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We live in Seattle now, my wife has found a job in Rahway, NJ. We are looking for a nice place to live with a decent commute to Rahway, ideally 30 to 45 minutes or less. I will be working from home. We have an 18 month old daughter so a good school district is very import for us. We are looking for a house in the 500K – 600K range. From this forum I read good things about Woodbridge, Colonia, Westfield, Edison , North Edison, Metuchen, and Perth Amboy. How do these compare? What tips and insights can you offer?
your choices of towns are all over the spectrum. Im not too sure what you heard about Perth Amboy but it is an abbott district and should be thrown out based on your requirements of a good school district. Westfield is your top choice.
I'd scratch Perth Amboy off that list, and add Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Clark. Your money will likely go the furthest in Woodbridge, and you'll get the least for your budget in Westfield. Are you looking for anything in particular in a neighborhood? Newer homes? Walkable downtown?
Looks like you read my mind. We are both city people, so being near a walkable downtown is important to us. I am not a very handy person, so a newer or well maintained home is a must. So this combined with a good school district, a safe neighborhood and an easy commute is really at the top of our list. Somewhat less important is a decent local public transport system. We don't care much about having a big lot (I hate mowing the lawn), nor do we care about being near the water or having a view.
A little farther than the towns you picked (about 15 miles) but East Brunswick is a good town in your price range you should be able to get something nice there.
Westfield is pretty expensive, so I'm not sure in your price range what you could get there, but it is a very nice town.
If you want a walkable downtown, Westfield and Metuchen are the best options, and both offer easy commutes to Rahway (just from opposite directions). Woodbridge has a walkable downtown area, but there's not all that much worth walking to, unfortunately.
if you are ok with other towns besides the ones you listed try: madison, summit, and chatham. they all have top schools, walkable downtown area, and are very desirable. Plus you have a nice buffer before you reach a questionable town, meaning the towns border other nicer towns.
Cranford and Westfield schools compare very closely. If you like Westfield, you'll love Cranford. You will get more for your money and you can always visit Westfield, it's only 4 miles down North Ave.
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