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Sometimes on this forum it's sort of like people are engaging in a 'scared-straight' program to try and talk people out of moving here. Turns out plenty of people move to NJ and plenty of people like it here.
My family moved to South Orange from Upper Manhattan when my kid was almost 2 and we've been there 3 years now. It, along with it's neighboring town of Maplewood are a great place to live and commute from. Montclair is another similar area where you get a good mix of suburban and urban environments. The downside to these areas are that they're popular with families from NYC, Hoboken and Jersey City so the real estate market can tend to be nearly as crazy as the market is in the city. The difference for us is that we essentially ended up with a 4 bedroom house for what we would have gotten a 2 bedroom co-op for Uptown. It's worth checking these towns out on Zillow and seeing if you like the look of the area.
Oh, and while I tried to play down the scared straight aspect, there are two things to know before getting involved in looking at real estate in NJ:
1) If you buy property, property taxes are insane. Make sure you're taking the taxes into account into budgeting. You mentioned renting, so you wouldn't run into this, but if home ownership is potentially in the cards it's best to know this now.
2) The NJ Transit system has problems. Your train will not be on time every day. It's certainly not the worst commute ever. My commute from South Orange is only a little bit longer than it was when I was getting on the Subway at 181st St. and I always get a comfortable seat, but when things go wrong they can sometimes go drastically wrong. Fortunately, there are enough other people in the same position that you're not likely to get fired for it or anything, but it is frustrating!
Stop the insanity and don't listed to anyone who is telling you to move to Jersey City. We lived in Charlotte NC for twenty years and company went out of business and we moved back to NJ as the job was in lower Manhattan. You want to focus on Monmouth County and take the SeaStreak, Bus, or Train to work. The schools in Monmouth County are excellent and taxes are not as bad as in Essex, Bergen or Passaic county. Not sure what your Budget is but if you have a 4000.00 a month Rental budget you will be fine. As you know you won't want to be paying that high of rent for long as rent money has not tx deductions etc and you eventually will want to buy. If you want PM me with your budget and i will recommend towns that most resemble Charlotte, ex the traffic jams on 485 and Providence Road. We spent 9 years back in Jersey and have sinced retired and now live in Ocean Isle Beach, NC in Brunswick county.
I actually was raised in Jersey City and lived there my first 32 years than had numerous corporate moves. We hated to leave Charlotte after living there for 20 years.
Thank you for the detailed response @JustMeEC - the commute and being there for any emergency is a real concern we have. When I meant short commute, I meant an hour or less. Very valuable inputs in your response!
You're quite welcome, NCtoNJ6. The hour long commute is a common benchmark that people seek, but it is quite difficult. Many folks think of the main transport part of the commute and neglect the rest. Even when I lived in Manhattan, my commute was 30-40 minutes most days. Walk out of my apartment, walk 3 long blocks to the subway, down the stairs to the track, wait for the train, walk through the station to connect to the next train, wait for that train, walk out of the station, get upstairs, then walk to my building, then wait for the elevator, well, you get the point. On certain days, I'd have what I'd call my magic commutes, where you appear at the station right as the train door opens, and then arrive at the next station and the connecting train has an open door. So sure, those days, the commute was 20min, but oh so rare.
A common point that is discussed on this board is that folks often exaggerate or flat out lie about their commutes. For some it's a coping mechanism, they're as much lying to themselves as they are to others. I used to work with a guy from the town next to me. He swore it took him less than an hour to get to work, even though his NJT train took 40+minutes, not to mention he had to transfer, not to mention he had to get to the east side. Nice guy, but he was committed to that lie.
If you have the opportunity to stay in a hotel and "practice" the commute during rush hour, you can get a better sense of it yourself. Some people use the time on the commute to get work done so that's a way to use the time. I was never very successful in that regard; I found it way too distracting to get quality work done. Buying a kindle was the one of my best purchases to ensure I always had something to read.
To the OP. I should also chime in real quick and also say dont panic! Coming here with your budget and the fact that there are jobs lined up means you are already way ahead of the game and you have the ability to decide where you live. Thats a great thing!
I have lived all over. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Las Vegas, and now Jersey City for the last 8 years. I feel like I have a good grasp on the south too as my family is down in NC. Im there frequently. What I will tell you, is that New Jersey, regardless of how crowded and fast paced it is, It just feels like home to me. I cant explain it. I think after you get used to the traffic and people everywhere, you start to enjoy it. There is so much diversity here. Not just the people, but the landscape itself. You have the city, beaches, and mountains. NJ is full of walkable and charming towns that you will likely never know about until after living here for a while.
I went from owning a 1400 square foot town house in Sunny Las Vegas to renting a 600 square foot studio in Downtown Jersey City for way more money. But I did that because it was for work and the right thing for my career. In the end it was the best thing, and I could not be happier here. In my line of work, NYC is the place to be!
I wish you the best and keep us posted on what you do.
You might also want to consider Edgewater, NJ. There is Ferry Service and also close to the light rail.
I would recommend Mercer County or anywhere West of I-287. Northeast Jersey is insanely congested and the diversity today means areas dominated by third world countries that don't want you there.
A poster recommended Monmouth County and taking the seastreak. That is the next best option. I live in Monmouth County and the commute to the seastreak isn't as bad as anywhere North.
I'd add the Washington Township in Bergen County to this list. They already share a school system, just absorb it into Westwood. That would give it more ratables because Westwood has a nice downtown, and would get rid of one of the most dumbass, miserable local governments in New Jersey. Bonus benefit: Reduce the number of "Washington Townships" in NJ to two -- the one also known as Long Valley, and the one in Gloucester County. There is also a "Washington" in Warren County.
I'd add the Washington Township in Bergen County to this list. They already share a school system, just absorb it into Westwood. That would give it more ratables because Westwood has a nice downtown, and would get rid of one of the most dumbass, miserable local governments in New Jersey. Bonus benefit: Reduce the number of "Washington Townships" in NJ to two -- the one also known as Long Valley, and the one in Gloucester County. There is also a "Washington" in Warren County.
The Washington in Warren County has separate services and elementary schools for Township vs. Borough. Another ridiculous separation that could be combined to save money but the Township crowd would not go for it.
There are many options when looking to move to NJ and get good schools, somewhat easy commute to NYC, and have a good quality of life. I have lived most of my life in River Edge (Bergen County) and just recently bought a home here to raise my 6 year old. Growing up here there was always a community feel with great schools, fantastic library with tons of programs for kids, recreation program during the summer, swim club to pass the summer days, and plenty of activities throughout the year. Though I have never commuted into NYC my dad did for over 20 years. He drove as he didn't have "normal people hours" but I know plenty of people who take mass transit (bus or train) daily. The system may not be perfect but you have options depending on where exactly you work. One poster mentioned getting home for a sick kid which is definitely something you want to be aware of. I have found wonderful people in my neighborhood are happy to help in situations like this. It may take time to gain that trust in someone but it can be done.
It is a big step to make such a move so be sure to do your research and find the right fit for you. Renting may be a good way to find the right community for you but I would advise to not do it too long. Not knowing the area you don't want to make a mistake and buy in an area that doesn't meet your needs. Check out the schools as they vary town to town and area to area but overall they are highly rated in Bergen County and will offer a good education for your child.
I wish you all the best in whatever direction you choose.
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