Best Place to Live Central New Jersey? (Hillside, Princeton: real estate, homes)

[AdviseMe]

We are relocating from the southwest to central New Jersey and will soon begin looking for a house. After hours of online research, we are still having a difficult time narrowing our search area.

My husband will be working in Princeton, New Jersey, and it is unclear where I will be working. (I will have my certification to teach special education in May.) My husband and I have three children. Our oldest will be entering her first year of high school next year, our middle child will be in eighth grade, and our youngest will be a second-grader. Our children will be attending public schools, so the school system is very important to us. My children will be transferring from a school that is far behind the ones in New Jersey in math. They are fast-learners and very smart, so we're also hoping for a district that will help them catch-up to their ability.

Our price range is in the $350-450 range. We're hoping to purchase a detached home with at least three bedrooms, an office, a yard, gas heating, and air conditioning. We'd like to live in a family-friendly community. We've viewed nice homes online in Hamilton Square, Lawrenceville, and East Windsor in our price range, but would prefer for our child to attend a high school that does not have a series of short classes each day. Montgomery has block scheduling and the West Windsor Plainsboro High Schools have six periods a day, but we're not certain that it is possible to find something in our price range in those areas.

Can anyone offer advice or insight into these areas? We really need to narrow the search for our real estate agent soon.

[davenj08]

Seems South Brunswick meets all your criteria. Within 15 minutes from Princeton, very good schools and more affordable compared to some of the towns you mentioned above.

[AdviseMe]

Thank you! I did not realize that South Brunswick High School had block scheduling. South Brunswick is definitely going on the list now.

[jerseyj]

Not sure if Robbinsville uses block scheduling but worth checking out too. Good elementary schools and a brand new high school that is shaping up nicely.

You might also look at Pennington/Hopewell school district, a little more "rural" but solidly rated schools and a doable commute into Princeton.

Coming from the SW, check out the property taxes in the towns where you are looking. They were quite a shock for us.

[OysterCatcher]

West Windsor and Montgomery are the top choices in the Princeton area but as you pointed out is out of your price range.

The suggestions of South Brunswick, Robbinsville, and Hopwell/Pennington are good ones. East Windsor, Hamilton and Lawrenceville schools just don't compare to the previous mentioned. But the price reflects that. You get what you pay for is true when home buying around here.

[OysterCatcher]

Two places I would look at closely;

1) The Kendall Park area of South Brunswick
2) The neighborhood bordering the airport and golf course in Robbinsville (Hillside Dr)

[manderly6]

Check out Pennington.

[phl76]

what about Plainsboro? The homes would probably be near the top of your budget, but it's in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district.

[kokonis]

Hopewell and Pennington - lovely area, close to Princeton and excellent schools

[Mightyqueen801]

What is block scheduling? Just curious.