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Metuchen is wonderful with its charming downtown and direct train to NYC. We just bought a house and I highly recommend the town! You can get capes in the low to mid $300k range and 2 BR older condos in Jefferson Park for about $250k (and rare but sometimes available 3 br. condos for $275k). If budget is an issue, Edison, the town surrounding Metuchen is more affordable and has a larger variety of houses. North Edison school is better than South Edison schools.
The area near Menlo Mall is called Menlo Terrace. I do not recommend it as traffic is terrible and it's very noisy. I am really surprised that it is even considered Metuchen...I've always thought that it's part of Edison.
Metuchen is wonderful with its charming downtown and direct train to NYC. We just bought a house and I highly recommend the town! You can get capes in the low to mid $300k range and 2 BR older condos in Jefferson Park for about $250k (and rare but sometimes available 3 br. condos for $275k). If budget is an issue, Edison, the town surrounding Metuchen is more affordable and has a larger variety of houses. North Edison school is better than South Edison schools.
The area near Menlo Mall is called Menlo Terrace. I do not recommend it as traffic is terrible and it's very noisy. I am really surprised that it is even considered Metuchen...I've always thought that it's part of Edison.
Menlo Park Terrace is actually part of Woodbridge. It just has Metuchen zip code 08840. From what I see it looks like a nice little area, but that means getting around Ford Ave and Rt 1.
Rt 1 has improved greatly though over the last two years on the other hand.
+1 on Menlo Park Terrace being Woodbridge with Metuchen zip code. Middlesex has a small town, blue collar feel. Although, to compare Metuchen to Middlesex is apples to oranges. One big factor will be your price range...that will determine what you want vs. what you can afford within Metuchen. My opinion is Metuchen > Middlesex.
+1 on Menlo Park Terrace being Woodbridge with Metuchen zip code. Middlesex has a small town, blue collar feel. Although, to compare Metuchen to Middlesex is apples to oranges. One big factor will be your price range...that will determine what you want vs. what you can afford within Metuchen. My opinion is Metuchen > Middlesex.
Yeah Metuchen really doesn't compare to Middlesex Boro. The boro has some nice areas, but I agree with dsmgvr4 it is a blue collar town and very insular to say the least.
Metuchen is more middle to upper middle class IMO. In the Boro you'll have less traffic though. Aside from the traffic I've never heard anyone who lives in Woodbridge/Edison/Metuchen area complain about it.
Middlesex Boro is TOTALLY fine. I lived there for a short time when my hubby first got a job in the school district. Yeah, it's blue collar, but totally small town feel. Metuchen is more upscale, but if money is an issue, you'll do fine in Middlesex.
Middlesex Boro is TOTALLY fine. I lived there for a short time when my hubby first got a job in the school district. Yeah, it's blue collar, but totally small town feel. Metuchen is more upscale, but if money is an issue, you'll do fine in Middlesex.
Schools in the boro are supposed to be very good too from what I hear.
My grandmother lives in Metuchen (I guess technically Menlo Park), RIGHT on the southbound side of Rte 1 at the Ford Ave intersection (EVERYONE knows that intersection). It's so close to Menlo Park mall, but she lives in an extremely quiet neighborhood. It's made up mostly of older couples (who have lived there since the houses were built) and some families, but very safe and quiet. I do not know how much those houses go for, but I imagine they cannot be too much.
Hers is 3 bedrooms, 1 bath. Somewhat small, but good size depending on your family size and realistic expectations for what you will get for the money anywhere in NJ.
Metuchen is indeed a safe town, and like someone else said, so convenient to pretty much everything (nj transit, rte 1, turnpike, 287, etc). Route 1 will drive you nuts at times, but they are doing a lot to expand it, and my only gripes are really the Ford Ave intersection (which can easily be detoured by taking the u turns near the mall and going the back way).
I do not know too much about Middlesex borough, but I know that Bound Brook isn't the GREATEST town (more working class like someone else mentioned)... and I believe the schools aren't blue ribbon as you call it. I am not sure what school Middlesex students go to.
I just moved to Metuchen and I couldn't be happier with my decision. All of Metuchen is extremely safe, and the family-friendly feel of the town is evident much more so than larger towns like Edison or Woodbridge. It is truly a community.
I have been reading some posts that describe Metuchen as having a bad traffic situation. I have not found this to be the case at all. While once in a while you'll be caught on the wrong road at the wrong time of day, going in the wrong direction, most times, traffic flows just fine. In exchange for some very tolerable traffic sometimes, you have one of the best areas to shop and dine. Whether it's proximity to NYC, all major highways, Menlo Park Mall, Wegmans supermarket, beautiful Roosevelt Park, or quaint eateries downtown, Metuchen is at the center of everything.
I just moved to Metuchen and I couldn't be happier with my decision. All of Metuchen is extremely safe, and the family-friendly feel of the town is evident much more so than larger towns like Edison or Woodbridge. It is truly a community.
I have been reading some posts that describe Metuchen as having a bad traffic situation. I have not found this to be the case at all. While once in a while you'll be caught on the wrong road at the wrong time of day, going in the wrong direction, most times, traffic flows just fine. In exchange for some very tolerable traffic sometimes, you have one of the best areas to shop and dine. Whether it's proximity to NYC, all major highways, Menlo Park Mall, Wegmans supermarket, beautiful Roosevelt Park, or quaint eateries downtown, Metuchen is at the center of everything.
LOL yeah, and 27 is closed partially now until the fall isn't it?
Like I've said, Metuchen is a beautiful area, I just can't stand the traffic there. If you haven't experienced it OK then. I just know everytime I'm in that area it gets nasty. Of all the congested areas in Northern Middlesex County - Edison/Woodbridge area - I would say Metuchen is the worst by far.
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