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Me and my husband are looking at houses in Jefferson. we found one that we like in the Oak Ridge section near Longwood Lake off of Berkshire Valley Rd.
Can anyone tell me if that is a good area of Jefferson?? Are there even bad areas of Jefferson?
We are hoping to stay in whatever house we find for a long time, so the neighborhood and schools are important.
There are no bad areas in Jefferson. Berkshire Valley Road is very rural, scenic and great in the summer. You have a choice of going on Rt 23 or 80 (via 15). All of those can be slow in the morning. There is also a bus that goes to NYC nearby. You have a Costco, Target, Walmart and a very decent shopping mall. This area is great for nature lovers - hopefully you guys are not afraid of bears (they are harmless around here, unless you leave the garbage out overnight).
Let me know if you have any more specific questions.
P.S. Oops, didn't realize - OLD POST.
Last edited by va_bank; 04-12-2011 at 04:29 PM..
Reason: Old post
The main issues with Jefferson are lots of wells and septics, lots of oil tanks, and no way to escape traffic. You have Route 23 to the North and Route 15 to the South. Either way, you are not moving anywhere fast during rush hours. So if you live and work there or nearby (like in Picatinny), it's a rustic and beautiful place to live. If you work in NY City and have to commute during rush hour, you are better off in Rockaway, Randolph, Roxbury, Wharton, Dover, etc, where you have access to Route 80 and other alternates in the event of rush hour misfortune.
The main issues with Jefferson are lots of wells and septics, lots of oil tanks
Yes. But the newer Peaks development has natural gas and water/sewage built especially for the development. Lots of short sale and foreclosed houses available.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Paolella
If you work in NY City and have to commute during rush hour, you are better off in Rockaway, Randolph, Roxbury, Wharton, Dover, etc, where you have access to Route 80 and other alternates in the event of rush hour misfortune.
I'm not sure about value of Rockaway or Randolph. You may save 15 minutes of commute a day, but Randolph taxes ... Rockaway may be better. As far as Rt. 15, there are some shortcuts you can take to Rt. 80 when 15 is standing. Wharton and Dover - while not particularly "bad" you can not compare them to Jefferson Twp or Lake Hopatcong.
There are no main issues surrounding wells or septics unless the systems themselves have challenges. A well maintained well or septic is a benefit considering your only expense is maintenance, which is minimal as opposed to quarterly water/sewer charges, which may seem exorbinant. The Peak's quarterly charges blew my one customer's budget apart after we did the math on living expenses...it was well/septic for that family! And this 'city' girl moved here from Bergen County and we have no issues with our well or septic. I know many people in The Peaks, White Rock (another great neighborhood) and Water's Edge who are on public water/sewer and they would at this point perfer wells/septics! Depends on your budget and perhaps strong personal preference...
Most oil tanks are ABOVE GROUND at this point, and if they're below, well, you have the owner remedy that. Oil/gas are both expensive so one may not be an advantage over the other. I've found that seems to be a matter of taste and/or opinion.
None of the other towns mentioned are breezy commutes into Manhattan. The one advantage I've found, and echoed among many I've spoken to, is you can buy a lot more house with more generous property, in a much lovelier environment, in Morris County, as opposed to Bergen or Essex, which do have the shorter commutes to NYC. If you have the luxury of commuting off peak, even from Oak Ridge, it's an hour into Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel, which I've done personally many times.
Jefferson doesn't have any bad areas per se regarding crime; some neighborhoods most definitely have a prettier personality than others. Personally, I think it's a shame that minimum property maintenance standards aren't upheld. Some folks keep their properties looking like war zones and really bring down the appearance of what could be nice neighborhoods.
I haven't taken the bus from J-town into Manhattan yet...wondering if anyone knows how long that takes?
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... Rockaway may be better. As far as Rt. 15, there are some shortcuts you can take to Rt. 80 when 15 is standing. Wharton and Dover - while not particularly "bad" you can not compare them to Jefferson Twp or Lake Hopatcong.
Peaks?
