Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Take a look at the county seat, so you'll know where to go for jury duty and where your taxes are being spent. That might make your decision too.
I have lived and worked next door to both towns my entire life, and know them well. You are fortunate to be able to choose between such affluent towns.
If I were considering a move to either community with those tax rates, I'd consider the above quoted sentence to be very sage advice.
Short Hills and Millburn have a joint school system starting with high school. The school is consistently top-ranked in the state (along with Tenafly) and from what I hear from parents and teachers is a real pressure cooker. This could be good or bad depending on what you want.
There are two Chathams -- Chatham Borough and Chatham Township -- but they share a school system. The schools are excellent but one notch below Short Hills/Tenafly.
Historically, Short Hills and Millburn have a larger Jewish population while the Chathams have a more Christian population. Not sure if this is important to you one way or the other.
From a timing and flexibility viewpoint, the best train stop in the area is actually Summit. There are two lines that merge there and many trains run express from Summit into the city -- skipping Short Hills and Millburn. Parking is $10/day at Summit for non-residents.
I find Short Hills prettier than Chatham. The roads are windy and more wooded -- kind of like parts of Westchester.
You will get more for your money in Chatham.
Although both areas are wealthy, relatively speaking there is a lot more money in Short Hills.
From a weekly errand viewpoint, if you live in Short Hills you will probably wind up going to shops/stores on Route 10. If you live in Chatham you will split between Route 10 and Route 22.
Both towns border Summit but excluding this town, the other towns around Chatham (Madison, New Providence) are a little nicer while the other towns around Short Hills (Maplewood) are probably a little more interesting.
Just a quick note on pricing. Both of these communities are affluent. But Chatham is not in the same league as Short Hills, it is far less expensive. Short Hills is completely high end, like Saddle River, Alpine, or Mendham. Chatham is in the second tier, similar to Westfield, Ridgewood or Montclair. In terms of numbers a top end community has a median price close to $1,000,000, while a second tier community is in the $650,000 range. Not a comment on quality now, just price.
Thanks for the reminder about the Summit trains. That definitely puts Chatham back on equal footing with Short Hills. Now if only we can find a decent, affordable property that we like. Just to add to the complication, we want to find a tear-down that we can eventually build a new house on. There just doesn't seem to be any good options for that.
I lived in Millburn and I can tell you the schools are top rated. I can also tell you that if you have a smart child that has no issues the school system is great. If you have a child with special needs, reconsider.
I have a highly intelligent son and a highly intelligent son with autism. My oldest son did pretty good, but my second son struggled. His needs were not met. The school system provides the very minimum because most of the families that live in Millburn/Short Hills are very well off. We were not one of those families. We were in what is considered "entry level" Millburn, across from Taylor Park. We could not afford all the things that our son needed. We moved to another township in Southern NJ where the schools were also top notch (Moorestown,Burlington Co.). Found the SAME thing. Then we moved to a less desirable township, Blackwood, Camden Co. and there is where my son was offered services that helped him excel. They put him in a private school for kids with autism, something I could never have afforded on my own. He is now a High School senior and a dual college student. He is a published poet, and an amazing animator. I know in my heart he would have fallen through the cracks if he had stayed in the Millburn school district.
Forgive my ignorance. What does it mean to "take a look at the county seat"?
You're looking at 2 different counties: Essex (county seat is Newark) and Morris (county seat is Morristown). Essex reputation is that lots of tax dollars go to Newark and many don't like venutring into Newark for jury duty, etc.
There are quite a few single-floor ranch houses in parts of Chatham Township. The problem is that the large developers have the same idea you do and historically have bought them pretty quickly once they came on the market. They tear them down and build large $2MM homes. There is an entire section of the Township on Dale Drive which has been transformed over the last 10 years.
This may have changed given the economy and housing market so maybe more things are available.
I have family in Chatham and it's a lovely town with truly excellent schools. That said, it is incredibly pretentious. The kids are given a great education, but if you are not wearing the right clothes, and Mom and Dad don't pick you up in the right car, then your kids better be very mentally strong to deal with the backlash that will follow. Their neighbors are downright rude. But that can vary, I have a friend who is not far from St. Patrick's Church and she has lovely neighbors. But her kids also suffer the "Chattitue" at school.
Now, that said, don't think your pretentiousness and attitude factors will be any better in Short Hills. LOL
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
