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Depends on what you're looking for. Metuchen is mostly older homes with many families that have been in the area for some time. Marlboro, for the most part, is the home of the McMansion and the folks that love them, and Belmar is a shore party town.
Perhaps you could tell us what you're looking for, and that would help with the comparisons.
Metuchen is a borough of Edison, literally a donut hole in the middle of town. It is a nice area, walkable and pedestrian friendly with a downtown, but because of that traffic going through there is a nightmare. I saw in the paper last week they are working on the Rt 27 bridge as it goes back into Edison (toward Menlo Pk) and it's causing major problems for business in that area since they had to close the road completely and don't plan to reopen it until this fall. 27 kinda switches directions throughout this area and can be very confusing if you don't know the area well, and the traffic volume that goes through there makes it worse. Before Talmadge Rd was built this was the only way to get from the south side of Edison to the north side, and vice versa (I have an old Middlesex map from 1990 and there was no Talmadge Rd to cross over that patch of woods and connect to Plainfield Rd just north of Metuchen - and you still drive on it there's not too much traffic, so that means not too many people know about it). So other than the traffic I'd say Metuchen is a good choice. Aside from that I've never heard anyone say anything bad about it. I'd look in the general area that's around New Brunswick. I rented my first place in South Edison off Old Post Rd, nice but very crowded, eventually ended up a little further southwest and have been here ever since.
Not a fan of Marlboro at all. Grew up in Manalapan which is right next door and hated it. Dig through my old posts, including one I recently wrote about my life growing up there. Marlboro from what I hear (read here and from people I know who live there) is even worse and more extreme. It's an extreme money pit to say the least, no bang for your bucks there. Like Bob said, McMansions all over the place, there is traffic all over roads that are in desperate need of an upgrading, witnessed a fight at the Pathmark there between two 40-year-old men over who was going to get their bag of ice (for the cooler) first. And these are well-to-do people with families. They move here and suddenly their crap doesn't stink.
Belmar is a beach town. Not much of a boardwalk there, but the main street has lots of stuff to do. Haven't been there in a long time, but I do remember lots of places I used to go closed up, like Coffee Blue (I think it was called), Sliver Tunes which sold second-hand LP records is also gone. My sister has gone there often in recent years, said there's some new stuff there that's cool. Haven't been there in at least 5 years though. Not really a family town though. If you're looking for something more family oriented in this area I'd say look a few miles down in Brick, nice area and was ranked safest town in America a few years ago.
All depends on what you want.
Last edited by Whoelsebutcharles; 05-22-2010 at 10:42 AM..
Reason: Typo
Most of the party places and rental houses have been unceremoniously kicked out of Belmar. It's really a year-round community now with a little bit of a flare of its old party designation during the summer in one section. It's a pretty close-knit community.
I think all of the other descriptions have been spot-on. I like the Brick suggestions, but if Monmouth County is an option I'd say the town that incorporates a little of all three of the towns in question is Wall Township. It's pricier than Brick (about the same as Marlboro) and right next to the beaches in Belmar and Manasquan while having very close access to the GS Parkway and I-195 (both run through it, actually) for easy access to North Jersey, Trenton and Philadelphia.
Most of the party places and rental houses have been unceremoniously kicked out of Belmar. It's really a year-round community now with a little bit of a flare of its old party designation during the summer in one section. It's a pretty close-knit community.
I think all of the other descriptions have been spot-on. I like the Brick suggestions, but if Monmouth County is an option I'd say the town that incorporates a little of all three of the towns in question is Wall Township. It's pricier than Brick (about the same as Marlboro) and right next to the beaches in Belmar and Manasquan while having very close access to the GS Parkway and I-195 (both run through it, actually) for easy access to North Jersey, Trenton and Philadelphia.
I'm not all that familiar with Wall. My dad used to drive for Olympic on the circle (next to Collingwood Farmers Market) like 12 years ago, so that area is really what I know of it and it kinda resembles Rt 130 around here. While I would believe it is pricier than Brick, I never for one second thought it was in the same league as Marlboro or Manalapan. I always thought it was more of a place like Howell or even Freehold Twp, a more realistic community of middle class and not through-the-roof expensive, judging by that area. On the other hand I still have friends in Howell/Freehold area who I went to Brookdale with and they say cost of living has gotten out of control even there in recent years. All of them are planning on leaving the area.
Last edited by Whoelsebutcharles; 05-22-2010 at 03:14 PM..
Reason: 2 more cents
I'm not all that familiar with Wall. My dad used to drive for Olympic on the circle (next to Collingwood Farmers Market) like 12 years ago, so that area is really what I know of it and it kinda resembles Rt 130 around here. While I would believe it is pricier than Brick, I never for one second thought it was in the same league as Marlboro or Manalapan. I always thought it was more of a place like Howell or even Freehold Twp, a more realistic community of middle class and not through-the-roof expensive, judging by that area. On the other hand I still have friends in Howell/Freehold area who I went to Brookdale with and they say cost of living has gotten out of control even there in recent years. All of them are planning on leaving the area.
Wall is as expensive - or more expensive - as Marlboro or Manalapan. Back in the day it used to be a semi-rural town, but now it's an expensive community with homes ranging from the 400s to the $1 million plus range. All of the new houses are HUGE McMansions, and the land values are very high, too. There isn't much left of "old Wall," actually, save for that circle area you metioned. Hardly any of the town resembles Rt. 130 anymore except for the western part, west of the Parkway.
Howell is much more affordable, and while many of the homes are a bit smaller, they're "normal" sized homes instead of exclusively McMansions all over the place. The tax rate in Howell is a little bit less than Wall, too, so you save there. Essentially, Howell is a more affordable version of Wall in my opinion, so it's a good place to look. Howell prices are about the same as Brick's, though Brick gets pricey too when you get near the water.
Familiar with all three lol, here's a general idea of each:
Metuchen- Part of Edison, lots of jobs, great place to work, not so great place to live. Lots of areas are pretty old.
Belmar: beach town, nice homes, but a lot of people are only in the area for the summer
marlboro: My mom grew up there, right next to Manalapan (also very nice) where I currently live. Upper-middle class, close to Mass transit to the city, lots of shopping, movies etc. Probably most viable living option of the three.
Correcting the two posters above- Metuchen is not a part of Edison- it's an independent town, that jst happens to be fully surrounded by Edison. Metuchen has its own government, police, school system, etc., and isn't tied to Edison for anything.
Correcting the two posters above- Metuchen is not a part of Edison- it's an independent town, that jst happens to be fully surrounded by Edison. Metuchen has its own government, police, school system, etc., and isn't tied to Edison for anything.
Yes I know it has its own school district and police dept, but it is a borough, not a township. Doesn't that mean that it is owned by the township in some way shape or form?
Staten Island is a borough of NYC, NYC owns it but it is an incorporated borough.
Yes I know it has its own school district and police dept, but it is a borough, not a township. Doesn't that mean that it is owned by the township in some way shape or form?
Staten Island is a borough of NYC, NYC owns it but it is an incorporated borough.
A "borough" in New Jersey is simply a form of municipal government. If you are a "borough" in New Jersey, you are an independent municipality. A "township" is simply a different form of municipal government and is not superior to, or more powerful than, a borough - it's just different.
In New Jersey there are townships, boroughs, cities, villages and towns. All are independent.
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It's really a year-round community now with a little bit of a flare of its old party designation during the summer in one section. It's a pretty close-knit community.
Wall?
