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I work in midtown Manhattan, and for the last.. nearly 2 years, I've been working remotely from Pennsylvania. Prior to that, we lived in Hackensack, but didn't really like it (traffic, expensive). I've been getting cabin fever lately, though, and I want to go into the office a few times a week (probably 3 in, 2 out). We're looking for a town that's roughly an hour or less commute one-way, but I'm open to checking out towns further out as long as they're on some train line. Most of our family is in Northeastern PA, but my wife has some family in Mt Olive. We're hoping to have an easy trip back whenever we feel like going.
Now for the stickied check list:
Where are you coming from? - Southeastern PA, between Philly and Allentown
Why are you moving? - see above
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? - also see above
Will you buy or rent? - rent
What is your budget ? - prefer to stay under 1800/mo.
What kind of place are you looking for ? - apt or townhouse, minimum 2BR, 1.5 Bath
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? - Wife, 2 kids (young), and a 45lb dog
Do you need/want good public schools? - Not necessary right now, but it wouldn't hurt.
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc) - It'd be nice to be around young families (mid-to-late 20s, early 30s, which is almost impossible around NYC, I realize) with younger kids. Safety is the top priority, I don't really care if it's blue-collar or artsy or whatever, though. I'm from a blue-collar town, although where we live now is relatively artsy. They're both fine.
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc) - Close to train!!!, walkable downtown area (even if it's just like Maywood), outdoor activities, playgrounds, family-oriented.
Now for some extra details. I'm not big on Bergen county. I don't like the blue laws and the traffic. It has some really nice towns, but taking 30 minutes to go 2 miles just totally ruins it. I'm a low-key kind of guy, and I'm not into material things. That said, I'd rather not be in a neighbourhood that's loaded with BMW, Lexus etc. I drive a Ford car and I'm happy with that.
As for the I-78 cut-off, that's just a general guideline, as it's generally easier to get to NEPA from points north. However, I'm sure towns that are pretty much right near the interstate would be easy to just hop on and drive over to PA, so if you know of a great town that's just below 78, feel free to mention it.
Look at the towns along the Raritan Valley line or Morristown line , there are plenty to chose form that fit your criteria. You should check each town out by car , to get a feel for it.
Dover , the Oranges , and Maplewood aren't really great towns or cities , there not bad either but i would avoid those. Also look along the Gladstone line which runs between 80 and 78.
How about Annandale, right off of Rt 78, kind of equidistant between NEPA and NYC? I've always thought that was a great area. Further west is High Bridge, a couple of our regular posters live in that area, though I never have, I think they are both great places for families.
Glen Rock might be in a good spot in Bergen (not too close to the traffic jams of Paramus, on the county border so I can go out on Sunday). I'm off next week, so I'll have a good amount of time to check and then get back to you guys.
If anyone else has any town suggestions, feel free to name drop so I can check those too.
Definitely look into Glen Rock. Highly regarded schools, great pool, perfect little downtown with pizzerias, Starbucks, delis, Dunkin Donuts, etc. Conveniently close to all the shopping in Paramus and restaurants/entertainment in Ridgewood. Not to mention the city is a 20 minute drive without traffic. If you don't want to drive, there are 2 train lines that serve Glen Rock, with direct service to Secaucus/Hoboken. If you need to go to Midtown, you would just transfer at Secaucus Junction. Overall, Glen Rock is where it's at!
We ended up liking Summit/Chatham/Madison area and Princeton the most (even though Princeton is kind of out there). I suppose we're looking now to see if anything major differentiates those towns. One of my bosses lives in Summit and told me it takes him about 1hr door to door in his commute. I have a coworker who lives in Princeton - 55 minute express train + 10 min walk to work. Commute time seems comparable.
Are there any key differences between these areas or is it just down to whatever we find in our range now?
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