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I am currently renting in Jersey City but I want to move to the suburbs and own a place. Below are the answers to the questions for recommendations.
Where are you coming from? Jersey City downtown
Why are you moving? Want to own rather than rent
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? Midtown Manhattan
Will you buy or rent? Buy
What is your budget ? around $900k
What kind of place are you looking for ? single family home
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Spouse
Do you need/want good public schools? Yes
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in Safe, young family oriented, good for professionals
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
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) Schools, easy commute to nyc, family oriented, safety
Let's talk about your commute to Midtown. Would you say it would be better to come into Penn (train) or the PABT (bus) to get to where you have to go? Different towns have better or worse commutes depending on mode of transportation. So is your workplace within walking distance of either of those facilities, or do you have to take a NYC subway regardless?
"Easy commute" sounds as if you need either an express bus or a train that is direct to NY Penn without transferring, for example, at Secaucus Junction, as you would have to do on the Bergen County Line (goes direct to Hoboken, so people who take that line and go to Midtown have to do the transfer).
What mode of transportation are you using for your commute now from Jersey City? (PATH to WTC, then subway, or PATH to 33rd St. line, for example, or bus, light rail, etc.)
We lived along the waterfront in South Amboy for a few years while my wife worked in NYC. She took the train right in town and it was wonderful. The town itself is a little older but safe. The waterfront area is beautiful with newer homes and no worries about flood as it was untouched during sandy.
As an added bonus a HUGE apartment complex is going up in South Amboy right now and they may be finally adding the ferry to downtown Manhattan sooner rather than later. The location is awesome and there's tons to do in town. Plus, going grocery shopping and such was way easier there than when we lived in Hoboken.
Town has more of a beach vibe to be honest, and there is a public beach right there on the bay that is awesome.
We lived along the waterfront in South Amboy for a few years while my wife worked in NYC. She took the train right in town and it was wonderful. The town itself is a little older but safe. The waterfront area is beautiful with newer homes and no worries about flood as it was untouched during sandy.
As an added bonus a HUGE apartment complex is going up in South Amboy right now and they may be finally adding the ferry to downtown Manhattan sooner rather than later. The location is awesome and there's tons to do in town. Plus, going grocery shopping and such was way easier there than when we lived in Hoboken.
Town has more of a beach vibe to be honest, and there is a public beach right there on the bay that is awesome.
Nice idea. I worked with a couple who lived in South Amboy. They really liked it there.
We moved further south in the state to buy a more affordable home and be closer to family but we really miss living in South Amboy. I would walk my kayak from my garage to the bay to go fishing. We were like 35 mins from Sandy Hook beach. Scortinos pizza was within walking distance which was my favorite after work place to unwind. Really was a cool place to live.
I mean, those are both fine places, but NY state is the only place that I'm aware of that actually has higher property taxes than NJ. At least the places in Westchester and Nassau that would be commutable to the city. CT has the lower taxes, but higher (and in some cases much higher) purchase prices and a longer commute. Although if price and commute were comparable across the board I'd pick CT too.
If you can stomach NJ Transit, than NJ is the most affordable option given the budget and commuting requirements while still providing some nice town options.
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