Is Milltown, NJ right for us? (Edison, Middlesex: best town, for sale, low crime)

[skunj]

My wife and I are very selective when it comes to selecting a city to live in. We are willing to pay a little more for the best town in the area, and even more for the best block in the town.

We want a very low crime, family-oriented, suburban-feeling town somewhere in Middlesex county. We have pretty much narrowed down our search to Milltown, NJ. It seems to meet most of the criteria we have.

We are now asking anyone familiar with Middlesex County, or especially any Milltown "experts", to let us know what you think of the town. The good and the bad -we would like to hear it all!

[Fairfax Mom]

Not sure what it is known by now but when I was growing up Milltown was known as a gritty blue collar town - it might have changed in 20 years though.

[AnthonyB]

It's a small town that was more blue collar and is now more suburban. I wouldn't call it the best of anything and I wouldn't say it is the worst either. Local reputation of not being very friendly to minorities.
Very convenient for NJ Turnpike. Has a Target and HD right on the edge of town. Plenty of shopping on Route 1 and Route 18 too, so that is convenient and it has a walkable downtown. More affordable than many other local towns.

All depends on what your exact criteria are.

[VeradoDan]

I have family in Milltown and am familiar with the community. It used to be a lot nicer, in my opinion. Traffic is absolutely outrageous, especially since tons of shopping plazas were built on Ryders Lane. There is still something of a small town feel, though it's waning. Milltown has slowly become just another North Jersey "off the highway" town, in my opinion. When my relatives visit me, they always comment on how noticeably cleaner the air is here, so take from that what you will...

I'm not sure about the town being "unfriendly" to minorities, but there is a very sizable Egyptian population taking hold in the town, which has caused a few issues in the local school from what I've heard. There's no high school - students go to Spotswood. (Not sure if that's good or bad, I know nothing about Spotswood.)

Truth be told, if I were in your position, I would be looking at northern Monmouth County. That area seems to have more of what you're looking for.

[skunj]

Thanks everyone for commenting.

AnthonyB:
How, or to what extent, is the town "unfriendly to minorities?" Any examples?

VeradoDan:
What towns in northern Monmouth county would you recommend?
To reiterate, our criteria are:
1. Safe, family-oriented
2. Suburban, small-town feel
3. Not too densely populated (like Edison)
You mentioned that Milltown has somewhat of a air quality issue. Would you say that is due to the proximity of Milltown to major highways (NJ TP, Rte 1, etc.), or is there some sort of chemical processing facility nearby?

Thanks everyone for contributing!

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by skunj

Thanks everyone for commenting.

AnthonyB:
How, or to what extent, is the town "unfriendly to minorities?" Any examples?

VeradoDan:
What towns in northern Monmouth county would you recommend?
To reiterate, our criteria are:
1. Safe, family-oriented
2. Suburban, small-town feel
3. Not too densely populated (like Edison)
You mentioned that Milltown has somewhat of a air quality issue. Would you say that is due to the proximity of Milltown to major highways (NJ TP, Rte 1, etc.), or is there some sort of chemical processing facility nearby?

Thanks everyone for contributing!

Towns in Northern Momouth would be Marlboro, Manalapan., and Freehold, NJ
All of those are safe and family orientated. They are surburbia.They also have excellent schools.

Diane G

Di

[Tyler77]

I live in North Brunswick, the next town over, and Milltown has that "closed minded" attitude of isolated communities. Many "desparate housewives" types of moms that give their husbands lovin' so long as they fork over their paychecks. However, this town really has it's share of village idiots because I work with people in this community and cannot fathom how these people wake up in the morning and contribute to society with their minimal social skills. Many displaced New Yawkers live here, and with it they bring their horrific driving skills, fifth grade mentality, and offspring that are quickly becoming like them.

[skunj]

Would you say Milltown, NJ is predominantly conservative or liberal?

And what do you mean: "closed minded" attitude of Milltown? Could you just elaborate a little more?

Thanks again.

[Jillian Mason]

Good luck getting into Milltown. There's only 20 homes for sale and over 95% of the good ones stay in the family or are sold to a neighbor who knows someone. I've been working with someone for over a year who is waiting to buy a home in Milltown. The best section is the Northside with lots of older homes full of character.
On another note, I lived in Milltown and am now less than a mile down the road in EB. I liked the small town feel, 4th of July happenings, Milltown Pride Day, shops, etc. As someone stated, it's mostly a blue collar town and traffic can get backed up on Washington to Ryders and Milltown Road towards Ryders during commuting hours, but I think it's a good town overall.
As to the "not friendly to minorities", someone in my company listed a home in Milltown because the homeowners were of Spanish descent and felt that they were constantly being pulled over by the Milltown police so they wanted out. I'm not sure how true this is because everyone seemed really friendly, but you never know.
For your last question regarding liberal or conservative, I'd say more conservative but it's a good mix. Milltown has a Republican mayor, but the democrats have recently earned more power. The more elderly people who pass on, the more liberal the town seems to be becoming in my opinion. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

[jerseyj]

Originally Posted by skunj

Thanks everyone for commenting.

AnthonyB:
How, or to what extent, is the town "unfriendly to minorities?" Any examples?

VeradoDan:
What towns in northern Monmouth county would you recommend?
To reiterate, our criteria are:
1. Safe, family-oriented
2. Suburban, small-town feel
3. Not too densely populated (like Edison)
You mentioned that Milltown has somewhat of a air quality issue. Would you say that is due to the proximity of Milltown to major highways (NJ TP, Rte 1, etc.), or is there some sort of chemical processing facility nearby?

Thanks everyone for contributing!

If you are still considering Middlesex Co. take a look at Cranbury, about 20 minutes south of Milltown.
It's a pretty small town with a cute Main St (couple of cafes, small shops), nice mix of housing and good schools.