Single Female move to bridgewater, NJ (Somerville, Washington: apartment complex, rentals, low crime)
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Where are you coming from? Washington, DC
Why are you moving? Employment
Where will you be working? Bridgwater, NJ/Bridgewater Commons Mall
Distance to work willing to travel 10-15 minutes to work.
Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget? Under 2100/month in an apartment complex.
What kind of place are you looking for? 1br apartment, or share
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? No
Do you need/want good public schools? No.
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
Safe, close to work, gym and hopefully a bike trail, grocery shopping
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)
I am relocating to bridgewater, nj for work reasons. I am wondering where I should live and if I should live in an apartment complex or a house where I will share with others. I don't mind sharing because I don't want to go back home and find I am the only one there. I like biking, so it will be great if I live close to a bike trail.
I am also thinking if I can bike to work if I live close enough (like within half an hour by bike) I don't know this area at all, so any input is welcome!
im not too familiar with Bridgewater, but you may want to consider looking at the neighboring town of Somerville. A very nice downtown with restaurants, shops, etc. A large grocery store in the middle of town, and alot of new luxury rentals that were recently built.
Somerville would definitely be a good location for somebody who works at Bridgewater Commons Mall, as it is adjacent to the mall, its downtown has been revitalized over the past few years, and it has a lot (that's two words!) of restaurants and "artsy" attractions in its downtown area--in addition to new luxury rentals.
The one caution that I would mention is that I don't see the quick trip from Somerville to Bridgewater Commons Mall as being amenable to biking. The mall is at the intersection of Routes 22 and 202/206, and the traffic volume is both heavy and fast-moving. I do not recommend traveling to the mall from anywhere via bicycle!
However, if the OP is interested in biking, also nearby is Duke Farms, which is an excellent place to take bike rides. A bit further away is Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, which is also a very good place for those who like to ride their bikes on semi-wilderness trails.
Hi everyone, thank you for your input! It's actually the office buildings in the somerset corporate blvd. I am wondering if it is possible to bike there?
It's actually the office buildings in the somerset corporate blvd. I am wondering if it is possible to bike there?
Is it possible?
Yes
Is it a good idea?
Absolutely not!
There are no dedicated bike lanes on any of the roads leading to that office park, and given the volume and the speed of vehicles on those roads, I think that somebody would have to have a death wish to want to go to that location via bicycle.
Trust me...after you see the traffic conditions, you will agree with me.
Hi everyone, thank you for your input! It's actually the office buildings in the somerset corporate blvd. I am wondering if it is possible to bike there?
possible yes, would I no.
A lot of older road infrastructure that hasn't been upgraded for the amount of traffic. So you have single lane roads with a lot of traffic on them or very busy 4 lane roads. I lived in Bridgewater right off of 206 and it was about a 10 minute drive to Bridgewater commons mall, 15 in heavy traffic. Somerville is also nice but the school system is ranked lower which is why Bridgewater rents will be a little higher. I would spend a couple of weeks up there before renting to decide on a place, so you get to know the area. Avoid commuting on 278 as it's a parking lot at rush hour.
Anything off of 206 is nice as there is a very large Wegmens and other upscale amenities in the area. There is a Gold's gym nearby also but it doesn't have a pool or a lot of fitness classes.
I enjoyed my 20 months up there, and a lot of my co-workers were envious because of two things. I worked close to work, and lived in Bridgewater/Somerville area which has very low crime overall.
Somerville is also nice but the school system is ranked lower which is why Bridgewater rents will be a little higher.
Avoid commuting on 278 as it's a parking lot at rush hour.
Anything off of 206 is nice as there is a very large Wegmens and other upscale amenities in the area.
The OP already mentioned that school quality is not a factor, as she doesn't have any children.
The highway that the OP should try to avoid during commuting hours is I-287, not "278".
And, lastly, Wegmans (which is an excellent supermarket) is located on Route 202 South, not on "206".
Last edited by Retriever; 07-20-2016 at 11:26 AM..
Thank you for the help everyone! Which areas will be nice to stay then if I want to avoid I-287? I hope my commuting time won't be longer than 15 min one way;-)
Thank you for the help everyone! Which areas will be nice to stay then if I want to avoid I-287? I hope my commuting time won't be longer than 15 min one way;-)
If you choose to live in Bridgewater, Somerville, Raritan or Branchburg, you should have a maximum 15 minute commute to work via car, and you wouldn't need to use I-287 for that commute. You will almost surely wind up having to drive on very busy Route 22 or Route 202, but I-287 wouldn't be necessary for your commute to work from any of those towns.
If you want a more urban environment (albeit a very safe one), then "artsy" Somerville would be a good choice. If you want a more suburban environment, then you would probably prefer either Branchburg or Bridgewater. Raritan is a smaller town than Somerville, and is also very safe, but it has much less to offer than Somerville does.
Wegmans (consistently rated as the top food market in The US) has a location in Bridgewater, Somerville has a new Shop-Rite supermarket, and Branchburg also has a good Shop-Rite. Raritan has a Stop & Shop supermarket, but that chain tends to have MUCH higher prices than either Shop-Rite or Wegmans. Additionally, there is a Costco warehouse in Bridgewater.
Have you considered staying at an extended-stay motel for a few weeks in order to get a good feel for the various communities and the rental properties located in those communities?
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