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I am investigating living in the area around Princeton Junction (West Windsor/ Plainsboro). Family of 4, elementary school aged kids. Some questions I had were:
Will there be enough things to do in that area, for everyday living within say a 7 mile radius (general shopping, any malls, any arcade/bowling/.. type places, basketball/swimming/etc. places, decent restaurants etc.) Or will I be driving to the Brunswick area all the time?
Are there decent job options in the vicinity, or are most folks based on commuting to NYC / Philadelphia?
If taking mass transit to NYC / Philadelphia, what is the general time expected from Princeton Junction?
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I currently live in the sunbelt, but have visited the northeast sufficient number of times to understand any info provided. Thanks!
Plenty of decent restaurants in Princeton (although certainly not cheap). Plenty of chain restaurants if you like those.
Shopping should be fine. Two malls very close (Quakerbridge and Market Fair). More boutique shopping in Princeton.
Bowling - I can think of at least 2 that are in the area.
Plenty of parks for recreation.
Location: Splitting time between Dayton, NJ and Needmore, PA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by athensvaasi
Will there be enough things to do in that area, for everyday living within say a 7 mile radius (general shopping, any malls, any arcade/bowling/.. type places, basketball/swimming/etc. places, decent restaurants etc.) Or will I be driving to the Brunswick area all the time?
A lot depends on the actual location of the house you buy. Princeton Junction is "just" the station and a few surrounding office buildings. While there are some homes, most actually have a West Windsor or Princeton mailing address.
Plainsboro and West Windsor have several strip malls for grocery shopping and specialty shops or things likes gifts, cards, liquors, 5-&-dimes, etc.
There are local swim clubs in the area that you can join for a fee. Parks for general recreation including basketball and the like are around Plainsboro and West Windsor. You can get more information about them at these sites.
As was mentioned, restaurants can be found in Princeton (mostly upscale) as well as chain restaurants like TGI Friday's, PF Chang's, and Ruby Tuesday's over on Route 1 S.
Quote:
Originally Posted by athensvaasi
Are there decent job options in the vicinity, or are most folks based on commuting to NYC / Philadelphia?
It depends on the type of job being sought. There are small to mid-sized service businesses in the area, especially along Alexander Road. Pharma companies such as Novo Nordisk and BMS are location in the Forestal Campus.
Many people who live in the area are going to be commuters to the City or Philadelphia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by athensvaasi
If taking mass transit to NYC / Philadelphia, what is the general time expected from Princeton Junction?
The general rule is about an hour and a half to NYC and about a half hour to Philadelphia, depending on the time of day and the train taken. Express to NYC is usually about an hour.
To get a better sense of times based upon trains, I'd suggest the schedule located here. This link will open a PDF file.
Regarding train commute, please do not forget the problems with parking at the Princeton Junction station. The lots are owned by West Windsor, and even for residents, there is a pretty long wait list (can vary between a year to two plus years), and for non-residents of West Windsor, upwards of five years. There is a small non-permit area of the lot, that typically fills up around 6:15 to 6:30, hence the large contingent of Princeton-area commuters that take very early trains (because once at the station, not just going to sit there.) And if you do happen to work later (despite arriving at office early), the return trains will be local, which are approx. 1.5 hours just on the train itself. It is a really nice area, but there is a reason that you can get so much more house for your money in West Windsor than in areas further north in NJ with more realistic and less-crazy commutes to NYC (e.g., Ridgewood, Short Hills, etc.)
Thanks for the responses. Have a few more questions.
-- I read about a new Plainsboro Town Center being built. Has that come up? What does it consist of - shops/restaurants I am sure; any office space or housing?
-- What is the cost of living for West Windsor/Plainsboro. Nothing flashy, just solid professional living. And what might be estimated property taxes.
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Quote:
The general rule is about an hour and a half to NYC and about a half hour to Philadelphia, depending on the time of day and the train taken. Express to NYC is usually about an hour.
Using google maps, and using the transit option, I was getting the following impression.
I thought for NYC: you either go to Newark by NJT, and take PATH to Wall Street area. Or take NJT to Penn Station.
And for Philly: You go to Trenton on NJT, and take SEPTA to Philadelphia. And this takes longer (1.5 hours total).
Am I wrong? Does NJT take you all the way to Philadelphia in reasonable time? I have been looking over the timetable PDF, but it would be great to know to answers to the above.
One question about Plainsboro/West-Windsor schools -- what is the cut-off point on west side. That is, do I need to live on the east side of the tracks, or east side of US-1, etc.?
It is interesting that Plainsboro is Middlesex county, and West-Windsor is Mercer county (hope I am correct). Is that an example of smart local government. Or just some historic thing?
Is there anything about property tax difference between Mercer and Middlesex that would make one of the towns more desirable than the other (ie. looking for reasonable property taxes)?
Regarding train commute, please do not forget the problems with parking at the Princeton Junction station. The lots are owned by West Windsor, and even for residents, there is a pretty long wait list (can vary between a year to two plus years), and for non-residents of West Windsor, upwards of five years. There is a small non-permit area of the lot, that typically fills up around 6:15 to 6:30, hence the large contingent of Princeton-area commuters that take very early trains (because once at the station, not just going to sit there.) And if you do happen to work later (despite arriving at office early), the return trains will be local, which are approx. 1.5 hours just on the train itself. It is a really nice area, but there is a reason that you can get so much more house for your money in West Windsor than in areas further north in NJ with more realistic and less-crazy commutes to NYC (e.g., Ridgewood, Short Hills, etc.)
I have this (probably misguided) notion that I will be walking or biking to Princeton Junction! (Or get dropped off). In any case, for now I am only focusing on the actual transit part.
One question about Plainsboro/West-Windsor schools -- what is the cut-off point on west side. That is, do I need to live on the east side of the tracks, or east side of US-1, etc.?
It is interesting that Plainsboro is Middlesex county, and West-Windsor is Mercer county (hope I am correct). Is that an example of smart local government. Or just some historic thing?
Is there anything about property tax difference between Mercer and Middlesex that would make one of the towns more desirable than the other (ie. looking for reasonable property taxes)?
This area of the State was predominantly farm lands until the early 1970's. The kids in West Windsor were bussed to Princeton HS until HS South was built in 1973. At that time enrollment was so small that Plainsboro started to pay West Windsor to send their kids to the HS.
So you are right! It is kinda a historic thing. And West Windsor is in Mercer Co. and Plainsboro is in Middlesex Co. the schools are the only thing they share.
The HS North was built in Plainsboro in 1997. In an effort to keep the schools' population equal and diverse the district decided to bus some neighbourhoods in Plainsboro to the HS in West Windsor and vice versa.
If you have a preference for school designation make sure you know what school your neighbourhood sends to before you move.
The main part of Plainsboro Towne Centre is complete. The homes are inhabited and there are some small restaurants and shops that are open for business.
As eaglescout said there is no available permit parking at the station right now and probably not for several years. There are shuttle buses throughout both townships, car pooling and of course the "kiss and ride" lane. (No passionate goodbyes in that lane!!!!)
There are some neighbourhoods in West Windsor that are walkable/bikeable to the station.
Check the tax assessors office in both towns for the mil rates.
Where does west-windsor/plainsboro school district end on the rail track / US-1 side? Is US-1 the approximate boundary?
Which school is doing better in sports (I hear there is a fledgling rivalry), I will take that one! What are some factors to consider in choosing either school?
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