Mendham or Chester? (Passaic, Morristown, Highlands: for sale, real estate market, houses)

[mari70]

Hi,

My husband and I (and two kids) are currently looking into Chester or Mendham. We did the driving around and we really liked Mendham. It has a nice little downtown with good schools and lots of stuff going on. We are living in Passaic County now and we pay so much in taxes and the schools are not even that great. We were looking into more Mendham and we wanted to know if we should worry much on the snobbery factor with any of these towns. I know snobbiness will be present in any affluent town but some towns can be worse than others. We are very down to earth people and I would not want my kids to be overy exposed to this. Are they considered friendly towns? Any other Morris county towns anyone recommend? We are looking to buy around the $900k range?

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by mari70

Hi,

My husband and I (and two kids) are currently looking into Chester or Mendham. We did the driving around and we really liked Mendham. It has a nice little downtown with good schools and lots of stuff going on. We are living in Passaic County now and we pay so much in taxes and the schools are not even that great. We were looking into more Mendham and we wanted to know if we should worry much on the snobbery factor with any of these towns. I know snobbiness will be present in any affluent town but some towns can be worse than others. We are very down to earth people and I would not want my kids to be overy exposed to this. Are they considered friendly towns? Any other Morris county towns anyone recommend? We are looking to buy around the $900k range?

Both great areas but I am with you...Mendham has a nicer feel to it. I think snobby factor will be a given in either of the two towns but I don't think it will be the majority! Where do you need to commute to?

[Farhills Dad]

Originally Posted by mari70

Hi,

My husband and I (and two kids) are currently looking into Chester or Mendham. We did the driving around and we really liked Mendham. It has a nice little downtown with good schools and lots of stuff going on. We are living in Passaic County now and we pay so much in taxes and the schools are not even that great. We were looking into more Mendham and we wanted to know if we should worry much on the snobbery factor with any of these towns. I know snobbiness will be present in any affluent town but some towns can be worse than others. We are very down to earth people and I would not want my kids to be overy exposed to this. Are they considered friendly towns? Any other Morris county towns anyone recommend? We are looking to buy around the $900k range?

Both are great towns. Although i did live in Chester for nine years while being married. I did enjoy Chester a lot more. You will find the snobbery in both but not as much as you think. Mendham is a great town, but i found the homes to be a little older than Chester. I don't know if that's what you and your husband might be kooking for. School systems are very good in both, you can't go wrong. You might find cheaper homes in Randolph or maybe Roxbury but the schools aren't as good. Good luck with your search, either way your choice will be a good one.

[tandcookies]

I think both towns are great but am by far more familiar with Mendham.

I have family living in a very upscale part of Mendham where prob. the least expensive house in the neighborhood is 1.5 million. They have lived in their house for about 6 or 7 years and I have met lots of their neighbors. At first I was really surprised by how down to earth everyone I met was. People give each other clothes and toys after their children have outgrown them. They do a lot of charity drives and generously help each other and the less fortunate.

I once remarked on why I hadn't met any snobs when I visit. I was told people are friends with who they want to be friends with..... so if you want to hang around with down to earth people, there are plenty. And for people who would rather associate with snobs, I'm sure they can find them too.

It honestly looks like an ideal place to live and raise a family if you can afford it.....

Good Luck!

[HelgaB]

I wouldn't worry much about snobbery in this area. People here are very friendly and down-to-earth; I've been living in Chester and working in both Chester and Mendham for 8 years, and I thank God every day for meeting so many nice and truly kind people who live here.

Mendham is located half-way between Chester and Morristown (10-15 minutes to both towns), so it has access to two train stations (Morristown and Gladstone) compared to Chester with just one Gladstone station. Morristown station is on the Midtown Direct line, which saves you about 20 minutes of commute to New York compared to Gladstone which is the end station of the Morris-Essex line. However, Chester has better access to Randolph and Rt. 10 as well as to Rt. 80, Rt. 46, and Rt. 78.

Mendham is more suburban town while Chester has more "rural" feel - it has many more farms than Mendham and more preserved open space. Both towns have nice walkable downtowns (Chester borough and Mendham borough), but Chester borough that has dozens of little antique shops is much more interesting (IMHO). In nice weather, it attracts huge tourist crowds from New York.

Both towns have excellent elementary and middle schools and share the high school in Mendham. Chester science fair is the biggest one on the Atlantic coast.

One of the biggest differences of the real estate market conditions between Chester and Mendham is how they are are affected by the Highlands Protection Act. Almost entire Chester Twp is in the Conservation zone, while Mendham is in the Planning zone. That means that the new construction in Chester Twp. is virtually prohibited while Mendham has some new construction coming. In the long term, the absence of the competition from the new construction may help the houses in Chester hold their values better than similar houses in Mendham.

In general, the houses in Mendham are older, more expensive, and have less land that in Chester. Currently, there are 18 homes for sale in both Chester and Mendham combined in your price range.

Feel free to contact me for more info. Good luck!

Originally Posted by mari70

Hi,

My husband and I (and two kids) are currently looking into Chester or Mendham. We did the driving around and we really liked Mendham. It has a nice little downtown with good schools and lots of stuff going on. We are living in Passaic County now and we pay so much in taxes and the schools are not even that great. We were looking into more Mendham and we wanted to know if we should worry much on the snobbery factor with any of these towns. I know snobbiness will be present in any affluent town but some towns can be worse than others. We are very down to earth people and I would not want my kids to be overy exposed to this. Are they considered friendly towns? Any other Morris county towns anyone recommend? We are looking to buy around the $900k range?

[JanetG]

What did you decide? We are considering a home in Chester.

[bogeymatt]

We live in Chester and it is a wonderful town to raise children in. There is quite a bit more shopping in Chester with several shopping centers and a quaint downtown. A movie theatre, several ice cream shops, a variety of restaurants make Chester a bit more convenient for every day living. Both "towns" are actually split into 2 municipalities. While Chester has combined Fire, First Aid, Schools, and Library, all are separate in the Mendhams. This factor, particularly the schools, divides the Mendham Community. Many recreation programs for children combine all Chester and Mendham residents. This helps develop friendships that are continued when all children attend a common high school. You will not go wrong in either place, but we chose Chester due to greater convenience in shopping, as well as the combination of a quaint downtown and more rural feel of the surrounding Township.