Hightstown, NJ? (Edison, Trenton, Ewing: real estate, mortgage, houses)

[GoodStuff05]

Thoughts on the area? Have found some nice looking houses on search engines - give me your thoughts...thanks!

[isoinfo]

Originally Posted by GoodStuff05

Thoughts on the area? Have found some nice looking houses on search engines - give me your thoughts...thanks!

My real estate agent (I'm house shopping) discouraged me from Hightstown and East Windsor. I agree that there are some really great prices and homes there but she said that given the school system there is poor, reselling a property down the road may be very difficult.

Kay

[jerseyj]

Hightstown is a small Borough in East Windsor, convenient to Rte. 130, 33 and the Turnpike so it is very congested. They built the Hightstown bypass (133) but it did little to reduce the traffic.
There are pockets of Hightstown that are not very nice. Isoinfo is right about the schools (if that is a consideration for you), they are not so good.
The Main St. in Hightstown is pretty lackluster, Theo's (a restaurant), the Fire House, a great little lake, a fortune teller.......
It is a strange little place but has some great older homes on Stockton St. (if you can stand the traffic).

[aover]

Hightstown is a great place to live. I have lived & worked in Hightstown for the past 5 years. I recently bought a home, and plan on living here for many more.

Everything is in walking distance; great restaurants, such as Theo's and Slowdown Cafe, to fantastic shops & parks. Personally, I live a block from work, so I don't even need to drive. If you work outside of the central Jersey area, there are many easy ways to commute, either driving, by bus or train.

Hightstown has a great "small town" feel, but it is within commuting distance to the biggest (and greatest) cities in the world. It is a great community, and will continue to be.

[krusher]

The 133 bypass does make it easier to get to the turnpike from princeton. I'd say traffic is pretty bad on Route 130 / Route 571, but other then that its not too bad.

I get the feeling driving thru lately that Hightstown is making a come back. I remember when a bunch of those shops on Main street were closed down and now it seems everything is open and thriving.

[NJStealth]

Originally Posted by isoinfo

My real estate agent (I'm house shopping) discouraged me from Hightstown and East Windsor. I agree that there are some really great prices and homes there but she said that given the school system there is poor, reselling a property down the road may be very difficult.

Kay

I grew up in East Windsor and I wouldn't say the school systems are poor.. But they are not as good as the taxes you will have to pay. Taxes are rediculously priced in East Windsor.. For the money you will pay in taxes you might as well move to West Windsor. Much nicer and Great School system

[josie25]

I live in West Windsor and it is an excellent school district. But home prices are still very prohibitive. I'm also teacher and the Hightstown schools are not at all of a concerning quality. You can get an excellent education in the district. I've been in tough districts (Trenton/Ewing) and they don't compare. You'll get a variety of socioeconomic levels in Hightstown, but diversity is not a bad thing. As far as traffic, yes, it's New Jersey after all. There have been times it's been a beast on 130, the Turnpike, Route 1, etc. but that just goes with the territory. You need to plan you commute. The homes in Hightstown can be very beautiful and the area has certainly improved from even 10 years ago. I would not discourage you at all from the area if you find a home you like. Also, if you're planning on staying in the area for 10-20 years (and not trying a quick home turnover), I suspect the area will get better and better, once the current mortgage crisis is resolved of course.

[Roselvr]

I know someone that moved from Edison to Highstown and hated it. She complained about a lot of things, her son had asthma and said it got worst living there. She also said the water bill was higher there then in Edison. She ended up moving to Delran and loves it, says her son had a large improvement with his asthma.

[sj3]

the homes are more affordable for a reason.
I would not move there.
Hightstown and East Windsor was once an OK town/district but it seems to have gone down hill. I know plenty of teachers who teach there and they even will tell you to run away.
Local real estate agents also do discourage young families from moving there because of the schools.
That is very telling.

I did live there for a number of years. It was a great location of the state, easy to get places. However, I was single then. It wasn't where I was going to buy, but just rent.

[krusher]

Originally Posted by Roselvr

I know someone that moved from Edison to Highstown and hated it. She complained about a lot of things, her son had asthma and said it got worst living there. She also said the water bill was higher there then in Edison. She ended up moving to Delran and loves it, says her son had a large improvement with his asthma.

Hightstown is still surrounded by a lot of farm country with no industry for miles and miles so if this kid's asthma got worse, it was because of good old fashioned mother nature. When I drove thru this morning, everything was green from tree pollen.