Help About If/Where To Look At Living in NJ (Toms River: high school, college)

[ReluctantGardenStater]

BergenCountyJohnny, this is just my impression, but I've been reading your posts for quite some time before joining and you seem to look down on Essex, or really any county that is not Bergen.

You said "Montclair is OK, it has crime issues in areas, though. That is Essex County, very different from Northern Bergen County."

Someone must be very sheltered when talking about Montclair as if living in town is a safety risk. I live only about a mile from the Montclair border and it's a quaint town with good shopping, great dining, and a highly respectful police force that is always willing to address concerns and work with out-of-towners.

[gradstudent77]

Originally Posted by Stifled

Thanks.

I hear from you that Ocean County is good.
I am unclear...what do you feel about Monmouth County?

Wouldn't that have it all?
In the NY sphere of influence...access to the beach....not all sprawled out....young people?

Young people in the burbs in NJ are mostly still living at home with their folks, in my experience. The young community in the burbs is spread out and in my opinion would be difficult for a newcomer to assimilate to because its basically the same old high school crew that is still around. If you value forming a social circle more, go to the cities that have been mentioned. If you value the quality of life stuff that you like (low-density, low development, somewhat near job centers) more, go live in the towns others have mentioned.

[Liz555]

Yes, I think Monmouth would be a good fit as well. Great area, ferry to NYC is right out of Middletown. I'm not sure about how many "young people" are located there but I do know alot of "young families" like that area. It's a desirable location. You may want to search out some websites on "nightlife" in the Monmouth Cnty area. PNC Art Center isn't a far drive for events. Red Bank has some cool restaurants & bars (even if you don't LIVE there...kinda pricey in some neighborhoods) etc.

[colleeng47]

I have a lot of family in the Monmouth county area. From what I've seen, it's a lot of young families. As someone else mentioned, the young single people that I know are still living with their parents (my nieces and nephews included.). I personally find Monmouth county to be very crowded. I don't think you'll find "sprawl" anywhere in NJ. Living now in Oklahoma and having lived in other southwest states, I know what you mean by sprawl. There just isn't enough room in NJ to sprawl, but some areas are less congested than others.

Some of the most beautiful places in the country are in NJ.

[clevedark]

I really like the beaches near Toms River, but they do get crowded. For good reason!

Monmouth's beaches aren't as nice, water is too brown from NY Bay--the nicest beaches are south of Point Pleasant, IMHO.

Monmouth is a nice place to live, tho, however to my eye, and to yours, probably, from being in N. CT it will be quite congested.

Tom's River area is much quieter, and a touch more blue collar.

You just have to go and visit, I think. Both places are convenient to NYC and get NYC radio and TV stations. In Tom's River you also get a little bit of Philly in the media.

[VeradoDan]

Originally Posted by Stifled

Thanks.

I hear from you that Ocean County is good.
I am unclear...what do you feel about Monmouth County?

Wouldn't that have it all?
In the NY sphere of influence...access to the beach....not all sprawled out....young people?

I like Monmouth as well. The only thing is that Monmouth County is overall more expensive. The homes are priced higher (and there are more older homes) and the taxes are sometimes significantly higher. But if it's in your price range, Monmouth County is also a great place. For what you're looking for, I would suggest Wall Township, Spring Lake Heights, Shark River Hills, or some of the other nearby towns. Monmouth is a little more suburban while Ocean is more coastal. Ocean County has a number of barrier islands and Barnegat Bay (which is a massive body of water, spanning the entire county), while Monmouth is mainland right up to the ocean, except for the northern tip.

There are plenty of young people in Monmouth County. There is a lot of night life (especially in the beach areas) and Monmouth University is in West Long Branch. Monmouth County schools are generally well-regarded.

[VeradoDan]

Originally Posted by clevedark

Monmouth's beaches aren't as nice, water is too brown from NY Bay--the nicest beaches are south of Point Pleasant, IMHO.

Monmouth is a nice place to live, tho, however to my eye, and to yours, probably, from being in N. CT it will be quite congested.

Tom's River area is much quieter, and a touch more blue collar.

You just have to go and visit, I think. Both places are convenient to NYC and get NYC radio and TV stations. In Tom's River you also get a little bit of Philly in the media.

This I agree with. Monmouth's ocean waters are clean, but they're not as clear as Ocean County's. In Long Beach Island, I can see down to the bottom even in 10-foot water - it's really crystal clear. As I said, Ocean County is more of a coastal lifestyle while Monmouth is more traditionally suburban, just with ocean beaches.

Toms River does mean you'll be getting more of a well-rounded influence of both NY and Philadelphia. Both cities' TV stations are included on the cable, newspapers from both cities are available and radio stations from both cities can be heard. It's a bit quicker to get to Philly than NYC. Toms River, in a way, is a good mix of that coastal and suburban lifestyle. It's one of my preferred towns in the area.

[clevedark]

I don't know if I'd say Monmouth water is clean--it's freakin' dark brown and looks yellow when the waves curl. Yuck!

But what do I know....

[VeradoDan]

Originally Posted by clevedark

I don't know if I'd say Monmouth water is clean--it's freakin' dark brown and looks yellow when the waves curl. Yuck!

But what do I know....

Oh, come on. I've never seen yellow waves. It can be a little darker and cloudier, but "dark brown" isn't how I would describe it. In addition, the ocean floor is different off Monmouth County, a rockier bottom while Ocean County's inshore floor is sand. This can cause some discoloration as well. I'm not saying Monmouth's water is as good as Ocean's (it's not) but it's not harmful and is actually pretty clean despite its color.

[Stifled]

1) So it seems Monmouth is NY-Market driven and has more young people...but is pretty crowded, expensive, and has yucky beaches.
-Ocean County is less crowded, cheaper, and more of a costal lifestyle....but has some Philly influence.

2) It seems BOTH places though for a single in his mid 20s you are saying is NOT desirable because it would be hard to meet and fit into a social crowd?
Assimilating is best done in a more urban environment..as opposed to suburbia...so it sounds like if this is the case (is it) neither is ideal?

3) What's the split in Tom's River...is it 50/50 NY/Philly or more NY with a Philly minority?