Work in downtown Jersey City. Could you recommend neighborhoods with great schools within commutable distance? (Newark: real estate)

[Pannonia]

We plan to relocate from Philadelphia Main Line western suburb to NJ for a work in downtown Jersey City later this year.

With two children in elementary school and pre-kindergarten, we are looking for advice and suggestions for a safe and family friendly neighborhoods with good schools within 30-45 minutes commute from JC (the shorter the commute the better).

We will be looking to buy a 3 BDR home up to 450-500K single home or townhome. (Home prices and taxes are definitely very different in NJ than in our PA neighborhood,...).

Town with a walkable downtown and a train station would be great, othewise we have no preferences regarding county or community as yet.

Thank you!!!

[mattjd]

I could be wrong here, but I don't believe NJ Transit has a train that goes to Jersey City. It goes to Newark, Hoboken, Secaucus, but not Jersey City. Jersey City has PATH, but I'm sure NJ Transit has a bus that goes there from most towns. For the price you are suggesting you can find a place in Lyndhurst, Clifton, and maybe Nutley. Nutley, the northern part of Bloomfield, and Montclair might be just out of your range, but housing prices have fallen so much and people are getting desperate to sell and avoid foreclosure, so perhaps you can get a place in these neighborhoods now. I think you could def get a condo in some of these nicer areas, but I dunno about a nice 3BR house. Lyndhurst, North Arlington, and Clifton would be in your price range I believe and all are fine areas with out too much of a commute to Jersey City by bus or car. As far as schools go, none are going to be near the quality that you would see in suburban Philadelphia, like Montgomery or Bucks counties. There is no Central Bucks West or North Penn quality schools around this area. I'd say Nutley would be the best school district in that area. Bloomfield hs sucks, but if you move to Brookdale they have a very good elem. school. Clifton is mediocre, worse than Nutley but better than Bloomfield. I'm not as familiar with the schools in Lyndhurst and North Arlington to make a judgement.

[clevedark]

New Providence or Berkeley Heights might be at the upper limits of your price range, a little further out than the towns listed above, good schools, safe, and suburban. New Providence has a cute downtown. both have trains stations, but the trains don't stop in JC.

The housing marking is not too healthy, who knows what might turn up!

[Lusitan]

There are no NJ Transit trains that take you from suburban towns to Jersey City (there is a subway-like PATH train that runs through Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and into NYC, but none of those areas are really the type of places you're looking to live based on your criteria).

So it's pretty much a given that you're going to be driving to work in Jersey City. Given that, I'd stay away from the typical list of train-station towns, because you'll pay a premium to live there but you don't need a train station in town, and if you're in a neighboring town and want to occasionally take the train into NYC you're never far from a train station anyway.

The best advice I can give you would be to rent a place for a year and get to know the area, so that a year from now you will know what you like and dislike and can buy something with confidence that you like the town. North Jersey home prices are expected to fall 25% in 2009 alone, so you will also reap the benefit of considerable savings on your purchase if you buy next year. (Not to mention, you'll have more peace of mind knowing that the price you pay next year will not sink as much as the price you'll pay today, meaning that if and when you decide to sell there will be less chance that you'll be underwater.)

We had a thread about this not too long ago, where you can link to the analysis:
Wow - Northern NJ listed by Forbes as one of the "25 Weakest Housing Markets"


Realtor-dot-com and Craigslist are two places to check for rentals.

New Providence, Scotch Plains, Berkley Heights, Summit, those are some ideas that come to mind. But there are probably many other possibilities that people can offer.

[Pannonia]

Thank you all for great insights, I have followed a number of threads regarding real estate situation in New Jersey and it seems that the best solution for a new relocation is probably a rent in this situation.

I have indeed checked the recommendations in your replies from the perspective of school quality--- through greatschools.net

My kids are in the Great Valley SD in Chester County, PA and I was trying to at least round up a number of NJ districts in the area that seem to be similar in quality- this will be my most important guidance in renting and later buying decisions.

Please give your input (some real life details or disagreement/caution) about the following areas with highly rated schools: Summit, Chatham, Millburn, Mountinside, Florham Park, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Madison and Livingston. Is there a significant difference within this group in your opinion?

I understand that there is a range of different communities, with a number of expensive areas. It seems that in terms of school quality and real estate prices New Providence and Berkeley Heights, for example, provide a good value and starting point.

Thank you again!