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Dear all -- I am likely moving with my family from the Boston area to the New York area for work reasons. We currently live in the town of Belmont, and we (or I) have at other times lived in other suburban towns outside of Boston (Natick and Brookline). For reasons not worth belaboring, some suburb in Northern New Jersey might be a convenient place for us to relocate. But I am not familiar at all with those communities and what they are like. I realize some might say that if you've seen one American suburb, you've seen them all, but I've also heard it said that the feel and lifestyle of Northern NJ towns is pretty different from the Boston versions -- yet I've haven't been able to find anyone who can discuss or explain how or why. If any of you are familiar with both (or maybe with NJ + suburbs of some other part of the country, even if it isn't Boston), and can try to comment on differences, I'd be very interested and grateful. I also realize there obviously are some large differences between different North Jersey towns, just as there are between towns near Boston. But I still wonder if some generalizations are possible
Dear all -- I am likely moving with my family from the Boston area to the New York area for work reasons. We currently live in the town of Belmont, and we (or I) have at other times lived in other suburban towns outside of Boston (Natick and Brookline). For reasons not worth belaboring, some suburb in Northern New Jersey might be a convenient place for us to relocate. But I am not familiar at all with those communities and what they are like. I realize some might say that if you've seen one American suburb, you've seen them all, but I've also heard it said that the feel and lifestyle of Northern NJ towns is pretty different from the Boston versions -- yet I've haven't been able to find anyone who can discuss or explain how or why. If any of you are familiar with both (or maybe with NJ + suburbs of some other part of the country, even if it isn't Boston), and can try to comment on differences, I'd be very interested and grateful. I also realize there obviously are some large differences between different North Jersey towns, just as there are between towns near Boston. But I still wonder if some generalizations are possible
Thanks so much!
Interesting question. I have a niece who moved from the suburbs of NJ to Easton, MA. Now she's in New Bedford, but she's been in MA for a few years. I'm going to ask her what she thinks.
Obviously there's a huge difference in our "urbs". I visited my niece a couple of years ago and went into Boston with her and her friend. As we approached Boston, I said, "OH! It's so cute! It almost looks like a real city!"
I've lived in Waltham, Brighton, Newton, and now Ridgewood, NJ. It is all the same. Different towns have different flavors and character wherever you go. Belmont, Natick, and Brookline are very different towns. I think it follows a similar trend to Boston. The further you are outside the city, the sleepier the town generally gets. For every suburb in Boston, I think there is a match in Jersey.
There is definitely more sprawl in Northern NJ than Metro Boston. The suburbs overall appear denser/more developed than Boston's. One would need to drive a further distance from NYC to really "get away" or find that "smaller town" vibe in comparison to a shorter driving distance to get that same feel leaving Boston.
There will be fewer suburbs for Boston that would compare to those in NJ, i.e. more comparable outcomes to choose from in NJ.
New England towns outside of Boston have more of a historical feel/character. Because of this newer development tends to be more restricted in the Boston Suburbs.
There's more overall diversity in the NJ suburbs. Not that all NJ suburbs are diverse, but most Boston suburbs still have small/less significant minority populations.
Anyway, I guess these are the more obvious differences that could be made when you compare a much larger city to a smaller one.
BTW, in regards to the previous post, Allston/Brighton is not a Boston "Suburb", but a part of the actual City.
You can find comparable towns, but I'm not that well versed to make dirrect comparisons. I do have friends from Montclair and Ridgewood who ended up in Wellesley or neighboring towns. One of the main differences is that Manhattan is an island so your commute takes on a life of it's own. My impression is that if your main artery to Boston is jammed, you have more options. Also, if you like being near the water, you have a lot of choices outside Boston (my sister lives on the S Shore).
Dear all -- I am likely moving with my family from the Boston area to the New York area for work reasons. We currently live in the town of Belmont, and we (or I) have at other times lived in other suburban towns outside of Boston (Natick and Brookline). For reasons not worth belaboring, some suburb in Northern New Jersey might be a convenient place for us to relocate. But I am not familiar at all with those communities and what they are like. I realize some might say that if you've seen one American suburb, you've seen them all, but I've also heard it said that the feel and lifestyle of Northern NJ towns is pretty different from the Boston versions -- yet I've haven't been able to find anyone who can discuss or explain how or why. If any of you are familiar with both (or maybe with NJ + suburbs of some other part of the country, even if it isn't Boston), and can try to comment on differences, I'd be very interested and grateful. I also realize there obviously are some large differences between different North Jersey towns, just as there are between towns near Boston. But I still wonder if some generalizations are possible
Thanks so much!
I would say by far the biggest difference between the suburbs of N. New Jersy and the Boston area is the much larger population in the Tri-State area. The larger population pressure effects things like average lot sizes, lot coverage, types of buildings and of course prices.
Having said that you can find what you are looking for in Northern New Jersey. Everything from post war modern suburb to small towns compete with a Main Street, stores, post office, railroad stations, churches etc. to "Estate type" suburbs with large properties and houses.
I personally like the Morris County - Somerset County area. You get most of the advantages of Northern New Jersey but a little less crowded and more natural. If you want to be closer to the city, there are many good choices, especially in Bergen County.
the Boston suburbs remind me of Bergen (except for Ft. Lee) & Essex counties. Ft.Lee & Hudson Co is like a NYC borough
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