Walkable Downtown ??? (Jersey City, Hoboken, Westfield: houses, theatre, schools) - New Jersey (NJ) - City-Data Forum

mbk · 03-06-2007, 07:40 AM

Can anyone recommend a NJ town that is really walkable and people actually walk and use the downtown. We are looking to relocate, my husband works in biotech and is currently job hunting. I'm looking to live in a town where I don't need to drive to the grocery store, and it has to be a good grocery store (like whole foods/wild oats), and good restaurants.
I don't mind a small older home, around 600K-700K.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We currently live in Carmel Indiana, suburban HELL! I can't take it any more!
Thanks, Michelle

burdell · 03-06-2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbk

Can anyone recommend a NJ town that is really walkable and people actually walk and use the downtown. We are looking to relocate, my husband works in biotech and is currently job hunting. I'm looking to live in a town where I don't need to drive to the grocery store, and it has to be a good grocery store (like whole foods/wild oats), and good restaurants.
I don't mind a small older home, around 600K-700K.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We currently live in Carmel Indiana, suburban HELL! I can't take it any more!
Thanks, Michelle

Not sure about grocery shopping but Princeton is a great walking town and nice area to live in.

saganista · 03-06-2007, 09:12 AM

NJ is a big state. Well, actually it's little as states go, but still, there are at least many dozens of such places in the state, so you might need to narrow it down at least a little bit. Otherwise, you'll be sent off to Cape May. Also, what is 'walkable'? Where I live now, it's about a mile and a quarter to the grocery store, but I wouldn't dream of walking it. Where I used to live, it was about a mile and a quarter, and I used to walk it all the time. At least when the weather wasn't prohibitive.

I'll need to go off and earn some money for a while, but absent any other criteria, look up Madison. It does have that sort of downtown, as well as a remarkable range of excellent restaurants, two universities and a college, terrific houses in your price range, great schools, and an easy commute to NYC and various points between as well as around. And it also IS the place where I used to live and walked to the grocery store. Not to the Whole Foods, though. There is one, and it's walking distance from a lot of places, just not where I was. Certainly can't be the worst place to start out...

jerseyj · 03-06-2007, 09:34 AM

There is a Wild Oats in downtown Princeton. There is also a Star Bucks, CVS, Thomas Sweets, a couple of small book stores and up scale shops like Coach, Ann Taylor, DWR (furniture), some really nice restuarants and a small movie theatre. The homes near the downtown area are older and for the most part very cute. They are in your price range.

mbk · 03-06-2007, 09:55 AM

Thanks so much for the replies. I'll definitely check out Madison too.
If anyone is familiar with Huntington Village on LI, that's the kind of town I'm looking for. A place where you can get everything you need within a 1 mile radius. Good community feeling and lots of locally owned places. I'm tired of drive throughs and strip malls. I have 3 kids and I'd like to cut down on being a taxi driver.

burdell · 03-06-2007, 10:57 AM

Have a look at Morristown also. Nice, historic town square and a pretty good retail mix. Also gives you easy access to Manhattan, GREAT! place to walk around

njmom8 · 03-06-2007, 11:01 AM

look at Westfield, NJ

royceb · 03-06-2007, 12:41 PM

If you like the Jersey Shore - Red Bank has a nice downtown area.

sharon2329 · 03-06-2007, 02:22 PM

I'll need more info to point you in the right direction. Do you have to consider schools, for example? Right now, I'd recommend Edgewater, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, historic downtown Jersey City, Hoboken to name a few. Some are a little suburban and the last two are urban. All these areas are safe and I'm sure you can find something in your price range.

tesmama · 03-06-2007, 04:59 PM

Ridgewood in Bergen County has a very nice downtown. Walkable depending on how close you live to downtown. There is a Whole Foods and many other stores. Housing is expensive but schools are good. Hope this helps!