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My husband just got word yesterday that he is being transferred to Bridgewater, NJ. I am soooo overwhelmed by the wealth of information, my head is spinning. What I'm attempting to do is to narrow down my search a bit. Here is some more info about our family/needs:
-My husband is willing to commute up to 45 minutes to Bridgewater if we can save some money on housing further out.
-We are looking to rent a house for now (not sure how long we'll be in the area)
-We would like a nice town, good schools (our oldest daughter will be entering Kindergarten next year), good community feel
-We don't mind smaller towns (love them actually), however, access to a shopping area within 20 minutes would be nice (few grocery stores/target, etc. I'm not talking NYC shopping)
-I love the "mayberry" type feel, old town, main street with shops, etc. but this is not a must.
We are going to be visiting soon to look at a few towns and find a house to rent, so I really need to narrow down my scope a little bit to make this search managable. Thanks so much!
Out of curiosity, did you check within Bridgewater? Bridgewater has a townhouse and condominium complex (which can get some night noises). Not sure about their prices and education though as I don't live there. (My Mom lives there so that's why I know a bit about the place.)
A lot of stores are in Bridgewater, which includes the Bridgewater Commons mall. So, shopping should not be too much of an issue. I mean, Bridgewater isn't a city but it's still a good size town. You'll still have to deal with traffic in the area and there is this crazy circle that you'll have to deal with.
There are a lot of nice small towns next to Bridgewater. A lot of farm land too. So, I think it's a good area to raise a family. Just beware of the bugs and be alert for deers in the area.
A lot will depend on your budget- you'll definitely get more for your money as you move further from Bridgewater (west, that is), but if you can get what you want in or near Bridgewater, why deal with the commute? What sort of price range are you looking at, and what are you looking for in the way of house size, amenities, etc.?
Can I make a suggestion? Look into Bethlehem Township, PA.
My husband was working in Branchburg when we moved out here and it was the BEST decision. Houses are dirt cheap right now (I am selling mine for $285,000 with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, finished basement, eat in kitchen, but a tiny property), the taxes aren't bad at all and we've been happy with the schools! Can't complain at all!
While the township doesn't have its own "downtown", the city of Bethlehem is a stone throw away and we visit there often. Especially around Christmas. There is also a community center here which we LOVE! Our kids take classes there, there's an outdoor pool, indoor pool, and a gym! I love it!
OP - draw a semi circle from Bridgewater extending south, north and west that extends about 25 miles - that will narrow down towns you can look in that will give you a 45 min commute or less on average. the southern end is somewhere around montgomery, western edge is slightly east of Stewartsville, northern is around Mt. Olive. Before we get into specifics, you need to give your budget.
$2500/month rent would be as high as we're willing to go right now. I realize that it narrows down the field drastically, however, I refuse to pay more than that for RENT on a house. We are building up our savings so that we can buy within the next few years, so I really don't want to pay more than that per month. Ideally, we would like a 3 bedroom, since we have 2 girls. Thanks
And can you tell me why not? It took my husband 45 mins to get to work and home!
Yeah that never happened.
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