever but safety is good
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
— Short commute, fun area, safety
Well, I hope the new job pays well because many jobs are moving to rural area like Ohio instead of NJ.
Based on the criteria Middlesex County is where I would look and there are lots of towns depending on income. The location is right between Newark and New Brunswick.
3K for a 3BR rental is possible in a lot of places. Our mortgage all in isn't that high. But, you may need to give a little on that garage thing and our house is around 1200 sf. The 3BR 1BA apartment on the second floor down the street just came on the market for $2400, for example: https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...6_M57836-70432
It's probably the lack of new construction you'll be shocked at most, houses from the 1920's are very prevalent within an hour of Manhattan. They just had a massive buildup then and in the 1940's and most places just didn't get replaced yet. So if you're looking for that 1000 sf first floor with an open plan it's going to be hard to find.
You should definitely rent the first year, maybe more, as there are a lot of variables that you just don't know about until you live there. Is it close enough to public transit? Do you want to have a more walkable town? Do you want to be closer to the beach or to Manhattan? Do you want more room or less? Things you don't know you don't know.
That said, for Newark you'll probably want to look at Montclair, Maplewood, Rutherford and East Rutherford, Cranford, Westfield, South Orange, Summit, Kenilworth, if you don't have kids you'll have a lot more options. Others will have to chime in on New Brunswick, for both it'll probably depend on which location they're at more often.
I live in South Orange so I can chime in on that area (which includes Maplewood). It's an area that's popular with people moving from the city after having kids, which is how we ended up there. It's sort of the spot where a good commute, good school system and a nice town with tree-lined streets and a downtown area with shops all comes together. There is a bit of a premium for all of this, and real estate is pretty competitive. With your budget though you most likely would be fine for finding a rental. If you're adventurous there are some areas of Orange, NJ that border South Orange that could be worth a look since you don't need to be concerned about school systems.
This area would be convenient to Newark, but New Brunswick is a ways away.
I'm thinking you might like the area around Red Bank, which is in eastern Monmouth County.
Artsy, tons of good restaurants, theater, etc., and 15 - 20 minutes from the beach, good county parks, and a closer shot to some of the more rural areas of New Jersey.
It's 45 minutes by train to Newark Penn Station, or a 45-minute drive, subject to traffic. New Brunswick is about the same drive.
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