moving to woodbridge area from San francisco Bay area (Rahway: real estate, apartments)

[mhw8]

Hi,
My husband and I with our 2 kids (4 and 1) are moving to NJ from the bay area. My husband has a job in Somerville, NJ area. I am looking to move in the Woodbrdge area so I will be close to NYC or a bigger city in NJ where I can look and find a job. I am a software engineer and I am hopeful to find a job in that area soon. The reason I picked Woodbridge is because it looks like it is a nice town and we like to live in walkable downtown area. We love to walk to everywhere and that is what we are used to... cafe, restaurants, parks, etc...
Can anyone please help me in the following area:

1) How are the schools are Kindergarten/day care - Private/public?
2) Is it a safe downtown?
3) Should I be avoiding any part of the dwontown area?
4) How much or what is the range to rent a townhouse or a 3bd/3 bath condo cost in an area where it close to downtown.
I have never been there and I have no clue what to expect. Once I know Woodbridge is th right choice, I have a plan to come out there and check it out.

We have to do this move rather quickly than we expected. All your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
martha.

[passdoubt]

You might also want to check out Metuchen. It's on the Northeast Corridor Line into the city (about the same distance as Woodbridge on the Coast Line) and has a nice walkable downtown. It'd be just a tad closer to Somerville for your husband. I think Metuchen's schools are considered to be better than Woodbridge's (or Woodbridge is more hit or miss depending on the catchment areas).

[tandcookies]

I definitely second Metuchen. The Franklin Square condos are within walking distance. I only hear wonderful things about the schools in Metuchen. The downtown is filled with really good restaurants and cafes. There is also a huge and beautiful YMCA which plays a very active role in the community.

Home - Welcome to Franklin Square, Metuchen ! (broken link)

[BobKovacs]

The Woodbridge "downtown" area isn't all that large, and doesn't have a lot of real "destinations"- there's no grocery store there (A&P closed about 10 years ago), and only really one or two restaurants. There's a pizza place, jeweler, real estate office, CVS (I think its still there), the post office, an auto parts/hunting supply store, and a few miscellaneous shops. There's some nice areas within about 1/2 a mile of Main Street, but there's also some not-so-nice areas even closer.

The schools in Woodbridge are pretty good. You can also consider private school (mainly Catholic school if you want to be close to home) if that's what you prefer.

The chances of finding a 3br townhouse aren't too good- most are 2br, and there aren't any townhouses all that close to downtown- it's mostly older single-family houses and a few small (4-8 units) apartment buildings, none of which are very nice. If you need three bedrooms, you're probably going to have to rent a house, and I'd plan on spending at least $2,000/month if you can find something nice within reasonable walking distance of downtown.

In addition to Metuchen, which was mentioned above and which I agree with, you can also look at Rahway. Rahway has a bigger downtown area and has much more new development within walking distance, including some townhomes and apartments that may work for you. The schools don't rank quite as high as Woodbridge, but they're not bad.

[shannybannany]

Hi,
Just want to welcome you to Jersey. We just moved here from Morgan Hill, CA (San Francisco before that) in February after a 12 yr. stint on the west coast. I'm from here but hubby is from Los Angeles. So far, he really likes it here.

Be prepared...it will be very different from the bay area..not bad, just different.

Good luck,

Shanny

[mhw8]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the luck.... It is nice to see someone who moved from the same area. How was the move? Do u have any kids? How are the schools? Both my husband and I went to school in the east coast... DC/VA area. So, we have been to NY and NJ. I just have so much to do too little time. PLease let me know if you have any additional information.

thanks again,
martha.

Originally Posted by shannybannany

Hi,
Just want to welcome you to Jersey. We just moved here from Morgan Hill, CA (San Francisco before that) in February after a 12 yr. stint on the west coast. I'm from here but hubby is from Los Angeles. So far, he really likes it here.

Be prepared...it will be very different from the bay area..not bad, just different.

Good luck,

Shanny

[mhw8]

Thanks for everyone for your help. All is very much appreciated. It will help identify where the best place will be for us.

Thanks again!

[shannybannany]

Hi,

Sorry, we do not have kids but NJ (over-all) was again voted #1 for the best schools in the country. There was just a thread floating around somewhere to cite that source. Too lazy to look for it now.

I feel so lucky to have sold our home. We took a little bit of a beating but at the end of the day, It worked out.

Be prepared for very high taxes and car insurance (The highest in the nation for both). Our car insurance doubled. Our house in CA was assessed at $610,000 and our taxes were close to $8K

Here, we bought a comparable home for 170K (it was an estate sale...not the norm) and our taxes are $5400 and they are going up because the state has cut local funding.

Still, at the end of the day...I am happier

Good luck,
Shanny

[JerseyLover21]

I live in Metuchen and love it, I'd definitely recommend it. The town is very friendly, has a nice walkable downtown, and is very, very safe. The schools are also some of the best in Middlesex County.

Woodbridge is nice also, the schools are good, the downtown area is ok and the town is safe. I prefer Metuchen, but Woodbridge is a nice town too. Woodbridge is generally cheaper then Metuchen too, so i'd assume a condo would be less there then in Metuchen. The Franklin Square Townhouses in particular are very pricey...nice, but expensive.

[shannybannany]

Good advice, jerseylover 21.

Shannybannany