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We are coming up next weekend to look at houses in Chatham. I have a few questions.
1. Are Chatham Township residents allowed to park at the train on the weekends? DH will drive to work, but we would like to be able to park at the train station on the weekends or during summer.
2. There are some great new construction houses in the Township. Anyone familiar with Meyersville Road or Mountainview Road? Curious as to why they didn't sell quickly.
3. How would I determine the property taxes on new construction?
4. Someone mentioned Chatham schools being overcrowded. Opinions?
We are relocating from the midwest and recently added Chatham to our list due to the low housing inventory in a couple of the other towns that we are interested in.
We are coming up next weekend to look at houses in Chatham. I have a few questions.
1. Are Chatham Township residents allowed to park at the train on the weekends? DH will drive to work, but we would like to be able to park at the train station on the weekends or during summer.
2. There are some great new construction houses in the Township. Anyone familiar with Meyersville Road or Mountainview Road? Curious as to why they didn't sell quickly.
3. How would I determine the property taxes on new construction?
4. Someone mentioned Chatham schools being overcrowded. Opinions?
We are relocating from the midwest and recently added Chatham to our list due to the low housing inventory in a couple of the other towns that we are interested in.
Thanks.
The train station is in Chatham Borough, not the township, and according to the NJ Transit site, parking is free on weekends. (although they do recommend that if you are going to park at the station overnight you should inform the local police as a courtesy. Ah, small town life!) On weekdays, year round, you will need a permit. There is a limited number of daily spots available for $5 a day, but those fill very quickly and early. You can find more info at the NJ transit site New Jersey Transit or at Chatham Borough's website Borough of Chatham - Chatham, NJ
Meyersville Road is a fairly main thoroughfare, used by many commuters to the Chatham/Summit area. Many use Mountainview Road as a way to avoid the traffic backup at the intersection of Meyersville Rd and Fairmount Ave. I would guess that that plays a role in the length of time houses on those streets stay on the market.
As far as property taxes on new construction, I'd check out comps on trulia.com for a good estimate...if your purchase price is $500,000 and you are on a 1 acre lot, find another home in Chatham that recently sold for about the same amount and is also situated on a 1 acre lot...it will get you a pretty accurate idea. You can also contact the townships tax assessor at (973) 973-635-3207
Chatham's schools are top notch...they have consistently ranked amongst the top ten school systems in the state, and have been ranked amongst the best in the nation. As far as class size, although the average class size has increased in the last several years the class size it is still quite good, with elementary classes in the low 20's.
If you are not already considering it, add Madison to your list of possibilities... located just next door, it is a wonderful small town also with a train station with midtown direct service, a picturesque walkable downtown with shopping, restaurants, and a fantastic Y. The schools are also top tier, (just like Chatham)
Thanks so much for your post. The information you provided is very helpful. Do you an idea of how long a drive it would be from Chatham to Secaucus? My husband has talked to a couple of people who love in Chatham and make the commute and they both said it takes about 40-45 minutes. Does that sound right to you?
I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Schools are good. Chatham is a very social status conscious town. Your family will be judged on how money you make and where you went to college. There are lots of stay home moms that drive their SUV's around town and talk on their cell phones while driving.
Chatham Twp. residents cannot park at train station. Lots of folks do easily commute to NYC.
If you play tennis, like pilates, love mani's and pedi's, and plan on hiring a nanny, you will enjoy Chatham.
Schools are good. Chatham is a very social status conscious town. Your family will be judged on how money you make and where you went to college. There are lots of stay home moms that drive their SUV's around town and talk on their cell phones while driving.
Chatham Twp. residents cannot park at train station. Lots of folks do easily commute to NYC.
If you play tennis, like pilates, love mani's and pedi's, and plan on hiring a nanny, you will enjoy Chatham.
Or alternatively, if you are not "social status conscious", you can simply enjoy Chatham or Madison because they are nice places to live.
We will be moving to a house in Chatham Twp starting in August so there will be one stay at home mom who doesn't drive an SUV. I do love a good pedicure.
Seriously, we have young children and heard wonderful things about Southern El. The neighbors came out to meet us already and everyone seemed very friendly. We are from Harrisburg PA, so it will be quite a change in cost of living for us.
I wish you the best of luck in your home search. Hopefully, some others on this board can give you a more experienced view, but we are excited about moving to the community.
Good to hear that you have found Chatham to be welcoming so far. I am curious as what, if any, other towns you considered before you picked Chatham. What ages are your children? My boys will start middle school in the fall.
My husband will be working in Florham Park so I wanted to move to a town that would allow a shorter commute. We don't need the transit system for everyday or I would have looked in the borough or other places. I was also considering Madison and a few other communities but I feel close neighbors and schools are most important. That was a great fit when we visited so the rest I feel will mostly be of our own making.
We are moving to Chatham township, how early do I need to arrive at train station to get daily parking?
Thanks!
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