help! my husband will be commuting to queens/bronx ny and we want to live in nj...

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by mommauzz

hi there! it's time to move out of manhattan for us...my husband and i have a one year old and are expecting our second in the spring. he works in queens/bronx and we want to move to nj, as that is where our family is and where we both grew up (i grew up in morris county, he grew up in somerset county). we are looking for a town that has good schools for our children and that has a cute downtown that, if we get the right location, we could walk to a corner store or a pharmacy. (the transition from manhattan is going to be hard enough!) anyway, we are a catholic family and looking for a nice community somewhere that won't be a total nightmare of a commute for him. i am guessing the answer will be somewhere in bergen county but...any suggestions?

It sounds like Bayonne would fit your description. There are a number of Catholic churches, walkable neighborhoods, and the Light Rail can take you to Exchange Place in 20 minutes.

[Songbird42]

We lived in Vernon, NJ and my hubby commuted to Tarrytown, NY, never missed a day of work, it took him 1 1/2 to get into Tarrytown via the Tapanzee Bridge, in winter when it snowed he made it in to the plant and guys from the Bronx couldn't get there, go figure. Commuting is a hard thing
takes long hours and sometimes missed family events. Hubby would start out at 4:30AM and get home at 5:00PM......long day, but to him it was well worth it, did it for 25 yrs.

[mommauzz]

Originally Posted by Songbird42

We lived in Vernon, NJ and my hubby commuted to Tarrytown, NY, never missed a day of work, it took him 1 1/2 to get into Tarrytown via the Tapanzee Bridge, in winter when it snowed he made it in to the plant and guys from the Bronx couldn't get there, go figure. Commuting is a hard thing
takes long hours and sometimes missed family events. Hubby would start out at 4:30AM and get home at 5:00PM......long day, but to him it was well worth it, did it for 25 yrs.

wow. that is amazing. i can see my husband doing that, and never complaining about it for one minute. i, on the other hand, have anxiety about it for him! it makes no sense i know. how do you think the commute affected your lifestyle and do you think it was worth it to live where you lived?

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by mommauzz

i appreciate everyone's feedback...is there anyone out there who does this commute? ...our price range is $500K to $700K...thanks for any and all ideas!

In your price range (which is quite decent)....

I would try these towns in the northeast section of Bergen:

Oradell, Westwood, Washington Twp, Hillsdale, Park Ridge, River Vale, Harrington Park, Tenafly, Cresskill, Closter, Demarest, Haworth, Norwood, Northvale, Old Tappan

(I would look a bit north of the towns that jump out at you as you look at a map of GWB. In other words, north of the Teaneck, Bergenfield, Dumont, New Milford area. A bit more of a drive, but worth it because the schools are generally regarded as a bit better and your price range is healthy)

[Nestlequik]

I second looking in Long Island instead. You want your children to enjoy time with their father. If he's exhausted after a 2 hour commute then has to tend to kids and your needs after 8 hours working it's doable but difficult and frustrating for everyone. Think it out a little more.

[captne76]

Back in the 1980's when I bought my first house out in Morris County I worked in Woodside Queens and it was only about 45 to 60 minutes each way, thru the Holland, over the Willie and on the Beeek (BQE) to QB, Queens Blvd. Gotta run here, but that's what it used to be coming in 9 to 10 am and back out around 6, and from a little bit past Denville, NJ from the town of Rock.

[Diane Giam]

I would third looking at Long Island. Its just too long a commute from NJ. It also will mean tolls and gas.

You might try Rockville Center, N woodmere that is school district 14, 15 used to be great but the demograpics changed and many in 15 send their children to private school because of religious reasons. When I lived there it was reformed and Consevative Jewish, now its orthodox and their children go to private. When I went there the parents pushed for the best, and we were one of the best then. I grew up in Lawrence.
You can also try Baldwin where my sister lives. All these are not to far from Queens, and also not bad to the bronx.

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by captne76

Back in the 1980's when I bought my first house out in Morris County I worked in Woodside Queens and it was only about 45 to 60 minutes each way, thru the Holland, over the Willie and on the Beeek (BQE) to QB, Queens Blvd. Gotta run here, but that's what it used to be coming in 9 to 10 am and back out around 6, and from a little bit past Denville, NJ from the town of Rock.

traffic just wasn't as bd then. It would take a lot longer to get to Woodside today.