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Considering an opportunity in the Paramus area. While it is a GREAT opportunity and should pay well, our biggest concern is the lifestyle and cost of living. We live in the South with an avg. cost of living and great family environment. Based on what I've seen in these forums research and the correct expectation is crucial.
Assuming we could afford a home in the $500-$600k range, any suggestions on good locales for a family of 4 (two young boys). My #1 concern is a nice place for the family and hopefully then a decent commute for me.
I was born in Northern NJ (Sparta) and lived a time in No Carolina and Maryland. One thing I can say in favor of the Northeast you will not find a better area to give your children a good education. New jersey has some of the highest performng schools in the Nation. I was lucky to have raised my oldest in Connecticut, which far exceeds education here on the South Coast of Mass (but the beauty of the area is extrodinary).
Look into Franklin I remember that as a nice rural area that has probably built up but is still affordable. Sparta is fantastic, lakes and great schools, my brother has a cute house there he will be selling when he retires in a year or two in the $350 range based on todays market.
You want this guy to commute from Sussex to Paramus? Thats crazy. That will easily take an hour from either of those towns under the most optimal traffic conditions. During rush hour that commute has the high likelihood of being a nightmare.
For the original poster, I wouldn't be too worried. $500-$600 gives you some leeway. You could probably find a very decent house in a nice town for that ammount of money.
You might want to shy away from Bergen county as most of the real estate in that area is a bit pricey, for what you are paying for. I tend to think of the housing around the Garden State Parkway in Bergen county as being overpriced, however that would probably be the most logical place to look if you are going to be working there.
There are tons of very nice towns with good schooling systems within a 30 minute drive of Paramus. Maybe you might even want to consider looking into Rockland County, NY (which is directly north of Bergen County) as the property prices tend to drop precipitously once you cross the NY State border. The traffic can be quite bad in Rockland, but most of that is going over the Tappan Zee Bridge into Westchester County.
Could you be more specific as to what you are looking for in a town? If you can give some more details perhaps someone on this board can give you a better idea of a town to consider.
You want this guy to commute from Sussex to Paramus? Thats crazy. That will easily take an hour from either of those towns under the most optimal traffic conditions. During rush hour that commute has the high likelihood of being a nightmare.
For the original poster, I wouldn't be too worried. $500-$600 gives you some leeway. You could probably find a very decent house in a nice town for that ammount of money.
You might want to shy away from Bergen county as most of the real estate in that area is a bit pricey, for what you are paying for. I tend to think of the housing around the Garden State Parkway in Bergen county as being overpriced, however that would probably be the most logical place to look if you are going to be working there.
There are tons of very nice towns with good schooling systems within a 30 minute drive of Paramus. Maybe you might even want to consider looking into Rockland County, NY (which is directly north of Bergen County) as the property prices tend to drop precipitously once you cross the NY State border. The traffic can be quite bad in Rockland, but most of that is going over the Tappan Zee Bridge into Westchester County.
Could you be more specific as to what you are looking for in a town? If you can give some more details perhaps someone on this board can give you a better idea of a town to consider.
Thanks for the suggestion MEAD. We assume that since we're close enough to NYC there will be no lack of things to do, and it looks like there are a lot of parks/greenways in the area as well. Outside of that good schools is a must, and convenience to shopping & services is what we're used to. The thing we've enjoyed the most in all of the places we've lived (South, then Rockies, now South again) is a good NEIGHBORHOOD. Knowing neighbors, kids playing with kids, close to the school, etc.
I know that all sounds pretty generic but I guess we're pretty happy with close friends, reasonable commute and not having to drive a 1/2 hour to the grocery store!
No matter where you relocate to NJ you will never be far from a grocery/convience store.
I am not sure but I think it is a law that every town must have at least one strip mall and must contain a convience/lottery store, pizzaria, Chinese restaurant, and dry cleaner,banks are optional but may soon be required.
How about Paramus itself? The main problem I hear about there is the traffic on the highways going to the malls. (But all the malls in Paramus are closed on Sundays, because Bergen County still has Blue Laws.) The schools are supposed to be good and the taxes might be lower than in other towns because the malls contribute to the tax base.
Glen Rock is another town you might want to look into. Ridgewood is nice but very pricey. As you go north in Bergen County the houses, lots, and schools get better and better but the prices can get higher, too.
I live in Saddle Brook and love the town, good park, great schools, great neighborhood. You are close to all the major highways and shopping. You can get a house for under $500,000 in town.
How about Oakland about 15 minutes from Paramus. It's still Bergan County but, a little less expensive then SaddleBrook. Wayne is not too far either, that's Passaic county, low taxes there. With 287 open you can try Kinnelon, Pompton Plains and lincoln park. They are all about 30 min. to Paramus
Good Luck
Hi - If you are looking to relocate to North Jersey there is so much to do and a wonderful lifestyle ahead of you. It will be pricey, but you will find the town and community you can fit into. $500-600 is okay to be away from the degenerates. Good Luck!
Bergen County has some of the highest Property takes in the state. New York State offers good schools,decent commute and reasonable housing. Check into Warwick NY.
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It's expensive but great
