Indian Couple moving from Jersey City - Looking for vibrant,diversity friendly towns in NJ (Elizabeth: rental, crime)
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We are an Indian couple in our early 30's, we have stayed in Waterfront Jersey City for the longest time and love the restaurants, easy walks, diversity and active life that Jersey City and Hoboken offers.
I have recently got an offer from a firm in Whippany, NJ and we are contemplating moving out of Jersey City, my husband will be still commuting to Midtown for work.
Please advise on vibrant, Diversity friendly cities in NJ which offers good downtown, active life, variety of restuarants/pubs and good commute to NYC. Look forward to hear back. Thanks.
We are an Indian couple in our early 30's, we have stayed in Waterfront Jersey City for the longest time and love the restaurants, easy walks, diversity and active life that Jersey City and Hoboken offers.
I have recently got an offer from a firm in Whippany, NJ and we are contemplating moving out of Jersey City, my husband will be still commuting to Midtown for work.
Please advise on vibrant, Diversity friendly cities in NJ which offers good downtown, active life, variety of restuarants/pubs and good commute to NYC. Look forward to hear back. Thanks.
Right off the top of my head I'd say you have to look no further than Morristown. It fits all of your criteria to a "T" Midtown direct trains (about 65 minutes to NYC Penn Station) Easy/fast commute to Whippany. Wonderful vibrant downtown filled with diverse restaurants and shopping. Good schools too.
Thanks KoalaNJ.. any other recommedations, anyone? How does maplewood/ montclair / millburn compare with respect to being a fun lively diverse place to be..
Thanks KoalaNJ.. any other recommedations, anyone? How does maplewood/ montclair / millburn compare with respect to being a fun lively diverse place to be..
Montclair & Maplewood more diverse than Millburn. And Stephen Colbert lives in Montclair.
Thanks KoalaNJ.. any other recommedations, anyone? How does maplewood/ montclair / millburn compare with respect to being a fun lively diverse place to be..
Maplewood and Montclair are wonderful communities but you should also note that Essex County taxes are stratospheric and that translates to a higher cost of living. Crime is also higher in those communities than in Morristown. Your commute from Montclair to Whippany will also be a PITA.
Maplewood and Montclair are wonderful communities but you should also note that Essex County taxes are stratospheric and that translates to a higher cost of living. Crime is also higher in those communities than in Morristown. Your commute from Montclair to Whippany will also be a PITA.
City-Data is your friend:
Montclair Crime Index 2010 = 149
Morristown Crime Index 2010 = 182
And Montclair has twice the population. Plus a university with a minor league baseball team, the Wellmont theater for concerts, closer to NYC and a vibrant downtown. Montclair by a mile IMO if one can afford it.
EDIT: And in case you want to spark up (legally of course), Montclair is getting a pot dispensary soon
ALSO: We would be renting initially and so that is another variable, good rental apts preferably close to the station.
Berkeley Hts is a wonderful town, a great place to raise a family.There is no "walkable downtown", no nightlife, it is a quiet pretty rural bedroom community. I know there is a fairly new apt complex near the train station, if I remember correctly it is called Station Court, or something close to that. You should also know that the commute from BH to Whippany will be ~1 hr, not counting weather or accidents. (tertiary routes are very limited as just north of BH is the Great Swamp National Refuge)
Berkeley Hts is a wonderful town, a great place to raise a family.There is no "walkable downtown", no nightlife, it is a quiet pretty rural bedroom community. I know there is a fairly new apt complex near the train station, if I remember correctly it is called Station Court, or something close to that. You should also know that the commute from BH to Whippany will be ~1 hr, not counting weather or accidents. (tertiary routes are very limited as just north of BH is the Great Swamp National Refuge)
KoalaNJ
No. No. No.
Berkeley Heights has a nickname its called Berkeley-whites. The cops pull over people of color who drive though. It is 99% white & Italian in BH, New Providence area. They want to keep it that way.
That entire area that is full of octogenarians, mobsters, and racists. There is nothing there to do at all. My folks lived there for years until they moved to Cali.
Summit, NJ ~ much better choice. It has restraunts, a movie theater, and the train there on Gladstone branch goes right to Penn Station.
Westfield, NJ ~ also very very nice but a bit on the $$. Upside its got bars and nightlife. Close to the train. Downside is that its also 99% white but its on the border of Cranford and Garwood so that's changing slowly.
But what you want doesn't exist in the 'burbs. Once you leave north jersey its pretty empty.
The commute from those areas is punitive in the morning. Route 28 to 287 is just hell. So keep that in mind. Your looking at a 60 minute commute on a good day. I used to work in Parsippany and lived in Summit. So I remember very well what that was like. It will be very hard on your gas tank and sanity.
Perhaps you guys should look at places in Parsippany or Troy. Hackensack? Even Morristown. Fort Lee isn't bad either. There are a lot of places north of JC. Weekhawken, West NY etc.
Montclair Crime Index 2010 = 149
Morristown Crime Index 2010 = 182
And Montclair has twice the population. Plus a university with a minor league baseball team, the Wellmont theater for concerts, closer to NYC and a vibrant downtown. Montclair by a mile IMO if one can afford it.
EDIT: And in case you want to spark up (legally of course), Montclair is getting a pot dispensary soon
Montclair has a lot going for it, that is for sure. I love the town. But I must say that there is more of a seedy area, as well as more muggings. The Wellmont is great for concerts, and Montclair State is wonderful. Morristown has the Mayo Center which attracts more and varied concerts, speakers, and cultural performances. Morristown is also five minutes from three large Colleges, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drew, and the College of St. Elizabeth which means three times the activities and cultural offerings for the community to enjoy. An added sports bonus is that the Jets training facilities are also about five minutes from downtown Morristown.
HTH
KoalaNJ
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