CT or PA? (relocation, job, expensive, schools)

[oc2nyc]

We have wanted to move from the west coast to the east coast for years. We have been offered 3 relocations over the years, none have panned out, for one reason or another. The latest was a move to CT that fell through because on of the partners at the company my husband worked for was embezzling. We were extremely disappointed.

We have now decided to wait until 2012, when our third daughter graduates high school. We have family in both NJ and CT. We love both states, but we had settled on CT because it seemed most people want out of NJ due to high property tax, high auto insurance, etc. The NJ board is full of people that want out of the state, similar to the Orange County, CA board, where we are from. The people in CT seem to love where they live for the most part but it is also an expensive state.

We now have a choice because waiting a couple years will allow us to have the money to pay for our own relocation, and my husband now has a job with a company that allows him to work anywhere in the US.

My question is... Should we move to NJ or CT?

We want to be within a couple hours of NYC, in a nice suburb, with good schools (we still have one in middle school). Either way, we are not surprised by the high cost of living. We live in an area where a tear down house sells for over 600K. We would be looking to rent for at least a year until we know exactly where we want to live.

So...what's your opinion? NJ or CT???

[oc2nyc]

oops sorry I meant that subject heading to be CT or NJ, not PA.

[kristin1]

Last year we relocated from CT to the bay area, but I grew up in NJ and have lived in North, Central and South Jersey. I prefered CT - I loved the small towns, the beautiful town greens, and the fall is just unbelievably beautiful. There is a certain charm there that I found lacking in NJ.

That being said, I loved where we lived in CT (shoreline) but you may want to stay closer to NYC if you want to be in an area where there are other transplants. Outside of the NYC metro area it seems like most people never left the town where they grew up, so it can make one feel like an outsider. Even so, i'd chose it over NJ and CA any day. People are alot more reserved in CT than in CA.